Glucose helps T cells build cancer-fighting structures, not just provide energy
For cancer- and infection-fighting T cells, glucose offers far more than a simple sugar rush.
Medical Xpress
Boosting enzyme in brain immune cells could help treat Alzheimer’s disease
In a preclinical study, Cedars-Sinai investigators found that boosting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in key immune cells called microglia in the brain helped protect the brains of specially bred laboratory mice against Alzheimer’s disease. Their …
Study recommends starting immunotherapy for anti-igLON5 disease as early as possible
It often starts with restless sleep. Mobility, swallowing, and speaking disorders are also typical. Yet a range of other symptoms make it difficult to diagnose anti-IgLON5 disease. Left untreated, this rare autoimmune disease leads to severe disabiliti…
Preexisting anemia may make malaria worse, research finds
New research from The University of Toledo suggests that individuals with anemia may have a significantly higher risk of developing severe complications if they contract malaria. The findings were published this month in the peer-reviewed journal Infec…
Key protein Gfi1 found to regulate exhausted T cells in cancer and infection
Killer immune cells destroy cancer cells and cells infected by virus. These CD8+ T cells are activated after detection of viral infection or growth of “non-self” tumor cells. However, in chronic viral infection and cancer, the killer cells often lapse …
Bacterial duo eliminates tumors without immune system help in new cancer therapy
A joint research team led by Professor Eijiro Miyako of the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), in collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. and University of Tsukuba, has developed an immune-independent bacterial cancer thera…
Turning down the dial on inflammation to protect against lupus nephritis
At the time when patients with lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), are diagnosed, approximately 15% to 30% will already have the inflammation-caused kidney disease lupus nephritis, which compromises kidney function and can lead to kidney fail…
The contagion scale: Which diseases spread fastest?
When the COVID pandemic hit, many people turned to the eerily prescient film “Contagion” (2011) for answers—or at least for catharsis. Suddenly, its hypothetical plot felt all too real. Applauded for its scientific accuracy, the film offered more than …
Membrane drilling mold protein duo implicated in airway allergies
Scientists at the National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing report that two pore-forming proteins from the common mold Alternaria alternata puncture airway epithelial membranes and initiate signals that drive allergic airway inflammation.
Newly found mechanism can supercharge the immune system against cancers
New research has uncovered a novel mechanism that may help explain why some people with cancer respond remarkably well to immunotherapy while others don’t.