MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researchers have discovered a hidden feedback loop that helps leukemia cells survive and have developed a new immunotherapy that can break that loop. The loop is between a protein called IL-33 and its receptor IL1RL1, which together help acute myeloid leukemia cells grow and evade treatment. To disrupt this loop, the researchers created a bispecific antibody that both kills leukemia cells carrying IL1RL1 and activates immune cells that can fight off cancer. In lab and animal models, the therapy significantly slowed disease progression, reduced immune suppression and improved survival without major side effects. The research offers a potential new off-the-shelf treatment for leukemia and other cancers with similar tumor environments. 

Johns Hopkins University researchers have identified more than 200 types of misfolded proteins in rats that could be associated with age-related cognitive decline. The findings could lead the way to finding new therapeutic targets and treatments in humans that could provide relief for the millions of people over 65 who suffer from Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other diseases that rob them of their memories and independence as they age.