The product your lab chooses to fulfill their research needs largely depends on the stage of development. Are you conducting early drug discovery research involving several different candidates? Perhaps your company is involved in translational research, considering a lead candidate for clinical studies? What is your research budget? Choosing the right starting material for a specific project is a critical decision, but one that can sometimes be daunting.
A recent independent study cited using whole blood collected from HemCare donors to carry out research into how lung cancer suppresses the immune system. [1]
Scientists at a Boston-based pharmaceutical company have been trying to puzzle out exactly how lung cancer cells are able to suppress the immune system, and prevent it from launching an effective response. While previous research has exposed cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) as the primary culprits in this process, there is still little real knowledge of how these cells are able to interfere with immune cell function.
An independent study carried out at a Cellular Technology Ltd. cites using HemaCare PBMCs in their efforts to replicate physiological B cell activation in an assay format. [1]
Memory B cells function as the foundation of the adaptive immune system, creating a physiological catalogue of foreign antigens that can be used to “recognize” invading pathogens and trigger an immune response. Memory B cells can survive for decades, creating long-term protection against diseases that have been encountered previously.
As the fight against COVID-19 continues, the use of CAR-T or TCR-T therapies may be able to help treat patients infected, but more research is needed.
The last decade of research has provided significant advances in anti-cancer immunotherapies. Particularly, the development of genetically modified T-cells has been successful in treating various types of cancers. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T-cell receptor (TCR) T-cell therapy are major examples of highly studied immunotherapies. CAR-T cells recognize proteins or antigens expressed on the surface of cancer cells, whereas TCR-T cells recognize tumor antigens inside the cells.
Clinical trials all over the world are showing positive results when treating COVID-19 patients suffering from ARDS with MSCs.
The worldwide race to develop effective therapies for complications from COVID-19 infection are ongoing. Patients with particularly severe responses are often diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).