Wistar scientists have developed a new type of bispecific T cell engager, or BTE, that is effective against ovarian cancer in preclinical studies.

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have identified a thymus‑derived hormone, thymulin, as a key regulator of “inflammaging,” the chronic, low‑grade inflammation that increases with age and fuels cancer and other diseases. In animal models and human blood samples, the team showed that thymulin helps keep inflammatory cytokines in check; as thymulin levels decline with age, cytokines rise, promoting tumor growth and weakening cancer immunity. Restoring thymulin in older mice reduced age‑related inflammation, improved survival, and enhanced response to anti‑PD‑1/PD‑L1 immunotherapy, pointing to a potential new strategy to boost cancer treatment in older patients. The findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest that targeting the thymus and thymulin could open new avenues for treating cancer and other age‑related diseases and underscore the importance of studying older animals to better understand diseases of aging.

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (07/20/2026) — Researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School have identified why pancreatic cancer is difficult for the immune system to recognize and attack, paving the way for a new approach to improve immunotherapy. The findings were published in Science ImmunologyExternal link that opens in the same window.

Researchers used mice to identify a mechanism that may be targeted to reverse slow breathing from fentanyl, a harmful symptom that can lead to overdose and death in fentanyl users.