Ready-to-load MHC-I Nanoparticles for High-throughput T cell Screening Studies.

MHC-I proteins present epitopic peptides to CD8+ T cells to elicit multifaceted adaptive immune responses. The affinity and avidity of interactions between peptide-MHC molecules and T-cell receptors (TCR) are fundamental parameters that contribute to the induction of activated or anergic T cell states. Here, we present a loadable system, VLP-Open HLA, featuring a virus-like particle (VLP) that can accommodate up to 60 loadable HLA (HLA - human leukocyte antigen) molecules.

Cars pick up another passenger: Organ transplantation.

With over 30,000 patients having received CAR T cells as a treatment for malignancy, our experience in oncology has facilitated numerous efforts to adapt the CAR therapeutic platform for diseases and conditions beyond cancer. Recognition of their efficacy, where traditional small molecule or biologic therapies fail, has spurred multiple efforts leveraging CAR T cells for immune modulation in the setting of organ/tissue transplantation. In the present review, we discuss CAR T cell approaches that are currently under development, to target both humoral and cellular alloimmunity.

Coupled nanopores for single-molecule detection.

Rapid sensing of molecules is increasingly important in many studies and applications, such as DNA sequencing and protein identification. Here, beyond atomically thin 2D nanopores, we conceptualize, simulate and experimentally demonstrate coupled, guiding and reusable bilayer nanopore platforms, enabling advanced ultrafast detection of unmodified molecules. The bottom layer can collimate and decelerate the molecule before it enters the sensing zone, and the top 2D pore (~2 nm) enables position sensing.

The Impact of Patterns in Linkage Disequilibrium and Sequencing Quality on the Imprint of Balancing Selection.

Regions under balancing selection are characterized by dense polymorphisms and multiple persistent haplotypes, along with other sequence complexities. Successful identification of these patterns depends on both the statistical approach and the quality of sequencing. To address this challenge, at first, a new statistical method called LD-ABF was developed, employing efficient Bayesian techniques to effectively test for balancing selection.