Biosamples
Ideas and explainers on the samples that help researchers ask better questions.
Keytruda (Pembrolizumab): The Immune Brake that Became a $26B Drug…and Just Got a New Partner
Keytruda works by releasing a brake, not by attacking cancer directly. Tumors often hijack a checkpoint pathway called PD-1/PD-L1 to hide from the immune system. Researchers studying tumor biopsies with immunohistochemistry (IHC) found that tumors expressing high PD-L1 were essentially waving a "don't attack me" flag at immune cells. With that realization, blocking that flag…
Biosample Breakthroughs: The Hidden Ingredients Behind Every Drug You've Ever Taken
Explore why human biosamples matter to early research and discovery, and how studying them can inform the development of therapies.