Researchers
Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells: A Brief Review
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are a diverse mixture of highly specialized immune cells that play key roles in keeping our bodies healthy. This brief review tells a short story about PBMCs starting with their origin, the different immune cells within the PBMC fraction, isolation of these cells and how to characterize them, and once…
For More InformationEarly Detection of Cancer from a Single Blood Draw
How can a single blood draw detect cancer early in disease progression? The National Cancer Institute estimates 1,735,350 new cases of cancers with mortality exceeding 600,000 this year in the US alone. It is therefore imperative to find an early detection system and effective treatment of these cancers to help ease the mortality rate. Early…
For More InformationWhy use Clinical Grade Non-Transfusable products?
Why use Clinical Grade Non-Transfusable products? Within the last year, progress in cellular therapies have led to the restoration of eyesight, construction of new skin, a cure for sickle-cell, and the FDA approval of cancer-killing CAR-T cells, and it’s set to advance even further. However, these types of therapies can be hindered by the cost…
For More InformationFresh or Frozen Primary Cells: Helpful tips for choosing the right format for your research.
Fresh or Frozen Primary Cells: Which one should I choose? Deciding to purchase fresh or frozen primary cells may not be as simple as you think. There are many factors that may influence your decision, such as cell type, cell functionality, and logistical and timing flexibility. We hope that the following article provides the information…
For More InformationChoosing a Biospecimen Provider
Imagine the following scenario. You are close to finalizing the development of a new drug or assay before it enters into clinical trials. However, you encounter a slight setback which requires specific cells you are evaluating to be retested in a key experiment….and you don’t have any vials left! These cells are from a unique…
For More InformationBlood Biopsies as a Source to Determine Treatment Options for Metastatic Tumors
Cancer arises due to the accumulation of alterations in genes that control cell survival, growth, proliferation, and differentiation, which provides a distinct genetic profile of the cancer. This genetic profile is typically assessed using DNA and/or RNA obtained from a biopsy of the primary tumor and aids in providing a therapeutic strategy for dealing with…
For More InformationExploring the Potential of lncRNAs as Biomarkers for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Long noncoding RNAs, also known as lncRNAs, are a large and diverse class of transcribed RNA molecules that are longer than 200 nucleotides and do not code for proteins. Currently, around 35,000 lncRNAs exist in the human genome and are part of the regulatory class of RNAs. Some of these lncRNAs have been fully characterized…
For More InformationThe Role of CD56 During Invasive Aspergillosis
Aspergillus (A.) fumigatus is a species of mold that is found ubiquitously in nature and the inhalation of its spores by healthy adults is a common occurrence having a relatively harmless effect. However, for immunosuppressed patients suffering from hematological malignancies or undergoing hematopoietic stem cell or solid organ transplantation, this species of mold is responsible…
For More InformationRegenerative Medicine – Overcoming Regulatory Barriers
Regulatory barriers often inhibit the timely delivery of cutting-edge cellular therapeutics to patients burdened with chronic diseases and disabilities. The Bipartisan Policy Center and Regenerative Medicine Foundation are trying to change this by recommending that Congress support a federally funded registry for regenerative cell therapies. This registry would help share the outcomes of potentially curative…
For More InformationSurvival and Proliferation of Human NK Cells in Humanized Mice
Natural killer (NK) cells play a critical role in the innate immune system and represent the first line of defense against pathogens and tumor cells. Involved in immune surveillance, NK cells patrol the body looking for infected or cancerous cells. While other immune cells recognize the presence of antibodies on the MHC receptor of infected…
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