Articles tagged with Immune System
A recent study published in eLife reveals that the shape of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) plays a crucial role in determining infection outcomes. Researchers found that RSV viruses change from long, rod-shaped particles to more rounded ones during infection, which affects the activation of complement proteins by the immune system.
Scientists at Einstein College of Medicine have successfully suppressed HIV infections in mice using a novel treatment strategy that boosts the immune system's CD8+ T cells. The therapy, known as synTac, selectively targets HIV-infected T cells, eliminating them from the body and offering a potential path to a functional cure for HIV.
A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found lactoferrin to have promising efficacy in reducing the risk of respiratory tract infections, including COVID-19. Lactoferrin may also play a beneficial role in managing symptoms and recovery for patients suffering from RTIs.
Patients with multiple myeloma often mount a poor antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines and have a weak T cell response, underscoring the need for booster vaccination and safety precautions. Researchers found that these patients are at high risk of severe COVID-19 infection.
Researchers report that 90% of patients who received gene therapy between 2009 and 2012 remain disease-free, with significant immune system differences observed among those treated. The therapy is most effective in younger children, but further work is needed to achieve high levels of gene correction in all patients.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to reduced influenza reporting, but vaccination and strengthened surveillance are critical for a possible resurgence. Research highlights the importance of flu vaccination and early testing for non-influenza respiratory viruses.
Researchers found that optimizing energy metabolism through autophagy can improve the immune system response in HIV-affected cells, providing a potential therapeutic approach. This metabolic optimization enables CD4 lymphocytes to better defend against HIV-1 by secreting IL-21, a key protein in defense against the virus.
A team of scientists has found that IgA antibodies, a natural defense substance in the human body, can limit the fitness of benign bacteria in the intestine. This discovery helps maintain a delicate balance between the human organism and the intestinal flora.
A study by SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities found that people become more sensitive to feelings of disgust when they perceive their lives as being in danger. As a result, they tend to avoid foreigners, which is linked to an evolutionary response known as the behavioral immune system.
A new pouch device has been developed to protect transplanted human liver cells from immune systems for up to six months, producing crucial biomolecules. This breakthrough offers a potential path toward treating human diseases without needing to suppress the patient's immune system.
A national review of nocardia infection in kidney transplant patients found that those with compromised immune responses are more vulnerable to the opportunistic agent. Nocardiosis can lead to pneumonia and brain abscess, and screening is crucial, especially in combination with pneumonia symptoms.
A Harvard study found that massage therapy using mechanotherapy rapidly clears immune cells from severely injured muscles, enhancing regeneration. The treatment also removed inflammatory cytokines, leading to greater repair and strength recovery in injured muscles.
Cachexia is characterized by weight loss and muscle tissue shrinkage, driven by the immune system's response to chronic infections and diseases. Researchers from CeMM emphasize the need for more research into cachexia, highlighting the importance of interplay between the immune system and metabolism.
A pre-clinical study by University of Illinois Chicago researchers shows that a drug targeting specific immune pathways can prevent lung damage and death in mice infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The study suggests targeted treatments may be more suitable for COVID-19 patients than broad immune suppressants.
Researchers at the University at Buffalo have developed a new treatment that pairs essential proteins with lysophosphatidylserine to build immune tolerance and prevent antibody development, potentially treating autoimmune disorders and allergies.
A recent study published in Frontiers in Immunology found that opioids can control gut immune responses, reduce colonic inflammation, and even promote the growth of regulatory T cells. The findings suggest that KNT-127 could be a promising therapeutic option for inflammatory bowel disease.
A high-fat diet increases the incidence of colorectal cancer by suppressing MHC-II levels in intestinal cells. This disruption allows cancer cells to grow unchecked. Researchers hope that reconfiguring the gut microbiome and boosting immune recognition molecules can help combat cancer.
Researchers have found a protein called CD47 on the surface of infected cells that may protect them from immune system recognition, resulting in more severe disease. High CD47 levels are associated with higher risk factors for severe COVID-19, including age and diabetes.
Researchers found that viral, fungal, or bacterial infections impact blood vessel repair in the brain after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cerebrovascular injury. Infected animals took longer to repair damaged blood vessels, leading to permanent cognitive dysfunction and brain damage.
A Johns Hopkins Medicine research team has provided a definitive view of the biological process leading to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a dangerous inflammatory disease that can destroy a premature infant's intestinal lining. The loss of enteric glia leads to intestinal dysmotility, which is a key factor in NEC's genesis.
A global collaboration has identified three groups of antibodies resistant to mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein, which could target vulnerable sites on the protein. The study provides a framework for selecting durable antibody cocktails for COVID-19 treatment and will guide the development of more effective antibody therapies.
Researchers identified four immune markers that are elevated in SARS-CoV-2 patients in the early phase of infection but not in other viral infections. These findings could provide starting points for future therapeutic approaches and serve as comparative parameters for further studies on chronic COVID-19 forms.
Researchers discover that tumor suppressor genes can prevent the immune system from spotting and destroying malignant cells in mice. The study reveals a surprising new action for many of these defective genes, which trigger mechanisms that prevent the immune system's T-cells from targeting tumors.
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients have a higher risk of carrying autoantibodies that target their own tissues or substances secreted by immune cells. This could lead to full-blown autoimmune disease. Vaccination is seen as a way to boost the immune system without triggering the production of these harmful antibodies.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have identified a new antibacterial mechanism where immune cells cooperate to capture and 'eat' bacteria. This cooperation enhances the killing power of macrophages, increasing phagocytosis of bacterial pathogens, including antibiotic-resistant staph
A study found that the ability to lose control over HIV is linked to a decrease in proliferative and cytolytic ability of immune cells, years before actual virus loss. In contrast to other infections, T cell dysfunction here impairs their response only to HIV.
Researchers found that viral fossils in Australian marsupials are used to make non-coding RNAs that protect against outside infection. The study suggests that these viral fossils may be helping to immunize animals, potentially providing a mechanism similar to vaccination.
Researchers found that the gene TCF-1 regulates specific Treg cells, leading to more severe and inflammatory colon cancers. Without TCF-1, these cells become activated and gain a gut-homing feature, resulting in harsher cancer outcomes.
Researchers have created a new technology to enhance therapeutic antibodies' ability to attack blood cancer cells by leveraging the human immune system. This approach combines IgM and IgG antibodies, resulting in a single molecule with increased complement activation.
Researchers analyzed plasma and single immune cells from nearly 200 COVID-19 patients and found metabolic changes associated with disease severity. The study's findings could lead to better therapies targeting immune-metabolic changes in severe disease cases.
MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researchers discovered a novel mechanism showing how a certain gene mutation can allow tumors to evade detection by the immune system in colorectal cancer patients. The study found that APC mutations lead to increased levels of PD-L1, which allows tumors to evade T-cell function and increase immunosuppression.
A recent study reveals that protein HSP27 plays a crucial role in regulating blood vessel leakage, which is a hallmark of sepsis. By targeting HSP27, researchers hope to develop drugs that can stabilize blood vessel barriers and prevent fluid loss.
Researchers at the University of Würzburg have found that innate lymphoid cells can specialize into killer cells that recognize and kill tumour cells. The study reveals a new transcription factor, Hobit, drives this specialization process.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine found that COVID-19 vaccination elicited a response in nearly nine out of ten people with weakened immune systems. However, the responses were only about one-third as strong as those mounted by healthy people. Despite this, the discovery is encouraging news for a population at hig...
A study published in the American Journal of Transplantation found that Covid-19 vaccines stimulate different immune responses in organ transplant patients. While antibody tests alone are insufficient, combining vaccines with T cell analyses provides better protection.
A new approach called an immunobiological algorithm provides a comprehensive assessment of how a patient's immune system will react to tissue from each potential living donor. This method outperforms current HLA testing in identifying the best potential living donor, which could lead to improved organ transplant outcomes.
Researchers found that high levels of complement protein Ba are a reliable indicator of transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy development, contrary to previous reports. The study's findings provide hope for developing prophylactic treatments to prevent the disease.
Research from the University of Florida found that COVID-19 vaccination significantly increases antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in breast milk, providing passive immunity to newborns. The study suggests that vaccinated mothers can help protect their babies from COVID-19 illness.
Researchers at the University of Southampton have identified a unique change in B cells that allows them to receive signals from molecules called lectins, enabling tumor growth. This discovery could pave the way for new treatments and early cancer detection methods.
A new study reveals that high-grade gliomas in dogs contain more immune cells associated with suppressing immune response than low-grade gliomas. The findings suggest that these brain tumors may recruit cells to aid in immunosuppression, which could lead to improved immunotherapies for both humans and dogs.
A new study by Ivan Zanoni at Boston Children's Hospital reveals a complex picture of interferon production in mild versus severe COVID-19. The researchers found that different types of interferons have opposite roles in the upper and lower respiratory tract, and that specific interferons determine disease severity.
A study conducted at a Brazilian university found that treatment with curcumin and light reduces parasite load and eliminates Leishmania parasites completely. Curcumin showed good distribution in macrophages and reduced amastigotes' viability, changing their mitochondrial activity.
A validated definition for iMCD-TAFRO has been established to differentiate it from other iMCD cases, enabling timely diagnosis and proper treatment. The new definition includes four clinical criteria: thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, and organomegaly.
A multidisciplinary team reveals two structural points in the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 that allow the virus to deceive the immune system. These mutations can be detected and inform strategies to control the pandemic.
Researchers found that prostaglandin E2 protects epithelial cells from cell death by binding to EP4 receptors. This activation counteracts intestinal inflammation progression and may prevent bacterial penetration.
Researchers have discovered that dendrimer tentacles can avoid detection by the complement system, part of our immune system. This could lead to developing a new system for delivering drugs into the body without triggering an immune response.
Researchers identified genes and cell types involved in rare inflammatory disease MIS-C in children following COVID-19 infection. The study found that specific immune cells are downregulated and associated with a sustained inflammatory response.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital uncover key factors that enable immune cells to survive in tumor environments, including the chemokine CXCL16. This understanding may lead to more effective immunotherapies for cancer patients.
Researchers have developed a special polymer to coat blood vessels on transplanted organs, reducing rejection rates in mice by substantially diminishing immune system response. The breakthrough has the potential to eliminate the need for drugs that prevent organ rejection and improve transplant outcomes.
Researchers review advancements in biosensing technologies for neonatal sepsis diagnosis, highlighting the need for faster and more accurate methods. Biosensors offer a promising solution, detecting multiple parameters simultaneously with high sensitivity and accuracy.
A recent study published in Transplant Infectious Disease found that COVID-19 vaccination provides strong protection against the virus for solid organ transplant recipients, with an almost 80% reduction in symptomatic cases. The study examined data from over 2,150 transplant patients and showed that nearly 70% of vaccinated patients re...
A recent study by Queen Mary University of London provides new insight into the mechanisms behind uncontrolled inflammation in COVID-19 patients. The research found that treatments increasing specialised pro-resolving mediators (SPM) production, such as dexamethasone, may play a key role in limiting disease severity.
Scientists have discovered a way to restrict the activity of Tregs, which regulate the immune system and prevent it from attacking healthy cells. Inhibition of PIP4K enzymes in Tregs allows Teff cells to function more effectively, leading to better cancer treatment outcomes.
Researchers have developed nanobodies that target the cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a virus that can cause life-threatening complications in immunocompromised patients. These nanobodies bind to the US28 protein and interrupt signals that keep the virus dormant, enabling the immune system to detect and destroy the virus.
Researchers created an inflammatory clock of aging (iAge) using deep learning to predict multi-morbidity, frailty, and immune health. The tool identifies a modifiable chemokine associated with cardiac aging and provides a target for interventions.
Researchers developed hybrid membrane nanovaccines that educate patients' immune systems to distinguish tumor components as 'non-self', preventing recurrence and metastasis. The vaccines induce robust innate and adaptive immune responses, offering a new opportunity for individualized cancer vaccines.
Researchers have created a new mouse model that facilitates study of bladder cancer progression and immune-system activation. The model allows for investigation of gender differences in bladder cancer development and response to immunotherapy, with potential implications for improving treatment strategies.
A study by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München's researchers found that the CD40L/CD40 interaction plays a crucial role in atherogenesis. The team showed that inhibition of this interaction can reduce atherosclerosis-associated clot formation and stabilize plaques, offering new therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular disease.
Researchers used a machine-learning algorithm to identify novel gene candidates associated with immune traits in mice, including 101 new genes with over 95% chance of being required for immunity. The study's software, Candidate Explorer, helps predict causation of mutations and has already verified hundreds of genes with novel functions.
Researchers at UCL and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine argue that modern society's emphasis on cleanliness does not impede childhood immunity. Instead, they suggest exposing children to beneficial microorganisms through maternal contact, family members, and natural environments is crucial for immune system development.