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Category: biotech/medical – Page 17

Multiomic Selection of Cancer-Testis Antigens as Precision Immuno-oncologic Targets in Head and Neck Cancer

CTAs, immune-privileged and aberrantly expressed in HNSCC tumors, were consistently undetectable in normal oral mucosa but highly enriched in malignant tissue. These findings inform the development of targeted adoptive cell therapies with minimized risk for off-tumor effects.

Question Can cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) be leveraged as precision immuno-oncologic targets for head and neck cancer?

Findings In this cross-sectional study including 33 samples from patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), 23 testis-restricted and 44 testis-selective CTAs with tumor-specific expression were identified in both de novo and radiation-recurrent HNSCCs, validated across transcriptomic, genomic, and proteomic analyses. Of these, a core set of 14 CTAs were consistently detected across all datasets analyzed.

Meaning The CTAs identified in this study in both de novo and recurrent HNSCCs represent potential precision immuno-oncologic targets for adoptive cell therapeutics, such as T-cell receptor–engineered T-cell therapy.

Multi-scale classification decodes the complexity of the human E3 ligome

The authors of this study map the human E3 ubiquitin ligome using a metric learning approach, revealing a unified classification framework that explains preserved patterns and functional segregation of E3 families, linking enzymes to substrates and drug interactions, and guiding strategies for targeted therapies.

Clinical, Biological, and Functional Connectivity Profile of Patients With De Novo Parkinson Disease Who Are APOE ε4 Carriers

This study demonstrated that APOE genotype significantly affects Parkinson disease clinical, biological, and neurophysiologic profiles since disease onset.

Background and Objectives.

New image sensor breaks optical limits

Imaging technology has transformed how we observe the universe—from mapping distant galaxies with radio telescope arrays to unlocking microscopic details inside living cells. Yet despite decades of innovation, a fundamental barrier has persisted: capturing high-resolution, wide-field images at optical wavelengths without cumbersome lenses or strict alignment constraints.

A new study by Guoan Zheng, a biomedical engineering professor and the director of the UConn Center for Biomedical and Bioengineering Innovation (CBBI), and his research team at the UConn College of Engineering, was published in Nature Communications, introducing a breakthrough solution that could redefine optical imaging across science, medicine, and industry.

“At the heart of this breakthrough is a longstanding technical problem,” said Zheng. “Synthetic aperture imaging—the method that allowed the Event Horizon Telescope to image a black hole—works by coherently combining measurements from multiple separated sensors to simulate a much larger imaging aperture.”

Researchers create world’s smallest programmable, autonomous robots

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Michigan have created the world’s smallest fully programmable, autonomous robots: microscopic swimming machines that can independently sense and respond to their surroundings, operate for months and cost just a penny each.

Barely visible to the naked eye, each robot measures about 200 by 300 by 50 micrometers, smaller than a grain of salt. Operating at the scale of many biological microorganisms, the robots could advance medicine by monitoring the health of individual cells and manufacturing by helping construct microscale devices.

Powered by light, the robots carry microscopic computers and can be programmed to move in complex patterns, sense local temperatures and adjust their paths accordingly.

Alzheimer’s disease can be reversed in animal models to achieve full neurological recovery

For over a century, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been considered irreversible. Consequently, research has focused on disease prevention or slowing, rather than recovery. Despite billions of dollars spent on decades of research, there has never been a clinical trial of a drug for AD with an outcome goal of reversing disease and recovering function.

Now, a research team from University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center has challenged this long-held dogma in the field. They tested whether brains already badly afflicted with advanced AD could recover.

The study, led by Kalyani Chaubey, Ph.D., from the Pieper Laboratory, is published in Cell Reports Medicine.

Scientists boost mitochondria to burn more calories

Researchers have developed experimental drugs that encourage the mitochondria in our cells to work a little harder and burn more calories. The findings could open the door to new treatments for obesity and improve metabolic health.

Obesity is a global epidemic and a risk factor for many diseases, including diabetes and cancer. Current obesity drugs require injections and can cause side effects, so a safe way to boost weight loss could deliver significant public health benefits.

The study, led by Associate Professor Tristan Rawling from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), has just been published in Chemical Science, where it was highlighted as “pick of the week.”

An AI-based blueprint for designing catalysts across materials

Hydrogen peroxide is widely used in everyday life, from disinfectants and medical sterilization to environmental cleanup and manufacturing. Despite its importance, most hydrogen peroxide is still produced using large-scale industrial processes that require significant energy. Researchers are thus seeking cleaner alternatives.

A team of researchers has made a breakthrough in this regard, developing a new computational framework that helps identify effective catalysts for producing hydrogen peroxide directly from water and electricity.

The work focuses on the two-electron water oxidation reaction, an electrochemical process that can generate hydrogen peroxide in a more localized and potentially sustainable way.

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