June is Cancer Immunotherapy Month

This month the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) is hosting virtual educational and social events intended to shine the spotlight on Immunotherapeutic Cancer Research. More information can be found here.

As part of this educational initiative, CRI has organized a global social media awareness campaign. On June 12th they are encouraging people worldwide to Wear White for A Future Immune to Cancer™. Individuals are invited to wear white, share why they are wearing white, snap a selfie or group photo holding the sign, and share the photo using the hashtag #Immune2Cancer. More information can be found here.

Bio X Cell is proud to have a wide catalog of products being used in immunotherapy-based cancer research. If you have questions about a product or would like to learn more about the ways in which we can help you meet your research goals, please give us a call at 1.866.787.3444.

Giving Back Feels Good

The Bio X Cell Charitable Fund is continuing to support non-profits in our community. During this time of economic hardship resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, many charitable organizations are working hard to assist individuals with food, housing costs, and other essential needs. The Bio X Cell Charitable Fund recently made gifts to three organizations in our community that support key vulnerable populations. These organizations include Friends of Veterans, Meals on Wheels of the Grafton County Senior Citizens Council (GCSCC), and WISE.

Employee Spotlight

Mike works as a lab technician in our Purification Lab. He first worked at Bio X Cell from 2004-2006 and then returned to the company at the end of 2016.His responsibilities include analytical testing, harvest concentrate processing, purification buffer constitution, equipment management and maintenance, and supplies inventory management. When needed, he also provides cross-departmental support to the Fermentation Lab.

Mike has an Associate\'s degree as a Clinical Lab Scientist and maintained ASCP certification during his 14-year career at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. At DHMC, Mike spent 12 years working in clinical chemistry and another 2 years as an assistant coordinator for point-of-care testing.

Outside of the lab, Mike is a devoted family man. He lives with his wife, young son, two dogs, and two cats. Together they have embarked on a home-building adventure and look forward to what lies in store for their family.

Mike has brought his incurably positive attitude to Bio X Cell and, in keeping with his good-natured sense of humor, he appreciates the camaraderie and collaborative work environment fostered by the company. He also appreciates working in an industry that contributes to the continued advancement of scientific frontiers in immunology.

Focus on recent research:

Microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids limit the anti-tumor effect of CTLA-4 blockade

Over the last ten years the use of immune checkpoint blocking antibodies has revolutionized cancer therapy. CTLA-4 and PD-1 blocking antibodies are among the most used immunotherapies in patients with metastatic melanoma, but many patients remain non-responsive and relapse is common. Anti-CTLA-4 treatment is only effective in approximately 20% of patients. Recent studies have suggested that gut microbiota composition is associated with the anti-tumor efficacy of anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies but the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear.