Simone Schuerle and Tal Danino | Apr 1, 2020 | 10+ min read
Autonomous, living microrobots that seek and destroy cancer are not as futuristic as one might imagine, thanks to a fusion of robotics and synthetic biology.
A newly engineered CAR T cell that incorporates a peptide isolated from the venom of the deathstalker scorpion has broad brain tumor–binding capabilities that will be investigated in an upcoming clinical trial.
When X-linked genes evade silencing on the “inactive” chromosome in XX cells, some protect women from diseases such as cancer, but others seem to promote conditions such as autoimmunity.
In the first clinical study of its kind in the US, researchers used CRISPR to modify CAR T cells to make them more potent against cancer, but the clinical benefits are unknown.
The Oxford researcher’s work on lipid and peptide antigens revealed key mechanisms in inflammation, immunotherapy, and vaccination, which are being pursued in clinical trial treatments.