CAR-T manufactured from frozen PBMC yield efficient function with prolonged production.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells are engineered to identify and eliminate cells expressing a target antigen. Current manufacturing protocols vary between commercial CAR-T cell products warranting an assessment of these methods to determine which approach optimally balances successful manufacturing capacity and product efficacy. One difference between commercial product manufacturing methods is whether T cell engineering begins with fresh (unfrozen) patient cells or cells that have been cryopreserved prior to manufacture.

Functional studies on the role of Notch signaling in Hydractinia development.

The function of Notch signaling was previously studied in two cnidarians, Hydra and Nematostella, representing the lineages Hydrozoa and Anthozoa, respectively. Using pharmacological inhibition in Hydra and a combination of pharmacological and genetic approaches in Nematostella, it was shown in both animals that Notch is required for tentacle morphogenesis and for late stages of stinging cell maturation. Surprisingly, a role for Notch in neural development, which is well documented in bilaterians, was evident in embryonic Nematostella but not in adult Hydra.

Glucose deprivation elicits phenotypic plasticity via ZEB1-mediated expression of NNMT.

Glucose is considered the primary energy source for all cells, and some cancers are addicted to glucose. Here, we investigated the functional consequences of chronic glucose deprivation in serous ovarian cancer cells. We found that cells resistant to glucose starvation (glucose-restricted cells) demonstrated increased metabolic plasticity that was dependent on NNMT (Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase) expression.

New roles for Nanos in neural cell fate determination revealed by studies in a cnidarian.

Nanos is a pan-metazoan germline marker, important for germ cell development and maintenance. In flies, Nanos also acts in posterior and neural development, but these functions have not been demonstrated experimentally in other animals. Using the cnidarian Hydractinia we have uncovered novel roles for Nanos in neural cell fate determination.

Induced stem cell neoplasia in a cnidarian by ectopic expression of a POU domain transcription factor.

The evolutionary origin of stem cell pluripotency is an unresolved question. In mammals, pluripotency is limited to early embryos and is induced and maintained by a small number of key transcription factors, of which the POU domain protein Oct4 is considered central. Clonal invertebrates, by contrast, possess pluripotent stem cells throughout their life, but the molecular mechanisms that control their pluripotency are poorly defined.

An acidic glycoconjugate from Lythrum salicaria L. with controversial effects on haemostasis.

Aim Of The Study: Lythrum salicaria L. belongs to the small Lythraceae family of 22 genera, which range in habit from herbs to shrubs and trees found with worldwide distribution (Heywood, 1993). The generic name of Lythrum derived from Greek "luthron"--blood, possibly referring to the color of the flowers or to the one of its herbal use as an astringent to stop bleeding (Thompson et al.