For decades, T cells have been known as key players in the adaptive immune system that eliminate abnormal cells via cytotoxicity at the immunological synapse, while phagocytosis—the process of engulfing and destroying foreign or abnormal cells—was thought to be exclusive to professional phagocytes like macrophages and dendritic cells. Now, a groundbreaking study led by Dr. Ning (Jenny) Jiang from the University of Pennsylvania has overturned this long-held belief, revealing that T cells can perform antigen-specific phagocytosis directly through TCR-pMHC (T cell receptor-peptide major histocompatibility complex) recognition. The research, published in the open-access journal Mechanobiology in Medicine, not only expands the functional repertoire of T cells but also paves the way for innovative T cell-based immunotherapies, especially for solid tumors that currently pose major challenges to treatment.

A foundational finding in mechanobiology reveals that penicillin-streptomycin (pen-strep), the antibiotic mixture universally added to mammalian cell culture media, is not a biologically inert antimicrobial agent—but a modulator that directly reshapes macrophage mechanical properties, microenvironmental mechanosensing, and core innate immune functions. Published in the open-access mechanobiology flagship journal Mechanobiology in Medicine, the study by researchers from Sichuan University uncovers a critical, previously unrecognized confounding variable in mechanobiology and immunology research, and prompts a re-evaluation of pen-strep’s use in both lab studies and clinical applications where cellular mechanical function is key.

Using virtual reality (VR) to explain what to expect ahead of a medical procedure could help patients better understand their treatment and reduce anxiety, a new study suggests.

An imaging test could safely halve the number of people who need a biopsy for suspected prostate cancer following inconclusive or reassuring results from an MRI scan, new research has found.

Australia: Dementia, global trends, community attitudes, conscientious objections by doctors and health facilities, Indigenous perspectives, and organ donation are among agenda topics for the International Conference on Assisted Dying and Other End of Life Care (ICEL5) at QUT next month.