Obesity




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What is Pepsin?

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In Your Body... Pepsin is a digestive enzyme that performed the best in the acidic condition (pH 2) produced by the gastric juice. It digests and breaks down protein (e.g. meat, seeds, eggs, dairy products, etc.). Keep in mind that pepsin digests proteins (not carbohydrates, not fat) into peptides. These peptides are then either absorbed in the intestine or further break down by enzymes from pancreas. In small intestine (pH around 7), pepsin is no longer effective and no longer digests proteins. Hormones Hormones that regulate digestion and hunger such as gastrin and secretin stimulates the production of pepsinogen, the proenzyme of pepsin. In other words, when pepsinogen is activated, it becomes pepsin.
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Current Limitations of CAR-T Cell Therapy I - Antigen Escape

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Antigen Escape Antigen Escape is one of the most concerning challenges during the clinical development of CAR-T cell therapy. A robust initial response is often followed by a relapse in many trials. This is often due to the downregulation or the complete loss of target antigens on the tumor cells. Introduction Antigen escape describes the development of tumor resistance to a single antigen targeting CAR construct. After the initial encounter with the CAR-T cells, the malignant cells mutate and show partial or complete loss of the target antigen expression.  In patients with ALL treated with CD19-targeted CAR-T cell therapy, a downregulation or loss of CD19 antigens was observed.  In patients with myeloma treated with BCMA-targeted CAR-T cell therapy, a downregulation or loss of BCMA expression was observed.  In patients with glioblastoma, a solid tumor treated with IL13Ra2-targeted CAR-T cell therapy, a downregulation of IL13Ra2 expression was observed.  Improve...
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The structure of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) I - Extracellular Target Antigen Binding Domains

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Antigen Binding Domains The antigen-binding domain of a chimeric antigen receptor is like the head of a train. It determines the target antigen specificity.  The antigen-binding site is made up of a heavy chain and a light chain joined together to form a single-chain variable fragment (scFv).  Single-chain variable fragment (scFv) scFv targets extracellular surface cancer antigens, the biomarkers of the tumor cells. Classically, CD19 is presented in B cells in leukemia. Hence, CD19 is the biomarker that we want the CAR to recognize and bind with it. Once the scFv of a CAR binds with the target antigen, the immune response, major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-independent T cell activation, results. This is when a cascade of molecular signaling starts to trigger an immune response to kill the tumor cells.  MHC-dependent, T cell receptors (TCR)-mimic CARs Some may call it an improvement, but a T cell receptor (TCR)-mimic CAR functions well when it targets intracellular tu...
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