Fortis in Focus

Stay up-to-date on the most exciting advancements in the life sciences with Fortis in Focus. Fortis in Focus is where you can discover cutting-edge life science research and how Fortis contributed to these discoveries. From antibodies to nanoparticles and beyond, Fortis brands have contributed to our understanding of key biologic pathways, therapeutic development, and disease progression. Dig into our articles and infographics to learn about immunotherapy, autophagy, cell cycle, and more!

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Stem Cell Biology

Stem cell biology is a tightly regulated process that begins during embryonic development and is present in the body in various forms through adulthood. Stem cells have the unique property of being self-renewing and either multipotent or pluripotent. Most cells in an organism are terminally differentiated, meaning that they no longer proliferate. On the other hand, pluripotent stem cells can differentiate into any tissue type (or divide to produce more stem cells, i.e., their self-renewing characteristic). Multipotent stem cells are adult stem cells that can differentiate into the terminally differentiated cells of a specific organ/tissue in which they reside.

Autophagy

Inside the cell, there are multiple mechanisms to degrade intra- and extra-cellular components. Autophagy is a non-specific pathway that sequesters cytoplasmic contents via double membranes to recycle intracellular contents. It was initially characterized as a starvation response. When cells are depleted of nutrients, they must break down cellular components that are not necessary to supply the building blocks for those that are. This recycling process – autophagy – is more efficient than creating or manufacturing individual macromolecules. Autophagy is critical for cell and tissue homeostasis and when disrupted, can lead to a variety of disease states including cancer, increased pathogen replication, heart disease, pro-aging, and neurological disorders.

Immuno-oncology and Immunotherapy

For over 100 years, long before the cells that make up the immune system were identified and characterized, scientists have been attempting to harness their understanding of the immune system to target cancer. Modern immunotherapy took off in the late 1960s, when the role of T cells in the immune system was uncovered. Since then, the field of immunotherapy has grown to encompass cancer vaccines, antibody-based therapeutics, checkpoint blockade therapy, cell therapy, oncolytic viruses, and more. Two Nobel Prizes have been awarded for advances in the field of immuno-oncology: in 1908, for the theory of cancer immune surveillance, and in 2018, for checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. Immunotherapies are now approved for over 25 different types of cancer.

The Cell Cycle

Cell proliferation is a highly regulated process. There are multiple checkpoints, regulators, and inhibitors that play an important role in determining whether proliferation proceeds normally or is impeded. The cell cycle is divided into four phases: G₁, accumulation and generation of the materials needed for a cell to proliferate; S, also known as synthesis, where DNA replication occurs; G₂, more material accumulation, organelle replication, and preparations for mitosis; and M, mitosis, where duplicated DNA and organelles are precisely divided resulting in two identical daughter cells. Additionally, not all cells are undergoing cell division or preparing for proliferation; these quiescent cells are located in G₀ temporarily or permanently.

Metastasis

Metastasis is a complex process by which tumor cells migrate from their site of origin to other organs. For metastasis to occur, tumor cells must not only travel to new locations, but also proliferate and survive in a new environment. This challenge results in only a small percentage of circulating tumor cells forming metastases. But when they do, this hallmark of cancer is an indicator of poor patient prognosis. And some tumor types have a higher probability of metastasis formation because they preferentially colonize specific organs for secondary tumor formation.

Nanomaterials

Gold, silica, iron oxide, and poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles are revolutionizing nanomedicine in a variety of fields, from oncology and immunology, to neurology, infectious disease, and more. Researchers and commercial organizations alike are harnessing the unique properties of these nanoparticles to transform therapeutic treatments, drug delivery, and theranostics.