We have TWO papers out in @jcb.org this month! 🎉 First, @kirstin-rollins.bsky.social showed that macrophages nibble adherent target cells, like the ones found in solid tumors, instead of phagocytosing. Amazing movies from @sareenfiaz.bsky.social doi.org/10.1083/jcb....

In @jcb.org, @mmorrissey.bsky.social lab demonstrate that the CD47 signaling pathway prevents #phagocytosis through dephosphorylation of the Rac GEF Vav. Cancer cells & synthetic targets w/ CD47 can still be phagocytosed less efficiently through a Rho-dependent mechanism rupress.org/jcb/article/...

Miller, @mmorrissey.bsky.social et al. demonstrate that the CD47 signaling pathway prevents #phagocytosis through dephosphorylation of the Rac GEF Vav. Cancer cells & synthetic targets with CD47 can still be phagocytosed less efficiently through a Rho-dependent mechanism. rupress.org/jcb/article/...

Could not agree more 😁

@kirstin-rollins.bsky.social, @mmorrissey.bsky.social et al show that #macrophages attack adherent cells using #trogocytosis instead of #phagocytosis. Reducing adhesion increased phagocytosis. Mitotic cells, which disassemble adhesions, are more vulnerable to phagocytosis rupress.org/jcb/article/...

#Macrophages are presumed to attack antibody-opsonized #cancer cells by #phagocytosis. In @jcb.org, @kirstin-rollins.bsky.social, @mmorrissey.bsky.social et al find that macrophages attack adherent cells using #trogocytosis, or cell nibbling, instead of phagocytosis. rupress.org/jcb/article/...

Excited by phagocyte biology? Still making summer conference plans? The Phagocytes GRC has an amazing lineup of invited speakers and many opportunities for talks from submitted abstracts. Apply soon for full consideration! www.grc.org/phagocytes-c...

Wyatt Miller's thesis project is on bioRxiv! We describe the signaling cascade that allows the 'Don't Eat Me' signal CD47 to inhibit phagocytosis. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Excited to share @kirstin-rollins.bsky.social thesis project! 🥳Why do macrophages sometimes eat a whole cell, and sometimes just nibble off pieces? We found that if the target cell is stuck to a substrate or part of a 3D tissue, the macrophage nibbles instead of phagocytosing the whole cell.

Trump & Musk are making massive cuts to the National Institutes of Health. I know there is a lot going on right now, but this is one of worst things they have done so far, will affect cancer research and trials, the search for cures, innovation and competitiveness, our universities. Your lives.

Extremely grateful to Damon Runyon for this funding, especially with todays news on NIH grants. See a green macrophage nibbling on a pink cancer cell 👇

@mmorrissey.bsky.social is investigating how immune cells known as macrophages might be induced to “nibble” cancer cells to death through a process called trogocytosis.

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2025 Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award! Five exceptional scientists received initial grants, and three previous awardees were given Stage 2 support to continue their critical work. Read more: www.damonrunyon.org/news/entries...

@annalisebond.bsky.social and @mmorrissey.bsky.social @ucsantabarbara.bsky.social review the biochemical and biophysical mechanisms that macrophages use to tune phagocytic appetite. journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...

Thrilled to share our @sciimmunology.bsky.social paper! We report that rodent PD-1 is weaker than human PD-1 (reduced ligand binding & signaling) & lacks a conserved vertebrate motif. Humanizing mouse PD-1 disrupts T cell anti-tumor responses, raising many questions. science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Macrophages need to adjust their appetite based on whats happening around them... but how to make a macrophage hungrier? Annalise Bond assembled a list of biophysical and biochemical parameters that can tune phagocytosis. @jcellsci.bsky.social @biologists.bsky.social doi.org/10.1242/jcs....

At #Ascb? Check our Wyatt Millers poster on CD47 today at 1:30 (b696) or his talk Monday at 5:30 p in the immune cell biology subgroup!

I'm excited to announce the EMBO Workshop on Immunobiophysics: from fundamental physics to understanding the immune response. April 27-May 2, 2025 in Les Houches, France (hybrid format). Registration/abstract details here: meetings.embo.org/event/25-imm... Register by Monday December 2, 2024!

go.bsky.app/JDAwbAJ Trying again with the actual link this time. Please tag yourself or others who study macropinocytosis, phagocytosis or efferocytosis, and I’ll add you to the pack!

Such a great study showing that target biophysics govern the decision to trogocytose (nibble) vs phagocytose

Do you find yourself curious about the eating habits of macrophages? Check out our new preprint to discover the biophysical principles that guide macrophage behavior. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

A light appetizer makes macrophages hungrier for their next meal. My lab's first grad student @AnnaliseBond 's first paper is out now in @dev_cell !! authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

Interested in immune cell biology? Join us for ASCB #cellbio2024 in the subgroup organized by Minna Roh Johnson, Marcus Taylor and me! Just two weeks left to submit your abstract www.ascb.org/cellbio2024/...