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Available for licensing from the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is a novel gene signature of thirty-seven drug-responsive genes that links changes in gene expression to the clinically desirable outcome of improved overall survival. Expression of these genes has been linked to prognosis in several cancers, including, but not limited to: multiple myeloma, melanoma, and lung and breast cancers.

T cells currently employed for T cell-based immunotherapies are often senescent, terminally differentiated cells with poor proliferative and survival capacity. Recently, however, scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) identified and characterized a new human memory T cell population with stem cell-like properties. Since these T cells have limited quantities in vivo, the scientists have developed methods by which high numbers of these cells can be generated ex vivo for use in T cell-based immunotherapies.

Hydrogels represent an attractive controlled drug-delivery system that have been used in various clinical applications, such as: tissue engineering for wound healing, surgical procedures, pain management, cardiology, and oncology. High-water content of hydrogels confers tissue-like physical properties and the crosslinked fibrillar network enables encapsulation of labile small molecule drugs, peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, proteins, nanoparticles, or cells.

Early detection of liver cancer, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is key to improve cancer-related mortality. More than 800,000 people are diagnosed with this cancer each year throughout the world. Liver cancer is also a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, accounting for more than 700,000 deaths each year. Currently, millions of Americans and possibly billions in the world are considered at risk for developing liver cancer.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane protein involved in cell growth and proliferation. Mutations in this protein can lead to overexpression, causing several types of cancer; notably, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). For example, mutations in EGFR are found in up to 50% of NSCLC patients and the E746-A750 deletion accounts for 30-40% of such EGFR mutations. Currently, there are no available therapeutics that specifically target the E746-A750 deletion. 

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.

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Division of Intramural Research, is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize clinical samples with genetic mutations associated with endocrine tumors.

T cell receptors (TCRs) are proteins that recognize antigens in the context of infected or transformed cells and activate T cells to mediate an immune response and destroy abnormal cells. TCRs consist of two domains, one variable domain that recognizes the antigen and one constant region that helps the TCR anchor to the membrane and transmit recognition signals by interacting with other proteins. When a TCR is stimulated by an antigen, such as a tumor antigen, some signaling pathways activated in the cell lead to the production of cytokines, which mediate the immune response.

The tumor-suppressor p53 protein plays a major role in tumor development. Most human cancers fail to normally activate wild-type p53, which is at least partly responsible for the unregulated growth of cancer cells and their failure to undergo apoptosis. While many chemotherapeutics enhance p53 levels, their non-specific DNA damage (genotoxicity) causes unfavorable side effects.
 

Hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) are multi-potent hematopoietic lineage cells that can differentiate into any type of blood cell, including but not limited to erythrocytes, T cells, B cells, and natural killer cells. As such, they have high therapeutic potential in the fields of regenerative medicine and cancer immunotherapy, especially when generated from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). Currently, the most efficient protocol to produce HPCs is co-culturing human iPSCs (hiPSC) with mouse stromal cells as a two-dimensional (2D) monolayer.