Cancer cells have an insatiable appetite for energy as they multiply more rapidly than normal cells. Greedy cancer cells hijack various cellular functions to find and exploit energy and other resources, including a group of enzymes that help normal cells maintain a balance of energy.

These enzymes, called creatine kinases (CK), allow cells to transport energy produced at the mitochondria to where it is needed throughout the cell. Studies of breast cancer cells have highlighted the importance of a type of CK called ubiquitous mitochondrial creatine kinase (uMtCK).

Pancreatic cancer that spreads to the liver is especially difficult to treat because the liver naturally suppresses immune responses, creating an environment where cancer can evade detection and thrive.

UCLA researchers have developed a nanoparticle that carries a combination treatment with an mRNA vaccine and a small immune-boosting molecule to the liver, reprogramming it to attack pancreatic cancer.

Lab studies showed the therapy shrank tumors that spread to the liver, prevented new ones and activated immune memory cells that could help stop pancreatic cancer from coming back.

Scientists have discovered a strategy to fight back against norovirus, a leading cause of gastroenteritis worldwide. Their new study, published in Science Translational Medicine, identifies powerful antibodies capable of neutralizing a wide range of norovirus strains. The finding could lead to the design of broadly effective norovirus vaccine, as well as the development of new therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of norovirus-associated gastroenteritis.