AI proteins could help us grow T cells for treatments
Harvard scientists, with help from Boston Children's Hospital and Karolinska Institutet, used AI to design synthetic proteins that kickstart the Notch pathway—basically giving our immune system a boost by helping it make more T cells.
This could open up new ways to fight cancer and tough infections.
Notch signaling is crucial for building strong immune responses
Notch signaling is crucial for building strong immune responses, but old methods to activate it weren't practical for treatments.
The team's new "Notch agonists" are easier to use and help the body make better T cells.
AI proteins could help in CAR T cell therapy
With these AI-designed proteins, researchers can now grow lots of T cells in labs—great news for CAR T cell therapy, which needs tons of them.
In mouse studies, these proteins helped create stronger and longer-lasting immune memory.
Next up: making even smarter proteins that target tumors more precisely while lowering their defenses.
The findings were published in Cell.