The Immune System Mobilizer

A recent project at the University of Chicago aims to mobilize the most potent weapon of all in the battle against cancer: the patient’s own body.  The treatment uses a “nanoparticle cocktail,” or combination of drugs, to drive a process called checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. In layman’s terms: “When a patient has cancer, the immunity cells … Read more

The Pinpoint Scalpel

When surgeon Steven Gitelis describes the hybrid plasma scalpel, he uses a comparison almost everyone can understand: “This device is like a lightsaber.” Well, you probably won’t see Luke Skywalker swinging one anytime soon, but the scalpel’s breakthrough technology could dramatically change surgery for pancreatic, head and neck, liver, and soft tissue cancers. Surgeons typically … Read more

The T Cell Booster

The immune system relies on T cells to attack abnormalities that sneak into the body. Each invader triggers only one type of T cell, like a stubborn bolt that requires a particular wrench to remove it. But not every body has the right set of wrenches to handle certain infiltrators—including melanoma. About 20 years ago, … Read more