Two studies in March 2019 focus on MYC as a target in cancer. MYC is encoded by a well known oncogene, meaning that it can promote cancer. However, MYC has both pro-cancer and anti-cancer properties. The anti-cancer activity tends to dominate when there is more of this protein in the cell; the pro-cancer activity dominates … Read more
In a study of infection by bacteria of the mycoplasma family, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have discovered that the bacterial protein DnaK triggers a cascade of events that can cause infected cells and nearby uninfected cells to become cancerous. DnaK is a prokaryotic stress-induced protein (Figure 1) that is a … Read more
The Promise of CAR T Cell Therapy Many strategies that train the immune system to recognize and attack cancer are in development or undergoing clinical trials (1). However, these strategies have the potential to cause life-threatening consequences, as evidenced by the latest report of the death of another patient receiving CAR T cell therapy (2). CAR … Read more