TOM-1, a brain protein, may be the "brakes" of Alzheimer's, as it helps to regulate the inflammatory response. In mouse models, reducing TOM-1 led to increased inflammation and cognitive problems.

Fungus in the pancreas can trigger normal cells turning into pancreatic cancer cells. The most common species found was Malassezia, which lives on the skin and scalp and is responsible for dandruff and eczema.

Cancer cells use platelets to hide from the immune system and spread through the body. This method uses platelets to stop tumor cells from metastasizing by programming genes to fill them with cancer-killing proteins.

Invariant natural killer T-cells (iNKT) are powerful immune cells that attack tumors; only 0.1% of blood cells are iNKT cells. Mice with genetically engineered stem cell transplants of iNKT cells had suppressed tumor growth.