Blog | HemaCare

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.

By observing T cells, researchers are better identifying the connections between estrogen, testosterone, and autoimmune diseases.

The most common autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel disease (IBD), and systemic lupus erythematous (SLE), affect women significantly more than men in terms of incidence, disease severity, progression, and response to therapy. Various studies have been conducted to explore the basis of the sexual dimorphism of autoimmune diseases. A prominent factor is the role of sex hormones in the sex-based differences associated with autoimmune diseases.

Cell therapy starting materials sourced from HemaCare are being used to support studies focused on the selective expansion of tumor-specific T cells.

In a recent article, ^[1] researchers at a Cambridge, MA biotech company describe their work with a fusion protein designed to specifically activate and expand killer T cells that recognize human papilloma virus associated (HPV+) head and neck cancer cells.

While the world waits for a coronavirus vaccine, scientists are looking to viral and cell therapy treatments for a solution.

Since China began reporting COVID-19 cases to the World Health Organization (WHO), the novel virus has since spread globally. With the declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, announcements about efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine are ongoing and constant.