Nanoengineers receive $4.3M from NIH to continue studies using plant viruses to treat cancer
October 17, 2022
Researchers led by Nicole Steinmetz, professor of nanoengineering at the University of California San Diego, have received $4.3 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance their research using plant viruses to develop cancer immunotherapies. Full Story
San Diego Union-Tribune previews opening of Franklin Antonio Hall
September 9, 2022
Just weeks before the grand opening on Sept. 23, the San Diego Union-Tribune published an extensive story about Franklin Antonio Hall, the latest building at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. The sleek and soaring structure is located across the street from to Atkinson Hall, near the campus’ Warren College neighborhood. Full Story
Plant virus plus immune cell-activating antibody clear colon cancer in mice, prevent recurrence
June 21, 2022
A new combination therapy to combat cancer could one day consist of a plant virus and an antibody that activates the immune system’s “natural killer” cells, shows a study by researchers at the University of California San Diego. In mouse models of colon cancer, the combination therapy eliminated all tumors and prevented their recurrence, which in turn resulted in 100% survival. The therapy also increased survival in mouse models of melanoma. Full Story
Researchers shed light on why a certain plant virus is so powerful at fighting cancer
April 27, 2022
The cowpea mosaic virus has shown great promise as an experimental cancer immunotherapy for treating and preventing recurrence of various cancers. But just how the virus triggers such a potent anti-cancer immune response has remained a mystery. A new study digs deeper and provides answers. Full Story
Integrating plant molecular farming and materials research for next-generation vaccines
December 6, 2021
Biologics — medications derived from a biological source — are increasingly used as pharmaceuticals, for example, as vaccines. Biologics are usually produced in bacterial, mammalian or insect cells. Alternatively, plant molecular farming, that is, the manufacture of biologics in plant cells, transgenic plants and algae, offers a cheaper and easily adaptable strategy for the production of biologics, in particular, in low-resource settings. In this Review, we discuss current vaccination challenges, such as cold chain requirements, and highlight how plant molecular farming in combination with advanced materials can be applied to address these challenges. Full Story
10 Jacobs School faculty among 2021 list of most highly cited researchers in the world
November 30, 2021
Ten professors at the University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering are among the world’s most influential researchers in their fields. The professors, Ludmil Alexandrov, Trey Ideker, Rob Knight, Prashant Mali, Ying Shirley Meng, Shyue Ping Ong, Bernhard O. Palsson, Joseph Wang, Sheng Xu and Liangfang Zhang, are amone 51 professors and researchers at UC San Diego named in the prestigious list of Highly Cited Researchers in 2021. Full Story
Flu virus shells could improve delivery of mRNA into cells
November 30, 2021
UC San Diego nanoengineers developed a new and potentially more effective way to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) into cells. Their approach involves packing mRNA inside nanoparticles that mimic the flu virus—a naturally efficient vehicle for delivering genetic material such as RNA inside cells. Full Story
Mosaic ImmunoEngineering Expands Its Modular Vaccine Platform (MVP) Through New Technology Licensing Agreement with the University of California San D
September 21, 2021
Mosaic ImmunoEngineering Inc., a development-stage biotechnology company focused on bridging immunology and engineering to develop novel immunotherapies to treat and prevent cancer and infectious diseases, today announced that it has licensed rights to develop and commercialize several novel vaccine candidates that have been validated in pre-clinical infectious disease studies including SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious disease applications. The new technology was licensed from the University of California San Diego and expands the Company's Modular Vaccine Platform (MVP) for infectious diseases. Full Story
Grow and eat your own vaccines?
September 16, 2021
The future of vaccines may look more like eating a salad than getting a shot in the arm. Scientists at UC San Diego, UC Riverside and Carnegie Mellon University are studying whether they can turn edible plants like lettuce into mRNA vaccine factories. One of the challenges with this new technology is that it must be kept cold to maintain stability during transport and storage. If this new project is successful, plant-based mRNA vaccines — which can be eaten — could overcome this challenge with the ability to be stored at room temperature. Full Story
How a plant virus could protect and save your lungs from metastatic cancer
September 14, 2021
Using a virus that grows in black-eyed pea plants, researchers developed a new therapy that could keep metastatic cancers from spreading to the lungs, as well as treat established tumors in the lungs. Full Story