Thursday 24 September 2026 · Edition of the day

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The Skeptic's Daily

The day's biggest stories, taken apart. For each one: what is actually established, what is only asserted, the questions worth asking — and a plausibility score for the central claim, given everything currently known.

Stories
1
Average plausibility
66%
How to read the score
It rates how well the core claim is evidenced — not how important the story is, nor whether it is good or bad news.
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01ScienceMiddle East

Israeli researchers use computer design to boost cancer-fighting immune cells

An engineered T-cell receptor showed stronger tumour-killing in mice.

Bar-Ilan University and Weizmann Institute researchers published in Science Advances a computationally designed T-cell receptor, SET. Engineered cells showed stronger cancer-killing in the lab, and in mice with human tumours, treated tumours were about 35% smaller after 83 days.

What holds up

  • ✓Published in Science Advances by Cyrille Cohen's team with Weizmann collaborators.
  • ✓Results come from lab and mouse experiments.

What doesn't yet

  • ?Mouse results may not translate to humans; no clinical trials yet.
  • ?The 35% figure has not been independently replicated.

Ask before you share

  • →What safety risks come with re-engineered receptors?
  • →How does it compare with approved CAR-T and TCR therapies?
  • →What is the realistic path to human trials?

Sources & original reporting

  1. [1]EurekAlert! / Bar-Ilan University · Published 23 Sept 2026 · sciencesources.eurekalert.org