Category: Uncategorized

  • Metabolites Slam the Brakes on Blood Vessel Growth

    Metabolites Slam the Brakes on Blood Vessel Growth

    Blood vessels seem remarkably simple; they are just tubes that carry blood throughout our body. The innermost layer of these vessels, however, is composed of a single, flat layer of specialized endothelial cells called the endothelium. These endothelial cells are incredibly dynamic as they have the capacity to “activate,” growing into new, small blood vessels.…

  • Two Signals, One Response: How mRNA and LNPs Cooperate to Build Germinal Centers 

    Two Signals, One Response: How mRNA and LNPs Cooperate to Build Germinal Centers 

    The success of nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccines has redefined modern vaccine platform design. These vaccines deliver antigen-encoding mRNA packaged inside lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), generating potent neutralizing antibodies and durable memory B cell responses. One defining feature of mRNA vaccination is its ability to drive strong germinal center (GC) reactions – the specialized structures in lymph nodes where high-affinity antibody-secreting cells are…

  • HiJAKing Gamma Chain Cytokine Signaling for CAR T Cell Therapy

    HiJAKing Gamma Chain Cytokine Signaling for CAR T Cell Therapy

    The engineering of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells has been a significant recent advance in cancer therapy. CAR T cells are manufactured by collecting a patient’s own T cells, engineering these T cells to express a synthetic signaling molecule (the CAR) that specifically redirects the T cell response towards cancer cells, and re-infusing the…

  • Fatty Acids and Forget-Me-Nots

    Fatty Acids and Forget-Me-Nots

    Myosotis scorpiodes, or forget-me-nots, are a small blue flower that received its name from an old French tale in which a knight throws a bouquet he picked into a lake where his lover had drowned. “Forget me not!” he begs. Though solemn, forget-me-nots are regarded as one of the most precious symbols of steadfast love.…

  • Motherhood Takes Guts: How the Maternal Intestine Grows During Pregnancy

    Motherhood Takes Guts: How the Maternal Intestine Grows During Pregnancy

    The intestine has the remarkable ability to grow and change under the pressure of demanding conditions. Previous work examining intestinal plasticity has shown the response to nutrient excess/depletion, changes in the microbiome, and tissue damage. However, one large causal factor has been historically overlooked–pregnancy.  The lining of the intestine has dynamic crypts and villi that…

  • An Introduction to BioBuzz

    An Introduction to BioBuzz

    Have you ever seen an interesting title for an article, open it up, and come to find that you have no understanding of the topic, let alone how to begin understanding it? Or, are you interested in scientific fields, but when you try to explain said interest to your friends or family, they just stare…