immune system

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The Remarkable Proliferation of Cancer Immunotherapies
2 months ago
- Cancer immunotherapy has evolved significantly since the 2013 Breakthrough of the Year, with exponential growth in new approaches like ICIs, ADCs, BiTES, CAR-T, and vaccines.
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) like anti-PD-1 show partial effects; new targets (TIGIT, LAG-3) and combinations are being developed to overcome resistance.
- Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) and bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTES) are expanding rapidly, with over 300 investigational ADCs and 500+ BiTES in the pipeline.
- Cell therapies (CAR-T, TILs) have succeeded in blood cancers but face challenges in solid tumors; strategies include using NK cells, CAR-macrophages, and in vivo delivery.
- Cancer vaccines are divided into treatment vaccines (personalized neoantigens) and interception vaccines for high-risk individuals (e.g., Lynch syndrome, BRCA mutations).
- Future directions focus on assessing immune system health (thymus score, proteomic clocks) and non-invasive tumor microenvironment (TME) analysis via liquid biopsy to guide therapy.
- Interception vaccines may be used for cancer prevention in people with high-risk genetic variants or poor immune health, potentially reducing reliance on traditional treatments.
Our amazing immune system - Bert Hubert's writings
2 months ago
- Viruses cannot reproduce without a host, and the immune system is over 99% effective against COVID-19, possibly up to 99.9%.
- The immune system is a highly advanced biological technology, far surpassing human-made inventions like protein recognition.
- Antibodies are produced by B-cells, which can mutate their DNA to create highly specific antibodies through an evolutionary process.
- When a virus binds weakly to a B-cell, it triggers cloning and mutation, refining antibodies over days for a perfect fit.
- Long-term immunity is established as B-cells become dormant but ready to reactivate quickly against reinfection.
COVID-19 Predictions & Rampant Speculation: May 2020 - Bert Hubert's writings
2 months ago
- Monoclonal antibodies (mabs) are predicted to be the first game-changing COVID-19 medicines, useful for both prevention and treatment.
- Rapid antigen tests, even if not highly sensitive, are valuable for identifying infectious people from a public health perspective.
- COVID-19 will drive breakthroughs in vaccine technologies like mRNA, potentially benefiting flu shots and cancer medicine.
- Epidemiological models often fail due to ignoring variability in susceptibility and exposure; their overreliance is criticized.
- Vitamin D and sunlight exposure likely play a significant role in immune system performance against COVID-19.
- COVID-19 spread shows overdispersion, where most individuals infect no one, while a few cause superspreading events.
- The pandemic may advance molecular biology and medicine, similar to HIV's impact, and push scientific journals towards open access.
- Second waves in regions with prior outbreaks may be milder due to partial immunity from sub-infective exposures.
- Contact tracing apps may be less useful than quickly identifying superspreading events.
Vitamine D: De motorolie voor ons afweersysteem - Bert Hubert's writings
2 months ago
- Vitamin D is essential for the immune system, likened to motor oil for a car, but it is not a cure-all; a deficiency can impair immune function.
- Observational studies found that low vitamin D levels are linked to many diseases (cancer, heart disease, COVID-19), but early large-scale trials with vitamin D pills showed weak results because they included people without deficiencies.
- Newer, smarter trials targeting individuals with suspected low vitamin D found that supplementation reduces respiratory infections (including COVID-19) by 50-75%, and hospital COVID-19 patients given fast-acting vitamin D had 26 times fewer ICU admissions.
- Vitamin D status is influenced by sun exposure, diet, skin color, weight, age, and lifestyle; those with risk factors (overweight, dark skin, indoor lifestyle, winter) likely have a deficiency and benefit most from supplements.
- The recommended supplement is vitamin D3, with daily doses of at least 1000 IU (25 mcg) for most, and up to 3000 IU (75 mcg) for those with higher risk, taken with breakfast.

immune system

The Remarkable Proliferation of Cancer Immunotherapies

Our amazing immune system - Bert Hubert's writings

COVID-19 Predictions & Rampant Speculation: May 2020 - Bert Hubert's writings

Vitamine D: De motorolie voor ons afweersysteem - Bert Hubert's writings