Drs. Jim Heath, Yapeng Su and Jihoon Lee

Metabolic Changes in Plasma and Immune Cells Associated with COVID-19 Severity, May Predict Patient Survival

Researchers from Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and other organizations have uncovered underlying metabolic changes that regulate how immune cells react to COVID-19. These findings are associated with COVID-19 severity and may predict patient survival. The work was published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Metabolic Changes in Plasma and Immune Cells Associated with COVID-19 Severity, May Predict Patient Survival
Metabolic Changes in Plasma and Immune Cells Associated with COVID-19 Severity, May Predict Patient Survival
Glioblastoma tumor slice and corresponding density map

Looking at Tumors Through a New Lens: New Research May Improve Efficacy of Glioblastoma Immunotherapy

To improve the efficacy of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade against glioblastoma, researchers are looking for vulnerabilities in surgically removed tissues – a difficulty due to the vast differences within the tumor and between patients. To address this, ISB researchers and their collaborators developed a new way to study tumors.

Looking at Tumors Through a New Lens: New Research May Improve Efficacy of Glioblastoma Immunotherapy
Looking at Tumors Through a New Lens: New Research May Improve Efficacy of Glioblastoma Immunotherapy
Goldwater Scholar Daniel Chen

ISB Undergraduate Researcher Daniel Chen Earns Goldwater Scholarship

Daniel Chen, an undergraduate researcher in ISB’s Heath Lab and junior at the University of Washington, has been awarded a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship. Chen has been a key member of ISB’s COVID-19 Immune Response Study.

ISB Undergraduate Researcher Daniel Chen Earns Goldwater Scholarship
ISB Undergraduate Researcher Daniel Chen Earns Goldwater Scholarship
Illustration of a person using a katana to slash a coronavirus in half

COVID-19 Immune Response Study Could Lead to More Effective Treatments

Findings from the ISB-Swedish COVID-19 Immune Response Study suggest that treatments aimed at arresting the infection at the stage of moderate severity may be most effective. The team studied 139 patients and found that mild COVID-19 is very distinct from the moderate or severe forms of disease, which appear surprisingly similar. 

COVID-19 Immune Response Study Could Lead to More Effective Treatments
COVID-19 Immune Response Study Could Lead to More Effective Treatments
View of the responsive recruitment website and electronic consent platform as seen on mobile phone and desktop devices.

ISB Builds Digital Platform for COVID-19 Research Study – and Beyond

In a multi-institutional study of a highly infectious disease like COVID-19, paperless consent for study participants is critical. One component of the COVID-19 Immune Response Study is a recruitment website with an IRB-approved and HIPAA-compliant electronic consent platform for enrolling patients.

ISB Builds Digital Platform for COVID-19 Research Study – and Beyond
ISB Builds Digital Platform for COVID-19 Research Study – and Beyond
Corresponding author and ISB President Dr. Jim Heath and lead author Dr. Yapeng Su.

For Cancer Cells, There Is More Than One Path to Drug Resistance

In findings published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers show that cancer cells can take more than one path to reach a drug-resistant cell state. These findings could have promising implications for the future of cancer care.

For Cancer Cells, There Is More Than One Path to Drug Resistance
For Cancer Cells, There Is More Than One Path to Drug Resistance
1 2 3 4