Natalie Artzi, Ph.D.

Human lung alveolus chip infection model enables investigation of viral replication, inflammatory responses, and genetic off-target effects of a novel pan-influenza CRISPR therapy

The Influenza A virus (IAV) has been the cause of six major flu pandemics, responsible for 50 to 100 million deaths globally. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that, despite seasonally updated vaccines, IAV infections still lead to 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 to 52,000 deaths annually.

The development of antiviral treatments against IAV – or more durable vaccination approaches for that matter – has been extremely challenging because IAV readily develops resistance against them by changing its genetic makeup. To date, its ability to “mutate,” rearrange its genetic information, or even recombine it with that of other IAV viruses infecting the same cell has been an insurmountable challenge for drug developers, and presents a constant risk for new pandemic strains to emerge… Continue reading.

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by hair loss, which occurs when T cells of the immune system mistakenly attack hair follicles. To restore control over hyperactive immune cells, investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, and MIT developed a cutting-edge approach to deliver T cell regulators directly to sites of hair loss and halt autoimmune activity. Findings, published in Advanced Materials, demonstrated marked and lasting increases in hair regrowth in models of the disease.

Our immune system evolved to safeguard against the overactivation that occurs when it mistakenly attacks our own tissues, as seen in autoimmune conditions. In conditions like AA, the specialized cells known as Regulatory T cells (Tregs) fall short in protecting hair follicles. Current immunosuppressants used in AA target both T cells and Tregs, failing to address the core issue and increasing the risk of disease recurrence once treatment stops. Moreover, systemic immune therapy suppresses the entire immune system, leaving patients vulnerable to infections and malignancies… Continue reading.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the induction of Natalie Artzi, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School to its College of Fellows.

Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to medical and biological engineers, comprised of the top two percent of engineers in these fields. College membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering and medicine research, practice, or education” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of medical and biological engineering or developing/implementing innovative approaches to bioengineering education.”

Dr. Artzi was nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows “for outstanding contributions to understanding interactions of nanostructures with the immune system and engineering of disease-responsive biomaterials for diagnosis/therapy…. Continue reading.