San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan Plays Role In Preventative Cancer Treatment

"A revolutionary cancer treatment that remembers the disease and remains like a watchman to prevent it returning is being developed.

Immune cells are being engineered so they not only boost the body’s natural defences to fight tumours but stand guard for life, acting like a vaccine.

The study, presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Washington DC, has proven for the first time that engineered “memory T-cells” can persist in the body for 14-plus years.

"Prof Chiara Bonini, a haematologist at San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, said: “T-cells are a living drug, and in particular have the potential to persist in our body for our whole lives.

“Imagine when you are given a vaccine as a kid and you are protected against flu for all of your life. Why is that? Because when a T-cell encounters the antigen and gets activated, it kills the pathogen but also persists as a memory cell.”

In trials at a Milan hospital, 10 patients who had bone marrow transplants were given immune boosting therapy that included the memory T-cells."

Excellent and amazing news. 

Finmeccanica's Project Zero

Finmeccanica's Project Zero styled by Bertone - the company that designed Lambretta and a host of cars including Alfa-Romeo, Mercedes, Citroen and Aston-Martin.



From Finmeccanica's website:

"Project Zero is the only unmanned technological development programme in the world that brings together electric propulsion, the vertical take-off and landing capabilities of a helicopter and the in-flight speed and altitude performance of an aeroplane. A result of Finmeccanica’s collaboration with research agencies and companies from Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and Japan, Project Zero has led to the design of new technologies which can be applied to other new products under development. Finmeccanica’s excellence in vertical flight is also represented by existing successful aircraft such as the AgustaWestland AW101, the market-leading medium-weight, multi-role helicopter, and the intermediate models AW169 and AW139. Over 340 Finmeccanica helicopters have been ordered to date by defence, government and commercial operators in the region. These aifcraft carry out naval, utility, national security, search and rescue, helicopter-ambulance and maritime patrol missions."

Knight Rider Gets Italian Make Over

"Fans of 1980s cult TV show Knight Rider can pick up an exact replica of KITT, described as 'absolutely identical in every detail' to the car driven by Michael Knight - at auction today.

The car even talks and can open the windows if you ask, but before you channel your inner Hoff and shop for a new leather jacket, you'll need to find some serious cash and start learning the phrase 'aprire le finestre'.

 

That's because if you want to ask this estimated £35,000 KITT replica to open those windows, you're going to have to do it in Italian."

Admittedly, though Knight Rider was enormously popular and part of my youth in the 1980s, I wasn't much of a fan having watched it only time to time.

I was more into The A-Team.

Hey. To each his own.

The important thing is Knight Rider now has Italian flair and that's a good thing.