Messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines entered the public consciousness when they were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna used the technology in developing their highly effective vaccines to fight the virus. 

Since then, scientists have been fine-tuning this vaccine delivery system to make it more effective. A Yale research team has now developed a technology that improves both the power of mRNA vaccines and their effectiveness against a host of diseases.

The new technology offers the promise of expanding the reach of these vaccines, including for the prevention of other diseases, including cancer and autoimmune diseases.

The results of their study are published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with marked phenotypic differences observed among its major histological subtypes, adenocarcinoma (ADC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), in both clinical presentation and therapeutic response. In recent years, metabolomics has emerged as a powerful tool for studying cancer metabolic reprogramming, providing new insights into the metabolic distinctions among lung cancer subtypes. This review summarizes recent research advances in the metabolomics of ADC, SCC, and SCLC. Studies have revealed that ADC and SCC display distinct metabolic profiles in lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and cell membrane synthesis, while SCLC demonstrates a unique metabolic pattern. Through metabolomic technologies, particularly mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography, it is possible to effectively differentiate lung cancer subtypes and identify potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and personalized treatment. This review also explores the clinical potential of metabolomics in lung cancer, emphasizing its critical role in early diagnosis and subtype stratification. These methodological advances establish a robust foundation for precision oncology paradigms in thoracic malignancies.

Deep inside the body, a slow-growing cluster of mutated blood cells can form. This cluster, found in 1 in 5 older adults, can raise the risk of leukemia and heart disease, often without warning. To better understand this hidden risk, Mayo Clinic researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to help investigators uncover how it contributes to disease risk and progression.

Patients with intermediate stage primary liver cancer who received a vaccine of dendritic cells saw a longer time without tumour progression in response to standard treatment according to a new study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and led by the University of Birmingham.

Scientists have discovered how mutations in a specific gene drive the rare developmental disorder Weaver syndrome, which is marked by intellectual disability and overgrowth and predisposes people with the condition to cancer. 

In wound healing, immune response, and cancer metastasis, cells migrate through the body – often squeezing through narrow, confined spaces. Together with experimental collaborators, Professor David Brückner at the University of Basel, Switzerland, has discovered that cells possess a kind of memory: they can “remember” how they previously navigated such constrictions. This allows them to move more quickly and efficiently through complex tissues.