(Funded by the National Institutes of Health)
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, have unveiled a new platform that combines a flexible material called graphene oxide with antibodies to closely mimic the natural interactions between immune cells. The investigators found that this platform shows a high capacity for stimulating T cells to reproduce, while preserving their versatility and potency. The advance could make CAR-T cell therapy more effective and accessible. In this type of therapy, patients’ own immune cells are collected, genetically engineered so that they specifically target cancer cells, and then returned to the body. The new technology enhanced the efficiency of engineering immune cells, leading to a five-fold increase in CAR-T cell production, compared to the standard process.

(Funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the National Institutes of Health)
By fusing together a pair of contorted molecular structures, researchers from Cornell University, Rice University, the University of Chicago, and Columbia University have created a porous #crystal that can uptake #lithium-ion #electrolytes and transport them smoothly via one-dimensional #nanochannels – a design that could lead to safer solid-state #LithiumIonBatteries. The researchers devised a method of fusing together two eccentric molecular structures that have complementary shapes: #macrocycles and #MolecularCages. “Both macrocycles and molecular cages have intrinsic pores where ions can sit and pass through,” said Yuzhe Wang, one of the scientists involved in this study. “By using them as the building blocks for porous crystals, the crystal would have large spaces to store ions and interconnected channels for ions to transport.”

(Funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the National Institutes of Health)
A new way of diagnosing lung cancer with a blood draw is 10 times faster and 14 times more sensitive than earlier methods, according to researchers from the University of Michigan and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The microchip that the researchers developed captures nanoscale particles called exosomes – tiny packages released by cells – from blood plasma to identify signs of lung cancer. Although exosomes from healthy cells move important proteins or DNA and RNA fragments throughout the body, exosomes from cancer cells can help tumors spread by preparing tissues to accept tumor cells before they arrive. Also, cancer cell exosomes can be distinguished from healthy cell exosomes because proteins on the surfaces of cancer cell exosomes are often mutated.

(Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health)
Researchers from the University of California San Diego have created an array of nanopillars that can breach the nucleus of a cell – the compartment that houses our DNA – without damaging the cell’s outer membrane. This new “gateway into the nucleus” could open new possibilities in gene therapy, where genetic material needs to be delivered directly into the nucleus, as well as drug delivery and other forms of precision medicine. The nucleus is impenetrable by design. Its membrane is a highly fortified barrier that shields our genetic code, letting in only specific molecules through tightly controlled channels.

(Funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation)
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University in Philadelphia, the University of Delaware, and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China have discovered a novel means of directing lipid nanoparticles to target specific tissues. The engineers demonstrated how subtle adjustments to the chemical structure of an ionizable lipid, a key component of a lipid nanoparticle, allow for tissue-specific delivery to the liver, lungs, and spleen. The researchers’ key insight was to incorporate siloxane composites – a class of silicon- and oxygen-based compounds already used in medical devices, cosmetics and drug delivery – into ionizable lipids.