Jackson Labs shows mesenchymal cells trigger lung neutrophils to feed lipids to metastases; plus Vir and Poxel

Neutrophils fuel breast cancer lung metastasis
In a Nature article, a team led by The Jackson Laboratory scientists showed in mice that blocking macropinocytosis could reduce lung metastasis by breast tumor cells. They revealed that interactions with lung mesenchymal cells induced lung neutrophils to accumulate lipids; and that the neutrophils could promote metastatic tumor cell survival and proliferation by supplying lipids to the cancer cells through a micropinocytosis-lysosome pathway.

Vir shows neutralizing mAbs protect hamsters
Vir Biotechnology Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR) and collaborators at the University of Washington identified two SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing mAbs from patients recovering from severe COVID-19, and showed the antibodies could protect hamsters. The Science paper also showed in cell-based assays the mAbs could additively neutralize SARS-CoV-2 when combined with each other or with S309, the antibody on which Vir’s two clinical monotherapy candidates are based (see “Vir’s Preclinical Data”)...