Publications by authors named "Psalm Pineo-Cavanaugh"
Article Synopsis
- - Scientists identified specific proteins and molecules in the central nervous system (CNS) that can be targeted to create engineered cells for therapy.
- - They developed synthetic Notch receptors to program T cells to release certain treatments only in the brain, effectively clearing brain tumors without affecting cells in other areas.
- - The research also found that T cells delivering interleukin-10, an immune-suppressing cytokine, helped reduce symptoms in a mouse model of neuroinflammation, showing potential for targeted treatment strategies.
Purpose Of Review: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has been successful in some haematologic malignancies, but the central nervous system (CNS) presents unique obstacles to its use against tumours arising therein. This review discusses recent improvements in the delivery and design of these cells to improve the efficacy and safety of this treatment against malignant gliomas.
Recent Findings: The immunosuppressive environment of the CNS affects the functionality of CAR T cells, but recent developments using metabolic manipulation and cytokine delivery have shown that the performance of CAR T cells can be improved in this environment.
Disorders involving hypothalamic and pituitary (HPIT) structures-including craniopharyngioma, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, and intracranial germ cell tumors-can disrupt brain and endocrine function. An area of emerging clinical concern in patients with these disorders is the co-occurring socio-behavioral dysfunction that persists after standard hormone replacement therapy. Although the two neuropeptides most implicated in mammalian social functioning (oxytocin and arginine vasopressin) are of hypothalamic origin, little is known about how disease-induced damage to HPIT structures may disrupt neuropeptide signaling and, in turn, impact patients' socio-behavioral functioning.
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