A collaborative effort between researchers at the Henan Academy of Innovations in Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, and Shenzhen University School of Medicine has provided the first proof-of-principle study demonstrating that targeting a receptor on the surface of anti-inflammatory regulatory T cells (Tregs) can restore their function and alleviate asthma in mice. The study, published March 17 in Life Science Alliance (LSA), shows that targeting the Dectin-1 receptor reprograms the epigenetic landscape of compromised Tregs and renews their ability to express two core Treg genes. These findings offer a promising novel therapeutic avenue for the treatment of allergic asthma and, potentially, other immune-mediated diseases.

New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis adds to growing evidence that helping brain cells break down and eliminate their own cellular waste is a promising treatment strategy for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. In lab experiments, the researchers found that exposure to a novel compound can clear a harmful protein from human neurons modeling frontotemporal dementia — a devastating and ultimately fatal condition — and prevent those neurons from dying.

Dartmouth Cancer Center (DCC) has appointed Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, as the center’s sixth director. Herbst will lead integrated efforts to help strengthen cancer research, education, and collaboration across Dartmouth and Dartmouth Health, expand access to advanced treatments and clinical trials, and continue to elevate cancer care in southern New Hampshire, throughout New England, and beyond.