Research Focus
Imagine, if we understood what the 30 trillions of cells in our body do at any given moment...
Now compare these 30 trillions of cells (not counting the microbiome!) to the earth population of 8B people (3,750 times more!). This creates a massive undertaking...
At CSB we develop innovative technologies to enable the discovery of new biology, drug targets and diagnostics.
Powerful new test allows a glimpse into tumor dynamics
In a recent study published in Clinical Cancer Research, CSB researchers developed a multiplexed fine needle technology to aspirate cells directly from solid tumors without the need for more invasive core biopsies or surgical excisions. The FAST-FNA method facilitates the comprehensive and quantitative assessment of cellular and functional immune biomarkers within the tumor microenvironment at the single-cell level and in situations when the samples are too scant to perform flow cytometry. Serial immune profiling is an advancement in the field in both concept and methodology that allows for the early detection of changes induced within the tumor microenvironment by various applied therapeutics, providing a platform for the development and discovery of quantitative multi-dimensional scores and/or biomarkers that may allow for improved and timely prediction of treatment response. Learn more...
A molecule that may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease
Communication within the glial cell ecosystem is essential for neuronal and brain health. We found, in humans and mice, that astrocyte-sourced interleukin-3 (IL-3) programs microglia to ameliorate the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Upon recognition of β-amyloid (Aβ) deposits, microglia increase their expression of IL-3Rα—the specific receptor for IL-3—making them responsive to IL-3. Astrocytes constitutively produce IL-3, which elicits transcriptional, morphological, and functional programming of microglia to endow them with an acute immune response program, enhanced motility, and the capacity to cluster and clear aggregates of Aβ and tau. These changes restrict AD pathology and cognitive decline. Our findings identify IL-3 as a key mediator of astrocyte–microglia cross-talk and a node for therapeutic intervention in AD. Learn more...
Cancer: immunotherapies without side effects?
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has revolutionized cancer therapeutics; however, in many cases, ICB is limited by immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Thus, a better understanding of the immune responses that lead to irAEs and how they are distinguished from antitumor immunity is needed. Here, Siwicki et al. used anti-CD40 therapy as a mediator of TH1-induced antitumor immunity in mouse tumor models. They found that liver-resident Kupffer cells induced neutrophil-mediated liver toxicity by producing IL-12 and responding to IFN-γ. Inhibition of the neutrophil response limited liver toxicity while retaining the antitumor efficacy of anti-CD40. Similar data were found in patients treated with anti–PD-1 and anti–CTLA-4. Together, these data suggest that the toxicity of ICB can be inhibited without negatively affecting antitumor immunity. Learn more...