Scientists pinpoint new drug target for RSV
Scientists have discovered how the dangerous respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) defuses our immune response and, in doing so, have pinpointed an exciting new target for drug developers.
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
Even mild SARS-CoV-2 infections have a long-term impact on the immune system, finds study
In a study recently published in Allergy, a MedUni Vienna research team shows that COVID-19 leads to considerable long-term changes in the immune system, even in mild cases. The findings could help to better understand the long-term consequences of an …
A seemingly paradoxical strategy: Varicella zoster virus spreads by enhancing an immune defense mechanism
Varicella zoster virus (VZV) can cause chickenpox, as well as shingles and severe complications. When one comes into contact with VZV for the first time, the virus enters the body through the airways, reaching the mucous membranes in the nasopharynx an…
Novel mechanism of ILC2 immune cell development may be involved in exacerbating allergic diseases
Overproduction of Group 2 innate lymphoid cells or ILC2s—a type of white blood cell—can sometimes exacerbate conditions such as bronchial asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis, atopic dermatitis, and organ fibrosis through an exaggerated immune response. Alth…
Hepatitis B: ‘Sleep timer’ for immune cells discovered
In chronic hepatitis B, the liver contains immune cells that could destroy hepatitis B virus infected cells but are inactive. A team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has discovered that cells in blood vessels in the liver start a “sleep ti…
Scientists discover two cellular defects appear to drive disease in lupus
Northwestern Medicine and Brigham and Women’s Hospital scientists have discovered a molecular defect that promotes the pathologic immune response in systemic lupus erythematosus (known as lupus) and show that reversing this defect may potentially rever…
Hepatitis C leaves ‘scars’ in immune cells even after successful treatment
Chronic hepatitis C, caused by the hepatitis C virus, can lead to severe complications such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. The advent of highly effective direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has resulted in high cure rates for this chronic viral infec…
Long COVID uncharacteristic immune cell activity and SARS-CoV-2 RNA found in the gut two years after infection
A large team of medical researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, and CellSight Technologies has found that some patients who develop long COVID show signs of uncharacteristic immune cell activity in many of their organs and some have…
Scientists discover new T cells and genes related to immune disorders
Researchers led by Yasuhiro Murakawa at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) and Kyoto University in Japan and IFOM ETS in Italy have discovered several rare types of helper T cells that are associated with immune disorders such as m…
Study reveals new factor associated with the risk of severe COVID-19 in people with obesity
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of Brazilian researchers showed why SARS-CoV-2 infection tends to be more severe in diabetic patients. Now, the same team based at the Institute of Biology of the State University of Campinas (IB-UNICA…