A method to collect tumor-specific T cells; plus research from Heidelberg University, Black Diamond, KSQ and SynDevRx

Isolating tumor antigen-specific T cells
Scripps Research Institute scientists have described in Cell a method, coined FucoID, to detect and separate T cells that react to tumor-specific antigens from bystander T cells. In FucoID, which is based on dendritic cell-T cell interactions, dendritic cells presenting tumor-specific antigens are chemically modified to have on their surfaces an enzyme that transfers fucosylated biotin to the T cells that interact with them. In proof-of-concept (POC) experiments, tumor-infiltrating CD8⁺ T cells isolated using FucoID demonstrated tumor antigen-specific responses in cell culture and suppressed solid tumor growth in mice.

Identification of a myotropic AAV
A study in Nature Communications led by Heidelberg University researchers has revealed a high-throughput method to identify adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors with desired tissue tropism and tissue-specific expression patterns. As POC, they used the technique to discover an AAV9 mutant, AAVMYO, with optimal expression in mouse muscle tissues including skeletal muscle, the heart and the diaphragm...