Latest news with #CSHL
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
BATMAN brings TCR therapy out of the shadows
COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y., July 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine your immune cells could be modified to attack any kind of cancer. T cell receptor (TCR) therapy has the potential to one day become a universal cancer treatment. But there are risks. Similarities between cancerous and healthy cells can affect the body's immune response, causing T cells to attack unintended targets. TCR therapy needs laser focus to prevent friendly fire. New and curiously named AI developed at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) could provide just that. How does it work, and why do we need AI for the job? In biology, cells announce their state by displaying peptides on their surface. These peptides are used by T cells to distinguish cancerous and healthy cells. However, the number of peptides and TCRs in the human body is enormous, making it nearly impossible and extremely expensive to determine which peptides a given TCR can bind. To address this issue, CSHL Assistant Professor Hannah Meyer teamed with Associate Professor Saket Navlakha and postdoc Amitava Banerjee. The team developed a massive new database containing over 22,000 TCR-peptide interactions. They call it BATCAVE. Spelunking a dataset this deep would take lifetimes. So, the team built an AI model. What do you call AI engineered to comb the BATCAVE? What else but BATMAN. Navlakha explains: "We trained [BATMAN] on a bunch of TCRs and what they recognize. But give me a new TCR that is not in my database, and I need to figure out what it binds to. So, we ask, which are the best peptides I should select to make predictions?" During testing, BATMAN outperformed competing models in accurately predicting which peptides bind to a given TCR. The heroic AI also revealed why seemingly unrelated peptides get caught in the crossfire. "It's not enough to just count differences between potential targets," Meyer explains. "It matters where the difference is and what type of difference it is. Our model is already good enough to tell us if there are peptides we should be concerned about for targeted [cancer] therapies." Despite the promise, there's more to be done before BATMAN can venture from the BATCAVE for potential clinical use. As large as the database is, it houses a fraction of all possible TCR-peptide pairs. More data could enhance BATMAN's performance and help scientists answer fundamental questions about the immune system. "There's a lot of variation in the body's T-cell response," Banerjee says. "If we can accurately predict how these cells and peptides interact, that will be very helpful for designing future therapies not only for cancer, but all human illnesses." About Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryFounded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory employs 1,000 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. For more information, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘Kid at heart': Street hockey community rallies around coach injured in crash
James Hotchner has played and coached street hockey in a Huntersville Park for years. Hotchner has coached and played in the Charlotte Street Hockey League for some time, with much of the league's proceeds going to charity. Most recently, money raised went to help with ovarian cancer research. Advertisement 'He's the first person to raise his hand for literally anything we're doing,' Bobby Arkus with the CSHL said. 'If it's a volunteer event, James is the one raising his hand.' But a week ago, Hotchner was in an accident. And many of his friends said he is lucky to be alive. He was involved in a crash with a tractor-trailer truck on Interstate 77 near exit 23. Arkus said Hotchner was flown to the hospital in Charlotte. But he doesn't remember much of what happened. 'He remembers seeing a truck coming up behind him saying, 'Oh, that's not going to be able to stop,' and from that point it wasn't able to stop and that's pretty much that last of it,' Arkus said. Advertisement READ: Eagle Scout raises money, builds butterfly garden to attract others to Sikh place of worship Hotchner survived the crash, but he is now in the hospital with 13 broken ribs, a fracture in his back and a blood clot in his neck. But he is determined and ready to play again. 'He's joking around a little bit but he's somebody that's extremely resilient,' Arkis said. 'He's one of the older guys in the league and you wouldn't know it based on seeing him play, based on how he acts, based on the kid at heart that he is.' Friends said that Hotchner hopes to leave the hospital this week. There is no timetable when he will be able to join the game again, but Arkus said Hotchner will find a way to contribute no matter what. WATCH: Eagle Scout raises money, builds butterfly garden to attract others to Sikh place of worship
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers at Long Island lab discover breakthrough that slows pancreatic cancer progression
The Brief Pancreatic cancer is predicted to become the second-deadliest cancer in the US by 2030. Researchers at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have found a way to slow the progression of pancreatic cancer during its early stages. The method blocks two proteins known to make the cancer become malignant. Researchers on Long Island have discovered a breakthrough that could aid in the mission to help maintain and possibly cure one of the most deadly forms of cancer in the United States. Dig deeper Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has found a way to prevent the progression of cancer cells by blocking two proteins known as FGFR2 and EGFR. Claudia Tonelli, a research investigator at CSHL, spent countless hours studying early versions of pancreatic cancer in mice and lab grown versions of human pancreatic tissue. What they're saying "These two proteins, together, can make the cells become malignant," Tonelli told FOX 5 New York. Local perspective Bill Reindl, 68, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer last summer. Reindl will have to undergo chemotherapy for the rest of his life to treat the disease. What they're saying "Like probably most people I was in denial for a little while - this couldn't be possible," Reindl told FOX 5. But news of CSHL's breakthrough gives both Reindl and his family hope. "It's a golden ticket, a second chance," Amy Pollaci, Reindl's daughter, said. Researchers at CSHL predict pancreatic cancer will become the second-deadliest cancer in America by 2030. Pancreatic cancer is often not found and diagnosed until it is in its later stages, according to the American Cancer Association. "The pancreas is deep inside the body, so early tumors can't be seen or felt by health care providers during routine physical exams. People usually have no symptoms until the cancer has become very large or has already spread to other organs," the ACA website states. The Source Information for this article was taken from local reporting by FOX 5 New York's Jodi Goldberg and interviews with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
CSHL and global collaborators map Solanum pan-genome
COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y., March 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- About 75 percent of the world's food comes from 12 plants. Scientists estimate up to 30,000 species are edible. Not only does this bottleneck jeopardize our food supply if a major crop is impacted by drought or disease—it also limits our choices at the grocery store. For years, breeders have struggled to expand food selection. Part of the reason is a problem familiar to biologists. The same methods of selecting for advantageous traits can produce different results in related species. Now, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has unearthed a likely solution to the predictability issue. CSHL researchers and colleagues around the globe have sequenced dozens of complete genomes for the plant genus that includes tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. In a process they deem "pan-genetics," the biologists use their new, high-quality pan-genome to map the genes behind specific traits of agricultural significance across the genus, and target those genes to create desirable mutations. Their research reveals the importance of understanding the evolution of paralog genes—those that arise through gene duplication—in predicting genome editing outcomes. CSHL Professor & HHMI Investigator Zachary Lippman led the study. "There's a lot of wonderful food crops out there," he says. "How many of them have not received the attention they would benefit from, compared to 'major' crops?" Researchers have studied gene duplication for decades. But how paralogs relate to physical changes across species has not been deeply studied—until now. Lippman collaborated with colleagues on four continents to fill this gap. Importantly, their biggest breakthroughs didn't come from plants in Lippman's backyard. Instead, it was African eggplant. A tomato relative indigenous to the sub-Saharan region, African eggplant varies highly in fruit shape, color, and size. Lippman and longtime collaborator Michael Schatz at Johns Hopkins University turned to a breeder in Uganda to exchange ideas and expertise. Mapping tens of thousands of paralogs, the team identified a previously unknown gene in African eggplant that affects fruit size. The paralog has the same function in tomatoes. The team, involving Joyce Van Eck from the Boyce Thompson Institute and Matthias Benoit from INRAE, discovered they could influence tomato size by editing it. "Reciprocal exchange between indigenous and major crops creates new, predictable paths for better breeding," says Benoit. "This is key to boost the diversity and resilience of the food system." "Crop diversity benefits nutrition, choice, and health," Lippman adds. Determining how related paralogs function across species could help improve crop yields, flowering times, and food selection. In other words, it's a win-win-win for scientists, farmers, and consumers everywhere. About Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryFounded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory employs 1,000 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. For more information, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Sign in to access your portfolio
