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Wyss Institute’s iNodes team receives ARPA-H Sprint for Women’s Health award to advance the first implantable immune organs to treat ovarian cancer

The Wyss Institute's iNodes team has been awarded an ARPA-H Sprint for Women's Health to develop implantable immune organs for treating ovarian cancer. The iNodes concept is based on the formation of lymphoid organs in tumors, which can be reprogrammed to attack cancer cells and retain a long-term immune memory.

How immune cells “sniff out” pathogens

Researchers from the University of Bonn have developed a new method to study immune receptors using a label-free biosensor assay. This approach allows for the detection of specific chemical signals that activate Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which are found on the surface of immune cells and play a crucial role in detecting infections. T...

SourceUniversity of Bonn·JournalNature Communications·DateNov 12, 2024

How vitamin D deficiency can lead to autoimmune diseases

A McGill University study reveals that vitamin D deficiency early in life can lead to a higher risk of autoimmune diseases like Type 1 diabetes. The research found that an aging thymus causes the immune system to become less effective, increasing the risk of misdirected immune cells attacking healthy tissues.

SourceMcGill University·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 21, 2024

USC’s Rong Lu and Caltech’s Michael B. Elowitz win the NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award for their new approach to study blood and immune cell production in bone marrow

Researchers from USC and Caltech develop a new method to study hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells within the bone marrow without extracting them. This breakthrough could inform efforts to optimize bone marrow transplantation and provide insights into various health conditions, including cancer and heart disease.

Fever drives enhanced activity, mitochondrial damage in immune cells

Researchers found that fever temperatures increase helper T cell metabolism, proliferation and inflammatory activity, while causing mitochondrial stress, DNA damage and cell death in a specific subset of Th1 cells. These findings may explain how chronic inflammation contributes to cancer development and suggest a fundamental way cells ...

SourceVanderbilt University Medical Center·JournalScience Immunology·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 20, 2024

Low oxygen levels in tumors could enhance some of the body’s immune responses against cancer

A recent study by Dr. Esteban Ballestar's group identifies an immune cell population that is more effective in responding against cancer cells under hypoxia. Macrophages undergo changes that enhance their ability to trigger an immune response, leading to better patient outcomes in bladder and ovarian cancers.

SourceJosep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 19, 2024

Proteins in meat, milk, and other foods suppress gut tumors

A new study published in Frontiers in Immunology reveals that certain food proteins like milk and meat can help keep gut tumors from growing by triggering the intestinal immune system. This discovery has potential clinical implications for patients with gastrointestinal conditions.

SourceRIKEN·JournalFrontiers in Immunology·DateSep 18, 2024

New study shows cells get involved in unhealthy relationships after acute kidney injury (AKI) in mice

Researchers have identified key cellular interactions and microenvironments that contribute to the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) after acute kidney injury (AKI) in mice. The study, published in Nature Communications, provides new insights into how damaged cells interact within disease-promoting microenvironments.

SourceKeck School of Medicine of USC·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 5, 2024

Fungal infection: A protein weakens the immune system

A study by researchers from Brazil and Germany found that a surface protein on Aspergillus fumigatus spores suppresses the release of pro-inflammatory substances by immune cells, making it easier for the fungus to infect the body. The enzyme glycosylasparaginase plays a crucial role in this process.

MCG scientists working to understand why men with prostate cancer are at higher risk of Alzheimer’s

Researchers investigated the connection between androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease. They found that ADT can exacerbate cognitive decline by increasing brain immune cell infiltration, but a combination with Natalizumab improved integrity of the blood-brain barrier and reduced inflammation.

Investigating the effect of alemtuzumab in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in patients with inborn errors of immunity

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Immunology found alemtuzumab to be safe and effective in treating Asian patients with inborn errors of immunity after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. The drug was shown to improve overall survival rates, with 94.7% of patients surviving post-transplantation.

SourceTokyo Medical and Dental University·JournalJournal of Clinical Immunology·DateJul 26, 2024

In a first, researchers generate a direct measurement of the interaction between immune cells and cancer cells from a patient’s biopsy

A team of researchers at Bar-Ilan University has developed a groundbreaking technology that enables direct measurement of the interaction between immune cells and cancer cells from a patient's biopsy. This innovation provides crucial insights into the patient's immune response, enabling tailored cancer treatment decisions.

SourceBar-Ilan University·JournalRNA·DateMay 6, 2024

Antibiotics reveal a new way to fight cancer

Tetracycline antibiotics have been found to enhance the antitumor activity of T lymphocytes by targeting galactin-1, an immunosuppressive protein produced by cancer cells. This breakthrough discovery may lead to the development of new drugs that target different immune pathways and benefit patients with cancer.

SourceOsaka University·JournalJournal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 15, 2024

Gene analysis generates spatial map of intestinal cells and traces their trajectories during gut inflammation

A new study using spatial transcriptomics has generated a unique spatial atlas of intestinal cells in both healthy and inflamed states. The research reveals the evolution of cell populations during inflammation, particularly highlighting the significance of fibroblasts in response to gut inflammation.

SourceBrigham and Women's Hospital·JournalCell·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2024

‘Exhausted’ immune cells in healthy women could be target for breast cancer prevention

A study published in Nature Genetics reveals early cell changes in healthy carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, suggesting a potential target for breast cancer prevention. The researchers created the world's largest catalogue of human breast cells, which may lead to the use of existing immunotherapy drugs as an early intervention.

SourceUniversity of Cambridge·JournalNature Genetics·DateMar 28, 2024