April

computational biology PhD candidate @CMUPittCompBio | dog lover but has cats | 🎥 science YouTuber (@thebiozone) | she/her

[April @sciApril]

The placenta has amazing immune "training" abilities that can change how we view organ transplantation

I am very proud to share my first ever interview! Listen to Dr. Weaver discuss her innovative research on the immune techniques of placental cells 👇

https://t.co/1X5Cmw0V0c

[bioZone @thebiozone]

Colchicine is a toxic alkaloid found in some lily species, however this deadly poison can also be used in molecular biology labs or as a medicine for gout

watch on YouTube to support us 👇
https://t.co/Wopsu75yVv

[bioZone @thebiozone]

A tapeworm can grow over 80 feet long and live for 30 years 😱

Watch on YouTube to support us 👇
https://t.co/CwQspV1Rsg

[bioZone @thebiozone]

Rabies is terrifying: fear of water, violent outbursts, and likely death. But nowadays you rarely see rabid animals, so what happened? find out more here https://t.co/PJa93cwEmx

[bioZone @thebiozone]

Did you know that bee venom naturally has anti-cancer properties?? Find out more from our recent short! 👉https://t.co/fZAY8eQ8Bj #scicomm

[Yannick Buccella MD @YannickBuccella]

The newer generation cancer vaccines aren't like the HPV shot (that prevents a virus). These are therapeutic, they treat cancer you already have. And 2026 is the year they stopped being sci-fi.

The idea: after surgery, sequence your specific tumor, find the mutations unique to it, and build a custom mRNA vaccine that trains your immune system to hunt any cell carrying them. A wanted poster for your personal cancer.
Where we actually are:

Melanoma: just like in immunotherapy 15 years ago the furthest along. The press release of positive Phase 3 made the headlines yesterday, the first ever for a personalized cancer vaccine. Earlier data: ~49% lower risk of recurrence. Heading to regulators.

Pancreatic cancer: arguably the most stunning. In an early trial, patients whose immune systems responded to the vaccine were far more likely to be alive 6 years later, in a cancer where 5-year survival is barely better than 10 %. Now in a larger trial.

Kidney, lung, bladder, brain: all in trials, mostly early phase.
The honest caveats: these work best after surgery to stop recurrence, not to melt large tumors. They're personalized, so they might cost $100–300k and take weeks to build per patient. And most are still early-phase. First approvals at best 2027.

But the direction is unmistakable. The mRNA platform some parts of the internet spent years calling poison - because they got fooled by bad actors making money on their lies - is turning into the most personalized cancer medicine ever made.

These are the main trials currently running:

[Samuel Hume @DrSamuelBHume]

Beyond today's phase 3 win in resected melanoma, Moderna are running the same personalized mRNA vaccine program in:

Phase 3 trials
- Resected non-small cell lung cancer (with pembrolizumab)
- Resectable non-small cell lung cancer with residual disease after neoadjuvant therapy (with pembrolizumab)
- High-risk stage 1 non-small cell lung cancer (± pembrolizumab)

Phase 2 trials
- Resected renal cell carcinoma (with pembrolizumab)
- Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (with pembrolizumab ± enfortumab vedotin)
- High-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (with the BCG vaccine)
- Metastatic melanoma (with pembrolizumab)
- Metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (with pembrolizumab + chemotherapy)

The cancer vaccine revolution is on 🚀🚀🚀

[bioZone @thebiozone]

Tardigrades can survive extreme temperatures, pressures, dehydration, starvation, and radiation all without damage to their DNA 😱
Learn more about how their DNA can help us advance scientific research from TECBio student, Emma! https://t.co/9CcYjC9kul

[bioZone @thebiozone]

Imagine sorting through an entire stadium of people by eye color in under a second... thats what FACS does, except with cells, not people!
Check out our recent video on flow cytometry here: https://t.co/tzq9oNvR2A #scicomm

[bioZone @thebiozone]

The ocean could be our secret tool in combatting climate change... find out more here https://t.co/bl5Jv1BKnY
#scicomm

[bioZone @thebiozone]

Organoids can menstruate. Period. https://t.co/6V1rVJuOit

[Tom Whipple @whippletom]

I wrote a while back about the scientific epic that was the discovery HPV causes cancer.

[BBC News (UK) @BBCNews]

Cervical cancer deaths fall to zero in young women given vaccine https://t.co/JM73OorKHT

[bioZone @thebiozone]

Let's talk about things that can kill you! #palytoxin #scicomm https://t.co/B8uHTitz1w

[Allison Fitzgerald, MD, PhD @allisonoconn]

With all the excitement around daraxonrasib, I needed to refresh my RAS inhibitor knowledge, so here we go:

[NEJM @NEJM]

Presented at #ASCO26:

Among patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the RAS(ON) inhibitor daraxonrasib led to significantly longer overall survival and progression-free survival than chemotherapy. Full phase 3 RASolute 302 trial results: https://t.co/xwLWBZYRzq

@ASCO

[University of California @UofCalifornia]

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most dire diagnoses in medicine with few available treatments. Until now, thanks to university research, including @UCSF scientists, and federal investment in science research. Read about this huge breakthrough via @nytimes https://t.co/jgQYewNwqh

[bioZone @thebiozone]

Did you know that you can turn on genes with light??? Check out bioZone's new short on optogenetics 👉
https://t.co/I50jUOOohf #scicomm

[bioZone @thebiozone]

Do you want to contribute to the next scientific breakthrough?! Consider testing your dog's DNA! Check out bioZone's new video on heterochromia 👉https://t.co/g1u3UPx9UF

[bioZone @thebiozone]

Do you know the real-life inspiration for Caterpie? 🐛Find out more about the Asian Swallowtail Butterfly Larva & its similarities to a beloved Pokémon in our recent short! https://t.co/DJanvR8BBj
#scicomm #biozone

[bioZone @thebiozone]

Don't feed grapes to your dog!! 🍇🚫🐕 Here's why: https://t.co/uVW7zsde5C

#scicomm