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Tumor-derived erythropoietin acts as an immunosuppressive switch in cancer immunity

A protein identified nearly 40 years ago for its ability to stimulate the production of red blood cells plays a surprising, critical role in dampening the immune system’s response to cancer.

Blocking the activity of the protein turns formerly “cold,” or immune-resistant, liver tumors in mice into “hot” tumors teeming with cancer-fighting immune cells. When combined with an immunotherapy that further activates these immune cells against the cancer, the treatment led to complete regression of existing liver tumors in most mice. Treated animals lived for the duration of the experiment. In contrast, control animals survived only a few weeks.

“This is a fundamental breakthrough in our understanding of how the immune system is turned off and on in cancer,” said the senior author published the work in Science. “I could not be more excited about this discovery, and I hope treatments that target the mechanism we uncovered will quickly move forward to human trials.”

Battery in a battery: just one of CATL’s new EV tech announcements

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), the largest battery manufacturer in the world with a 38% share of the global market, has just announced some fairly significant breakthroughs in battery tech that aren’t just theoretical; they’re already hitting the market.

Secrets in the Shadows: ShadowCam and Cosmic Rays Uncover Moon’s Hidden Ice

Scientists are using cutting-edge techniques to track water ice on the Moon—an essential resource for future space missions.

A University of Hawai‘i team utilized ShadowCam to peer into the Moon’s perpetually dark craters, refining estimates of surface ice. Another team introduced a cosmic ray-based method to detect deeply buried ice, a breakthrough in lunar exploration. Both approaches could revolutionize how we locate usable water beyond Earth, with Hawai‘i emerging as a key player in the growing space frontier.

Unlocking lunar water: why ice on the moon matters.

Autism Breakthrough: Scientists Discover Brain Circuit Behind Social Attention Deficits

UNIGE scientists have identified a brain circuit that may be at the root of the social difficulties experienced by individuals with autism spectrum disorders. From birth, human survival relies on the ability to connect with others. This capacity, crucial for healthy development, appears to be dis

Iron and blue light enable rapid, low-toxicity creation of carbohydrates for new antibiotics

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have made a discovery that could potentially revolutionize treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections, cancer and other challenging gram-negative pathogens without relying on precious metals.

Currently, precious metals like platinum and rhodium are used to create synthetic carbohydrates, which are vital components of many approved antibiotics used to combat , including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a notorious hospital-acquired infection responsible for the deaths of immunocompromised patients. However, these elements require harsh reaction conditions, are expensive to use and are harmful to the environment when mined.

In an innovative study published in the journal Nature Communications, an OU team led by Professor Indrajeet Sharma has replaced these with either blue light or iron, achieving similar results with significantly lower toxicity, reduced costs, and greater appeal for researchers and .