Papillomavirus pseudoviruses that comprise the L1/L2 capsid proteins can package a wide variety of non-viral DNA plasmids and deliver the packaged genetic material to cells. This function makes them attractive candidates as targeted gene delivery vehicles.
There are currently no methodologies that allow for epigenome, genome and transcriptome analysis all in a single cell. In addition, there are currently no methodologies that permit repeating the results of these analyses on the same single cells.
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have developed an improved insect cell line, Tni-FNL, derived from the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni. The Tni-FNL cell line is capable of high level expression of heterologous proteins using baculovirus-based expression systems. When compared to commercially available cell lines used for the same purpose, the Tni-FNL cell line often outperforms those for protein expression. These cells have a high growth rate and are capable of growth at a lower temperature.
Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is a critical protein involved in regulation of mitosis, and aberrant expression of this kinase is found in various cancer types. Inhibition of Plk1 is currently being pursued in pre-clinical drug development for novel anti-cancer therapeutics. Plk1 contains an allosteric domain, known as the polo-box domain (PBD), that is responsible for localizing the kinase domain to mitotic structures through protein-protein interactions.
Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers among women worldwide. Currently, physical descriptors such as tumor size and depth are the primary factors used for deciding the course of treatment. Despite significant efforts to identify prognostic biochemical markers or therapeutic targets to improve diagnosis and treatment, none have achieved routine clinical use. An example of one previously identified biomarker is the Tn antigen, a carbohydrate moiety composed of a GalNAc residue linked to serine or threonine.
Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is a critical protein involved in regulation of mitosis, and aberrant expression of this kinase is found in various cancer types. Inhibition of Plk1 is currently being pursued in pre-clinical drug development for novel anti-cancer therapeutics. Plk1 contains an allosteric domain, known as the polo-box domain (PBD), that is responsible for localizing the kinase domain to mitotic structures through protein-protein interactions.
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) using genetically engineered T-cell receptors (TCRs) is a promising cancer treatment. These TCRs target genetic mutations unique to patients and play an important role in tumor regression. However, mutation-reactive T-cells and their TCRs can be difficult to identify and isolate from patients. Therefore, we need more efficient methods of isolating mutation-reactive T-cells for use with ACT.
The development of an effective HIV vaccine has been an ongoing area of research. High variability in HIV-1 virus strains, however, represents a major challenge. Ideally, an effective candidate vaccine would provide protection against the majority of clades of HIV. Two major hurdles to overcome are immunodominance and sequence diversity. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have developed a vaccine that overcomes these major hurdles by utilizing a strategy that identifies conserved regions of the virus and exploits them for use in a targeted therapy.
Steroid hormones have been implicated to play a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer. Polymorphisms in the genes that code for enzymes, or hormones involved in androgen regulatory pathway, reportedly influence risk for developing prostate cancer. Since many membrane transporters are modulators of steroid hormones absorption and tissue distribution, genetic polymorphisms in genes encoding these transporters may account for the risk of prostate cancer and the predicting of survival.
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) uses cancer reactive T-cells to effectively treat patients. However, several obstacles inhibit the successful use of ACT for cancer treatment. Current approaches for the expansion of T-cells may produce T-cells with a terminally differentiated phenotype that is associated with diminished anti-tumor activity and poor capacity for long-term persistence. Thus, there is a need for improved methods of obtaining an isolated population of effective T-cells for ACT.