Tag: health

The Squish Factor Matters: How Cell Mechanics Impacts Immune Therapy Outcomes

This image depicts the process of generating CAR T cells in a step by step manner.
CAR T cell therapies are a type of cell therapy where a patient’s cells are genetically altered to fight cancer cells in their body. Figure obtained from Tallantyre et al., 2021.

Cell therapies are a new hot topic in the field of medicine, as they hold immense potential to cure various types of cancers by using a genetically modified cell from the patient to attack cancer cells in the body. This requires proper activation of the immune cell as well as a successful ability to bind to the cancer cell antigens. 

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Communication is Hard, Especially in Space!

Immune Dysfunction Due to Cytokine Production in a Microgravity Environment

If a loved one told you that they are going to get the opportunity to go to the international space station, what immediate concerns would you have? Their safety and health would probably be the first two things that come to mind. Many people know that astronauts have to be in peak physical condition to go to space, and still when they come back to Earth astronauts can be weaker due to muscle and bone loss. What many people may be surprised to learn is that traveling to space and being exposed to microgravity can also affect their immune system.

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