New software package employs deep-learning algorithms to analyze T-cell receptor sequencing data
Researchers at the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have developed DeepTCR, a software package that employs deep-learning algorithms to analyze T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing data. T-cell receptors are found on the surface of immune T cells. These receptors bind to certain antigens, or proteins, found on abnormal cells, such as cancer cells and cells infected with a virus or bacteria, to guide the T cells to attack and destroy the affected cells. DeepTCR is an open-source software that can be used to answer questions in research into infectious disease, cancer immunology and autoimmune disease; any place where the immune system has a role through its T-cell receptors, said lead study author John-William Sidhom, an M.D./Ph.D. student at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Department of Biomedical Engineering
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This news release, issued by Johns Hopkins Medicine, describes a novel targeted immunotherapy approach. This new approach employs bispecific antibodies to treat cancer by eliciting a Tcell response against mutated p53. The researchers used the Highly Automated Macromolecular Crystallography (AMX) and Frontier Microfocusing Macromolecular Crystallography (FMX) beamlines to characterize the molecular structure of the proteins. AMX and FMX are beamlines at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory. NSLS-II offers a comprehensive suite of life science research capabilities. Johns Hopkins media contacts: Amy Mone, 410-614-2915, amone@jhmi.edu, or Valerie Mehl, 410-614-2916, mehlva@jhmi.edu. Brookhaven Lab media contacts: Cara Laasch, 631-344-8458, laasch@bnl.gov or Peter Genzer, 631-344-3174, genzer@bnl.gov.
New cancer immunotherapy uses engineered T cells to target a common genetic alteration
Researchers developed a prototype for a new cancer immunotherapy that uses engineered T cells to target a genetic alteration common among all cancers. The approach, which stimulates an immune response against cells that are missing one gene copy, called loss of heterozygosity (LOH), was developed by researchers at the Ludwig Center, Lustgarten Laboratory and the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.
Genes have two alleles, or copies, with one copy inherited from each parent. Cancer-related genetic alterations commonly involve the loss of one of these gene copies.
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IMAGE: Novel cancer immunotherapy approach inverts a missing gene copy into an immune cell-activating signal. view more
Credit: Elizabeth Cook
Researchers developed a prototype for a new cancer immunotherapy that uses engineered T cells to target a genetic alteration common among all cancers. The approach, which stimulates an immune response against cells that are missing one gene copy, called loss of heterozygosity (LOH), was developed by researchers at the Ludwig Center, Lustgarten Laboratory and the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.
Genes have two alleles, or copies, with one copy inherited from each parent. Cancer-related genetic alterations commonly involve the loss of one of these gene copies.