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THE CURRICULUM

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Learn the biology and evidence

CAR-T learning lab

CAR-T learning lab

Cell-therapy lesson library

Cell-therapy lesson library Building an engineered T cell Cell therapies as living drugs Compare immune-cell recognition systems Cytokines and programmable receptors How to engineer T cells inside the body Reading cell-therapy evidence The journey through a solid tumor

Choose a tumor model for the question

Choose a tumor model for the question Test clinical relevance and learn from feedback

Education concepts

Education concepts A binder as a targeting module AAV (adeno-associated virus) vector Ablation Absence of evidence Absolute risk, relative risk, and number needed to treat ADC (antibody-drug conjugate)ADCC, ADCP and CDC: antibody-guided effector mechanisms Adenosine and IDO: two metabolic immune-regulation routes Agonists and antagonists: binding versus action AJCC prognostic staging: extent, biology, and the right context Alkylating agents Alleles and zygosity: versions are different from copies AMPK: matching cellular work to energy supply Analytical validity, clinical validity and clinical utility Androgen receptor signaling: a hormone-responsive transcription program Angiogenesis: new vessels and the flow question Anthracyclines Antibody isotypes and Fc silencing Antibody structure Antigen and epitope Antigen-processing machinery Apoptosis and the BCL-2 family AR antagonists: interrupting androgen receptor function Armoring an immune-cell therapy Autologous versus allogeneic cell therapy Autophagy: recycling, flow, and dependence B cells and plasma cells B2M (beta-2 microglobulin)Batch effects Batch release: a decision about one lot BET bromodomain proteins: reading acetyl marks BET inhibitors: blocking a chromatin-reading interaction BH3 profiling: testing the mitochondrial death threshold Binder profiles: affinity, epitope and developability Binding prediction Bioprinting: building a planned biological layout Blood as a renewable sample: repeatable collection, different biology Blood sampling and detection limits Brain metastasis risk: keep the population and clock attached BRCA1 and BRCA2 BRCAness: a resemblance that needs evidence Breast anatomy: ducts, lobules and tissue compartments Breast lymphatic drainage and the axilla Breast MRI: enhancement, extent and research volume Breast surgery: removal, sampling and reconstruction Breast ultrasound: an image made from echoes Bulk RNA sequencing: a tissue mixture of messages Bulk vs single-cell vs spatial RNA Calibration of predicted probabilities Cancer immunoediting Cancer vaccines: an overview Cancer-associated fibroblasts: support cells within tumor stroma Cancer: altered cells in a tissue context Capecitabine and fluoropyrimidines CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) anatomy Case reports and N-of-1 trials CD4 versus CD8 T cells CDK inhibitors: cell-cycle control and transcription Cell division and why chemotherapy can disrupt it Cell lineage and differentiation Cell lines: a maintained culture with a history Cell segmentation Cell therapy as a living drug Cell-free DNA versus circulating tumor DNA Cellular senescence Central dogma: from DNA to RNA to protein Certificate of analysis: reading a lot report cGAS–STING DNA sensing Chain of identity and custody Chemical probes, medicines and target engagement Chemistry, manufacturing and controls: the product evidence Chemotherapy-induced nausea Chemotherapy: disrupting cell survival and division Chimeric antigen receptor natural killer (CAR-NK) cells CHIP (clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential)Cholesterol homeostasis through SCAP–SREBP Circulating tumor cells (CTCs)Clinical actionability and evidence tiers Clinical trials versus expanded access Clonal evolution: changing cancer populations Co-culture: measuring cells together Codon optimization Companion diagnostics Conference abstracts, preprints and full papers Confidence interval Controlled perturbation: change one thing and test the response Copy number and loss of heterozygosity (LOH)Core needle biopsy: a small piece of tissue architecture Costimulation CRISPR dependency mapping: what a cell needs Cross-presentation Cross-trial comparison Cryopreservation of living cells ctDNA units: concentration, fractions and reporting rules ctDNA–imaging discordance Curative intent Cytokine release syndrome (CRS)Cytokine therapy Cytokines and chemokines Delivery targeting versus cancer targeting Dendritic cells Denominators and conditional probability Digital pathology: distinguish a scan from an inference Discrimination: ROC area and concordance DNA damage and repair: an overview DNA damage response inhibitors: which repair dependency?DNA: storing, copying and reading sequence Dose and dose intensity Dose-dense scheduling Double-stranded RNA impurities and purification Drug approval pathways and expedited designations Drug labeling and off-label use Drug resistance: selection, adaptation and escape Drug targets and mechanisms of action Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)EGFR inhibitors: interrupting a receptor signal ELISpot (enzyme-linked immunospot)Endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response Engineered T-cell receptor therapy (TCR-T)Enzymes and binding: interaction is not reaction Epigenetics and DNA methylation Epithelial–mesenchymal transition: changing cell programs Epithelium and stroma: reading tissue compartments Epitope spreading Estrogen receptor (ER)Ex vivo cell expansion Ex vivo drug screen: response outside the original body Ex vivo tumor fragments Ex vivo versus in vivo cell engineering Extracellular matrix: the material between cells Extranodal extension: beyond a lymph-node capsule False discovery rate Federal Right to Try Feedback loops: when a signal changes its own circuit Ferroptosis: death through uncontrolled lipid oxidation Finding and checking a clinical trial Fine needle aspiration: learning from collected cells Fixed, fresh-frozen and viable tissue: different kinds of input Flow cytometry Foundation models Fragmentomics and methylation in cell-free DNA Functional cytotoxicity assays Gamma-delta T cells Gene-expression signatures Gene: a region that produces a functional message Genomic scars Germline testing: reading an inherited-risk result Germline vs somatic: where a variant belongs Good manufacturing practice: building quality into the process H&E morphology: reading cells in their tissue setting Hallmarks of cancer: capabilities and enabling processes Hazard ratio HER2: receptor biology and test status Hereditary breast cancer genes: BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2 Histologic grade HLA (human leukocyte antigen)HLA loss of heterozygosity HLA typing and nomenclature Homologous recombination and HRD Hot, excluded and cold tumor patterns How a model earns trust How binders are discovered Hypofractionation Hypoxia: oxygen supply falling short of tissue needs Imaging mass cytometry Immune checkpoint inhibitor Immune checkpoints Immune deconvolution: estimating a tissue mixture Immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS)Immune escape Immune-related adverse event (irAE)Immuno-PET: tracking an antibody-based tracer Immunodominance Immunogenic cell death Immunohistochemistry: protein staining in tissue Immunopeptidome: the biological display repertoire Immunopeptidomics In vitro transcription In-situ vaccination IND investigation versus BLA marketing review Inflammation Innate vs adaptive immunity Insertional mutagenesis Interferons Internal mammary nodes: regional nodes beside the breastbone Intracellular cytokine staining Intratumoral immunotherapy Intrinsic breast-cancer subtype Invasive ductal carcinoma and the name “no special type”Investigator-initiated trials Kaplan–Meier curves Ki-67 proliferation index Lead-time bias Lentiviral vector Leukapheresis and the collected leukopak Ligands and receptors Limits of blank, detection and quantitation Line of therapy LNP (lipid nanoparticle)Logic-gated chimeric antigen receptors Long-read and methylation sequencing Lumpectomy versus mastectomy: the extent of breast surgery Lymph nodes and lymphatics Lymphodepletion before cell therapy Macrophage states: beyond M1 and M2 Mammography: X-ray patterns in the breast Manufacturing comparability Mass spectrometry proteomics Measured lead time in blood monitoring Meta-analysis Metastasis and dormancy: arrival, survival and outgrowth Microsatellite instability and mismatch repair Minimal, measurable and molecular residual disease Model-validation basics Modified nucleosides in mRNA Monoclonal antibodies: recognition with a defined design mRNA construct anatomy Multi-epitope constructs Multi-omic integration: connecting measurements with their context Multiplex immunofluorescence Mutation types: what changed in the DNA?Mutational signatures MYC: coordinating growth-related gene expression Myeloid-derived suppressor cells: phenotype plus function Myoepithelial cells and the breast basement membrane N categories and nodal burden: location, size, count, and timing Natural killer cells and missing-self recognition Natural killer T (NKT) cells Necrosis Neoadjuvant versus adjuvant therapy Neoantigen Neutropenia and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)NHEJ and microhomology-mediated end joining Nonsense-mediated decay: a context-dependent RNA fate Notch signaling: a message between neighboring cells NRF2–KEAP1: regulating a stress-defense program Observational studies and confounding Odds ratio Oligometastatic disease: limited visible spread On-target, off-tumor toxicity Oncogenes and tumor suppressors: two routes to lost control Oncolytic viruses Organelles: the cell's working compartments Organoid: a small culture with selected tissue features Oxidative phosphorylation: using a proton gradient to make ATP P-values and multiple testing Panel, exome and genome sequencing: choose the coverage PARP inhibitors and trapping Pathologic complete response (pCR)Patient-derived xenograft: a tumor growing in another host Pattern recognition: DAMPs and PAMPs PD-L1 scoring: keep CPS and TPS denominators straight Peptide–HLA multimer staining Peripheral blood mononuclear cells Peripheral tolerance PET-CT: tracer distribution alongside anatomy Pharmacokinetics and half-life Phosphoproteomics Phosphorylation: a modification with different meanings PI3K and AKT inhibitors: choose the actual signaling step PI3K–AKT–mTOR: growth signals and resource use Platform and personalized components Platinum agents Pneumonitis Population versus individual risk Positive predictive value and base rates Potency assays Preclinical evidence Prespecified and exploratory analysis Progesterone receptor (PR)Prognostic versus predictive biomarkers Protein structure and domains Proteins and peptides: amino-acid molecules Radiation therapy basics Radioligand therapy: targeting radiation with a molecule RAS–RAF–MEK–ERK: a growth-signal relay Reactive oxygen species: signals and damage depend on context Read a graph in five passes Receptor types: where a signal is received Receptor tyrosine kinases: turning a surface signal into protein phosphorylation Reduction is not necessarily regression Regulatory T cells Release testing for cell products: separate quality questions Replication stress Research-use, laboratory certification and test authorization Residual cancer burden (RCB)Response criteria: RECIST and iRECIST Response rates: ORR, CBR and DCR Response-adapted therapy Reverse-phase protein arrays (RPPA)RNA and messenger RNA: messages with different jobs RNA count normalization: name the denominator RNA fusion and splice detection RNA integrity RNA pathway scoring: a program of messages RNA splicing RNA-lipoplex Safety switches in cell therapy Self-similarity and tolerance Sentinel-node biopsy and axillary dissection: what was sampled?Sequencing depth and coverage Sequencing reads Signal transduction and kinases: following the relay Single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing Single-cell mass assays: weighing growth in fluid Single-chain variable fragments and single-domain nanobodies Solid-phase peptide synthesis SOX10 and basal markers: tissue clues with limits Spatial transcriptomics Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)Stromal TIL scoring: what the percentage counts Surgical margins Surgical resection specimen: a tissue map with boundaries Surrogate endpoints: the pCR paradox Survival endpoints Synthetic lethality T cell T-cell anergy T-cell engager T-cell priming and the three-signal model T-cell receptor clonality metrics T-cell receptor sequencing T-cell states Target PET and theranostic imaging Target versus therapeutic format Targeted lipid nanoparticles Targeted proteomics and limits of quantification Taxanes TCR (T-cell receptor)TCR mimics and soluble TCR engagers Tertiary lymphoid structures The abscopal effect The cancer-immunity cycle The CDMO role The cell and its membrane The cell cycle: preparing, copying and dividing The evidence chain from variant to benefit The immune-cell roster The KEYNOTE-522 regimen The T-cell repertoire Theranostics: connecting a diagnostic test to a therapy Therapeutic index Thresholds and cutpoints Thymic output and aging Tissue is non-renewable: planning a finite specimen budget TNBC molecular subtypes: four research profiles, with tissue context TNBC recurrence: timing and sites TNM staging Transportability and eligibility Transposon for cell engineering Treatment effect in pathology: response changes and residual disease Trial phases and randomization Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)Tumor heterogeneity: one cancer, several populations Tumor microenvironment: the shared tissue setting Tumor mutational burden Tumor-associated antigen Tumor-associated macrophages: location does not fix function Tumor-bed cellularity Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes Tumor-informed versus tumor-naive residual-disease assays Tumor-on-chip: a controlled tissue environment Tumor–normal versus tumor-only sequencing Ubiquitin and the proteasome V(D)J recombination: assembling immune receptors Vaccine adjuvants Vacuum-assisted biopsy: collecting several tissue pieces Variant allele fraction vs cancer cell fraction Variant calling Variant-effect prediction: a model of a sequence change Vein-to-vein time Virtual cell model: a computed biological response Warburg effect: making lactate when oxygen is available Why binder performance depends on the format Why combine cancer treatments?Wnt–β-catenin: signaling through controlled protein stability

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Education illustration register

Learning paths

Aiming a drug at a surface target From a variant to a drug claim How a personalized cancer vaccine is designed How engineered immune cells can attack a solid tumor Judge a test or company claim Learning paths Read pathology and surgery results Read trial claims and survival statistics Start here: read the biology, then the evidence Understand access to an experimental therapy Understand blood tests and imaging after treatment Understand how the immune system recognizes cancer Understand how treatment is sequenced Understand local therapy and the immune system Understand what a tumor model can predict Ask what a result should change Authenticate and attribute the finding Autophagy: traffic, flow, and dependence Build the next question Build the readiness picture Check a real trial opportunity Check applicability and uncertainty Check clinical evidence and access Check what the experiment actually tests Choose a target with a usable safety window Connect evidence to a decision Connect repair biology to PARP sensitivity Connect treatment jobs with evidence Dose a vaccine and measure its response Follow the route to immune recognition Name the access route Name the comparison and endpoint PARP trapping and recycling PI3K, AKT, and mTOR: competing effects on repair and recycling Place the specimen in time Read an injected-treatment study Read each label as an answer to a question Read residual disease and margins Read the blood result before reading the trend Read the curve and effect Read the jobs in the treatment plan Read the safety plan for engineered cells Read the validation behind the claim Read timing around surgery Read tumor and normal data before choosing targets Reading a functional experiment Turn selected targets into an mRNA message Use the findings in the next conversation Write the exact claim before judging it

Local-treatment reference shelf

Local-treatment reference shelf Ask what a combination trial actually proved Compare delivery and recognition separately Match each measurement to its claim Put the disease setting before the clock Read a proposal through five questions Separate local injury from immune learning

Molecular profiling — one tumor, many lenses

Molecular profiling — one tumor, many lenses Add the geography of cells and signals Ask whether protein is present, placed and active Autophagy and proteostasis: amount, flow, and dependence Build an integrated claim without skipping the clinical question Compare blood results with imaging Lipid supply and mTOR: measuring resource control Notch, Wnt, and FGFR: locate the signal before choosing a target Oxidative metabolism and stress: energy, damage, and dependence Pathway mechanisms: a supporting lesson library Read a DNA assay as a coverage-and-confidence claim Read blood measurements as a time series Read single-cell data after treatment Stress defenses and chromatin readers: test the direction T-cell receptors and TCR sequencing Test a mechanism in a living model Use RNA to test the message and its source

Multi-omics foundations: the vocabulary lessons

Multi-omics foundations: the vocabulary lessons Choose the comparison before interpreting the signal Follow a splice change toward repair function Read RNA counts without counting proteins See what is inside a tissue sample Separate cell identity from cell state Separate DNA copies from cancer-cell fractions Separate immune presence from tumor recognition Start with genes, RNA and protein

Oncology 101: immune foundations

Oncology 101: immune foundations Ask what happens after binding Find the step an immune response can lose How dendritic cells help start a T-cell response Why a T-cell count does not tell the whole story

Read a tumor report without skipping its limits

Read a tumor report without skipping its limits Measure each part of a T-cell response Read an immune map without overreading it Understand multi-omics, one question at a time

Targeted therapy mechanisms and comparisons

Targeted therapy mechanisms and comparisons Compare formats with evidence and normal-tissue risk Follow delivery, exposure, and the treatment clock Overlap and sequencing Questions for a targeted-therapy proposal Separate the address from the killing mechanism Tissue and sample requirements

Why a personalized cancer vaccine can help

Why a personalized cancer vaccine can help HLA and antigen presentation in vaccine design How a personalized vaccine is manufactured Measure presentation, binding and response Read a neoantigen design board

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