Research on how the immune system defends the body. Covers immune-cell imaging, T-cell responses, longevity genetics, and cancer immunotherapy.
A clinical trial at UC San Diego Health is testing personalized vaccines that use a patient's unique cancer mutations to stimulate an immune response. The vaccine, combined with an FDA-approved checkpoint inhibitor, aims to unleash the full potential of T cells activated by the vaccine.
New findings suggest that the immune system's response to a protein called GDP-L-fucose synthase, found in both human cells and bacteria, may play a key role in multiple sclerosis. The protein is believed to activate T cells in the intestine, leading to an inflammatory cascade that damages the protective coating around nerve cells.
C3 regulates autophagy in beta cells, enabling protection from stress and potentially treating diseases like type 2 diabetes. Disruption of this mechanism can contribute to disease development.
Researchers propose natural adaptive therapies to keep cancer in check by mimicking the immune system's approach. These therapies aim to stabilize tumor size and slow resistance evolution.
Jonathan Kipnis, a UVA neuroscientist, receives $5.6 million in funding to advance his research on the relationship between the brain and immune system. His work aims to understand how the immune system interacts with the brain and potentially develop new treatments for neurological diseases.
Researchers at UVA have discovered that lymphatic vessels in the brain carry messages from the brain to the immune system, triggering MS symptoms. Blocking these messages may offer a new way to treat the condition, but more research is needed to understand their role and potential therapeutic targets.
Scientists at Scripps Research have identified rare antibodies that can bind to the Ebola virus and stop infection, potentially leading to a universal therapy. The new research reveals how these antibodies work by targeting a conserved region of the viral fusion loop.
A study published in Frontiers in Immunology reveals that a specific immune checkpoint molecule, interleukin-10 (IL-10), is not functioning properly in mice with type 1 diabetes. This defect leads to an overactive immune response, attacking insulin-producing cells and causing the disease.
Researchers have found that disrupting the non-canonical NF-κB pathway improves the effects of radiotherapy by enhancing the immune system's ability to interact with radiation. This new approach may lead to novel combination strategies for improving cancer treatment.
Researchers at UT Austin have developed a new approach to treating cancer using enzyme therapy, which boosts the immune system by degrading kynurenine, a metabolite that suppresses the immune system. The treatment could prove effective in treating various types of cancers and is expected to initiate clinical trials soon.
A new MSU study links a malfunctioning gene to the loss of vital immune cells, which may prevent ankylosing spondylitis. The findings put researchers closer to uncovering the role of this gene in the disease.
Researchers developed an immunotherapy that induces antitumor immunity by provoking necroptosis in cancer cells, destroying tumors while protecting against secondary tumor formation. The treatment provides protection against disseminated tumors and stimulates the immune system to attack persistent surviving cancer cells.
Scientists have created a more complete humanized mouse model by combining human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells with mesenchymal stem cells. This allows for more realistic testing of immunotherapies, leading to improved cancer treatment predictions. The new model enables researchers to compare the interaction of the immune sys...
Researchers from Karolinska Institutet have discovered that a baby's immune system undergoes dramatic changes within the first few weeks of life, adapting to its new environment. This phenomenon was made possible by using advanced techniques of immune cell analysis.
Scientists at Garvan Institute of Medical Research have identified a new micro-organ within the immune system that helps fight reinfection fast. The structure, named SPFs, is strategically positioned to detect infection early and contains immune cells gathering to mount a rapid response.
Researchers found that adding retinoic acid to standard-of-care treatment for melanoma can turn off myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) that resist immune treatments, leading to increased immune system activity. The study showed a safe and promising strategy to target MDSCs, which could be a useful addition to immunotherapies for ...
Researchers found that cortisol enables AML cells to evade the immune system by inducing latrophilin 1 expression. This allows cancer cells to suppress anti-cancer immune mechanisms, leading to disease progression.
Researchers discover that PLD3 and PLD4 play a crucial role in degrading DNA and preventing autoimmune reactions. The proteins were found to regulate endosomal nucleic acid sensing, which may contribute to new approaches in cancer immunotherapy and treatment of autoimmune disorders.
Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a unique vaccine that employs an uncommon two-pronged approach to fighting the Zika virus. The single-dose vaccine proved effective in triggering an immune response that prevented later infection by Zika virus.
A study by UC Davis researchers found that low levels of cytomegalovirus (CMV) significantly impact microbe and immune cell populations, influencing the immune system's response to the influenza vaccine. CMV infection also alters gut microbiota, potentially diverting resources away from other threats.
A study by researchers at IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation and University of Rome found that childhood adversity alters the immune system, increasing sensitivity to cocaine in adulthood. Exposure to psychosocial stress early in life leads to permanent changes in immune function, sensitizing the body to cocaine's effects.
Researchers developed an imaging technique to assess immune system changes in monkeys infected with a simian form of HIV. The study revealed that CD4+ T-cell levels in tissues vary from blood levels, challenging the notion of the gut as a major target for SIV infection.
A combination treatment has safely enhanced the ability of the immune system to fight infections in the elderly, reducing their incidence by a year. The treatment, which inhibits TORC1 protein complex, showed improved immune response towards seasonal influenza vaccine, paving the way for therapies targeting infectious diseases.
Scientists have discovered a class of 'danger signals' that trigger an efficient immune response in newborns, potentially reducing vaccine administration age and booster injections. This breakthrough aims to improve pediatric vaccine efficacy and protect more infants and young children from infections.
Researchers are testing whether drastically cutting calories twice a week can change MS symptoms. A study found that intermittent fasting reduced MS-like symptoms in mice, with changes in immune cells and gut microbiome.
A study by Drs. Smithey and Nikolich-Žugich found that mice infected with cytomegalovirus had a more robust immune response to subsequent infections. This suggests that the virus may be able to harness the immune system's existing capacity, rather than weakening it as previously thought.
A new AI model, CytoReason, has created the largest library of inter-cellular communications, mapping over 3,000 previously unlisted cellular interactions. This analysis provides valuable clues for drug development and sheds light on immune system dynamics.
A woman's experience of chronic pain in her left knee, thigh, and hip after getting a tattoo has led doctors to warn patients with compromised immune systems about the potential risks. Inflammatory myopathy, a condition characterized by muscle weakness and pain, was diagnosed after a biopsy revealed inflammation in her thigh muscle.
Researchers found a genetic difference in people with African and European ancestry that affects inflammation response. The study suggests malaria's evolutionary pressure shaped the immune system's adaptation, which may still influence health disparities today.
Researchers identify dominant immune cells contributing to tumor tolerance and find that silencing these cells allows T cell attack on tumors. Jointly inhibiting both cell types substantially inhibits tumor growth in mouse models.
Researchers discovered that cytomegalovirus can infect the iris of mouse eyes, causing chronic inflammation and long-lasting eye problems. The virus remains dormant for months after infection, prompting a reevaluation of its effects on healthy individuals and potentially misdiagnosed conditions.
A study published in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology found that people taking immunosuppressant drugs are less likely to develop Parkinson's disease. Corticosteroids such as prednisone reduced the risk by 20%, while IMDH inhibitors were about one-third less effective.
Researchers at Monash University have developed a hand-made super-microscope capable of seeing the building blocks of bacterial cell walls. This discovery has shed light on how bacteria evade the immune system, providing key knowledge to disarm superbug resistance.
Researchers at the University of Vienna discovered a mechanism that regulates HSCs' delicate balance between activation and dormancy, ensuring proper blood cell production. The study found that a feedback loop involving two intracellular signalling pathways maintains this balance, preventing exhaustion and potential death.
Researchers have discovered that mosquito saliva can trigger a prolonged immune response in humans, detected up to 7 days after a bite. The study found that the proteins in mosquito saliva interact with human immune cells, leading to changes in cytokine levels and T helper cell responses.
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that mosquito saliva alone can trigger long-lasting immune responses in humanized mice, including activation of T helper cells and diverse cytokine levels. The study offers insights into developing effective strategies to prevent mosquito-borne diseases.
A high-fiber diet increases survival in influenza-infected mice by setting the immune system at a healthy level of responsiveness. It also boosts antiviral immunity by activating T cells, mediated by changes in gut bacteria composition.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Cancer Center have made a breakthrough discovery that could improve immune therapy for triple-negative breast cancer. They found that a protein called Eya3 plays a key role in activating PD-L1, which helps cancer cells evade the immune system.
Flesh-eating disease causes necrotizing fasciitis, a condition where bacteria exploit nerve communication between the nervous and immune systems. Researchers found two approaches involving nerve modulation that could prevent infections and halt disease progression.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham have identified a unique type of immune cell that can combat viral infections. These unconventional V-delta-2 lymphocytes are present at birth and increase in numbers during viral infections, becoming licensed to kill and accessing tissues to detect and destroy virally infected target cells.
A new study reveals that a polydnavirus suppresses the defense mechanisms of both caterpillar hosts and plant hosts, allowing parasitic wasps to thrive. The virus reduces glucose oxidase in caterpillars' saliva, triggering lower enzyme activity and defense-gene expression in plants.
A study published in Toxicological Sciences suggests that exposure to fracking chemicals during pregnancy may impair female offspring's ability to fend off diseases. Fracking chemicals have been found in ground water near fracking sites and are linked to reproductive and developmental defects, hormone disruption, and immune system damage.
Researchers found that an immune-system generated molecule called nitric oxide (NO) inhibits the ability of Staphylococcus aureus to transform from a benign colonizing state to its virulent form, producing toxins. NO may play a key role in preventing staph infections by blocking quorum-sensing systems.
A study by Stanford University School of Medicine investigators found that older people's immune cells receive a fuzzier set of instructions, leading to reduced effectiveness. The researchers analyzed hundreds of millions of immune cells using a new method to determine the impact of environmental factors on aging and disease.
A new study from UCSF reveals the fetal immune system can trigger preterm labor when it mistakenly identifies the mother's cells as foreign. The researchers found activated immune cells in the cord blood of preterm infants and higher levels of inflammatory chemicals, leading to uterine contractions.
Research from the University of Bath found that exercise can increase immune cells and improve response to flu jabs, contradicting a long-held myth. The study suggests that low numbers of immune cells after exercise are not a sign of suppression, but rather a signal that cells are working in other parts of the body.
Scientists at Goethe University Frankfurt explore cryobiology's social and biological impacts, including 'suspended life', and study immune defense mechanisms to understand pathogens' evasion strategies.
A study found that tumors may overcome immunotherapy by increasing TIM3 and regulatory T cells, which inactivate immune killer T cells. Adding a TIM3 inhibitor to radiotherapy/immunotherapy increased response duration, but tumors still relapsed. Researchers also discovered that Tregs contribute to cancer regrowth.
Researchers at Garvan Institute of Medical Research found that a population of 'bad' antibodies, usually silenced due to harm to the body, can be activated to fight disease. The 'redeemed' antibodies become powerful weapons to combat diseases evading the immune system by disguising themselves as normal body tissue.
Researchers at Lund University found that migratory birds have a less variable immune system than sedentary birds, possibly due to the reduced diversity of pathogens in their breeding grounds. This adaptation could provide a survival advantage, as dealing with multiple pathogens is often difficult for birds when they first encounter them.
A promising class of drugs, known as CD40 monoclonal antibodies, could be the spark needed to light the fire in the immune system of patients who don't respond to cancer immunotherapies. These drugs activate antigen-presenting cells to prime tumor-specific T cell responses.
Gonorrhoea superbugs have developed resistance to all known antibiotics, targeting human immune cells called macrophages. Monash researchers discovered the mechanism of evasion, which could lead to new strategies for combating gonorrhea infection.
A new study discovered an antibody that can prevent tumors from shedding proteins the immune system uses to identify and attack them. In mouse models of melanoma and lung cancer, this antibody increased natural killer cell infiltration into tumors, reducing their load.
A researcher uses mass cytometry technology to visualize a person's immune system, creating an 'Instagram' of millions of blood cells. This technique predicts cancer treatment responses and identifies potential biomarkers for patients who will respond positively to immunotherapy.
AbeXXa Biologics has partnered with global pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim to develop a novel approach to cancer immunotherapy. The partnership aims to create personalized therapies tailored to each patient's tumor using atypical HLAs, which have less variability than classical HLAs.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have discovered a new way to fight sepsis by boosting the immune system with a drug that increases key immune cells. The approach has shown significant and lasting improvements in patients, offering hope for improved survival rates.
Researchers discovered a crucial link between virus sensing and gene expression in plant immune systems. The Rx1-Glk1 connection enables plants to regulate their antiviral responses without overdoing it.
A study in house finches reveals that immune systems can inadvertently help bacteria become stronger over time, leading to a catch-22 situation. Researchers found that birds with stronger immunity to more virulent strains were more likely to exclude low-virulence strains from future infections.
Researchers found that viruses use epigenetic regulation to mute the immune system, causing cancer cells to proliferate. By demethylating specific gene promoter regions, it may be possible to revive an immune system muted by cancer-causing viruses and increase the effectiveness of immune-based therapies.
A smallpox outbreak could have devastating consequences in cities with high rates of immunosuppression. Experts warn that children and young people aged 0-19 years are most at risk, while older adults over 45 may experience severe disease and death.