DISCOVERIES

The abscopal effect, a phenomenon where localized treatment of a primary tumor leads to regression of metastatic cancer lesions at distant sites, has garnered significant interest in oncology. This term, derived from the Latin “ab” (away from) and the Greek “scopus” (target), describes a rare but significant systemic response to localized cancer therapy. Key players … Read more

New technologies typically don’t address one specific problem. The path to becoming an important force multiplier with population-level impacts is the uncovering of additional benefits that tend to scale economically. GLP-1s are in this discovery phase whereby analysts are periodically updating NPV models to capture new benefits and new demographics and new indications with little … Read more

Our immune system is complex beyond comprehension. It acts as a vigilant guard, constantly patrolling for and eliminating threats like viruses, bacteria, and even abnormal cells that could turn cancerous. Cancer is a cunning adversary. New research from a collaborative effort by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical … Read more

Students of synthetic biology soon discover that living things are more adaptive and creative than most people ever imagined. According to Perry Marshall in his book, Evolution 2.0: Breaking the Deadlock Between Darwin and Design, “Darwinists underestimate nature and Creationists underestimate God.” Cells forming symbiotic relationships and communicating in complex ways suggests limitations to the … Read more

Proteins, which are the workhorses of the cell, are made up of long, interconnected strings of amino acids that fold into a wide variety of 3D shapes. Understanding the precise shape of a protein facilitates efforts to figure out its function, its potential role in a disease, and even how to target it with therapies. … Read more

Glycobiology crosses many fields including chemistry, biology, medicine, and materials science. Broadly speaking, glycobiology is the study of the structure, biosynthesis and biology of glycans (carbohydrates). All cells and many proteins are covered with a dense and complex array of covalently attached sugar chains (called oligosaccharides or glycans). The biological roles of these glycans become particularly important … Read more

Proteogenomic has the potential to match cancer patients with an effective therapy for their particular cancer. A new study identifies three molecular subtypes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) that could be used to better determine appropriate treatment. The research led by Baylor College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University and the National Cancer … Read more

Where is cancer research headed in the next decade? Scientists and oncologists at the National Cancer Institute share their thoughts on proteogenomics. Oncology has experienced more constant change in the last 30 years than from the late 20th century to the time cancer was first identified in 440 B.C. The rapid pace of innovation in … Read more

There’s more to a tree than you may have thought. Consider the characterizations from a scientist, a philosopher and a poet. Professor Birgitta Whaley pursues novel quantum computing devices by using advanced probing methods (ie. ultrafast spectroscopy) to resolve the underlying mystery behind a biological molecule’s capacity to concurrently inhabit multiple places, times or energy … Read more

The approval in 2018 of a new drug  to treat polyneuropathy caused by a rare and frequently fatal disease called hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (hATTR) marks the arrival of a new class of therapeutics. The new drug, called patisiran (Onpattro), is a small interfering RNA (siRNA) that is part of a class of therapeutics that can … Read more