An assay that uses leukemia stem cells (LSCs) to assess measurable residual disease (MRD) outperforms traditional methods in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a study published online Aug. 23 in Bone Marrow Transplantation.
An international team led by researchers at Lund University in Sweden has identified the molecular tools needed to reprogram ordinary cells into specialized immune cells. The discovery, published in Immunity, could pave the way for more precise and per…
Antibiotics are the old medicine cabinet standby for treating infections caused by multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, but as antimicrobial resistance continues to mount globally, scientists say there’s a need for new strategies.
The gut contains the largest collection of immune cells in the body. New research at the Buck Institute shows that some of those immune cells travel along the brain/gut axis in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), providing a potential new therap…
UCLA researchers have developed a new kind of immunotherapy that uses specially engineered immune cells equipped with built-in weapons to attack kidney cancer tumors and reprogram their protective environment—all without the need to customize treatment…
Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in men. Most patients who are diagnosed during earlier stages usually respond well to treatment. In some, however, the disease progresses to an aggressive, lethal form.
A multi-institutional clinical trial conducted at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and 21 other U.S. sites found that a single administration of autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cell therapy helped stabilize metastatic head …
A research team led by the Department of Medicine and the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, under the School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has uncovered a serious risk of joint infectio…
People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, let alone getting to the rheumatologist for a checkup or participating in a research study. This makes a deeper understanding of the mysterious autoimmune disea…
A new study has uncovered a key difference between the immune system of males and females—and it comes down to a single gene. The study is published in The Journal of Immunology.
A new study by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine brings hope for a more personalized approach to treating estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, the most common type of this cancer. The team identified a biomarker in preclinical ER+ br…
Only a few decades ago, a diagnosis of lupus could mean giving up the dream of having children. Women with systemic autoimmune diseases like lupus were warned that pregnancy was too risky—both for them and their unborn babies. Fast forward to today, an…
By stimulating macrophages—a type of white blood cell—with biological factors that mimic infection, researchers have uncovered genetic drivers of complex diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in one of the largest studies of its kind.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center reports that maternal immunoglobulin G (IgG), ingested in the first week of life, restrained microbiota-dependent adaptive immune responses weeks later, after weaning in mice. Investigators identified a critical early-life…
Researchers at Kyoto University have discovered that “immune hubs” in the kidney create a unique metabolic environment that could be targeted for new treatments. These clusters of immune cells, called tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs), show high leve…
A team from the Microbiology Department at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has discovered three powerful monoclonal antibodies from a person who had previously been infected with mpox (formerly known as monkeypox).
Belgian scientists have uncovered new details about how the immune system responds to vaccines. Dendritic cells, which are key immune messengers that help kick-start the body’s defenses, show specific responses to lipid nanoparticles. These findings, p…
Blood contains two types of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell: mature neutrophils and immature neutrophils. Under normal conditions, most neutrophils are mature and play a role in host defense by inducing inflammation in response to pathogens.
A team of researchers led by Professor Yoko Hamazaki and Assistant Professor Yann Pretemer (Department of Life Science Frontiers) has developed an in vitro model that faithfully recapitulates human thymic epithelial cell (TEC) development using iPS cel…
Researchers have successfully produced antibodies that kill the parasite carried by the “kissing bug” that causes the potentially deadly Chagas disease. The research is a vital step toward the development of the first effective vaccine.
A new study led by researchers at National Jewish Health has found that recent infection with the common cold—often caused by rhinoviruses—may offer temporary protection against infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The research pr…
After a person survives a heart attack, the heart has a brief window of time in which it can heal if the right circumstances exist. But most of the time, scar tissue forms in the areas that lacked oxygen during the heart attack. This scar tissue impair…
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex and potentially life-threatening autoimmune disease. Part of the complexity stems from how it can differ from person to person—giving rise to marked heterogeneity in not only manifestations, but also in d…
An evolving form of therapy to treat devastating neurodegenerative disorders by injecting fresh immune cells—microglia—directly into the brain, promises a new lease on health by slowing the progression of mind-robbing conditions.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have developed a “universal” chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) platform that offers enhanced safety, adaptability, and the potential to overcome long-standing barriers in cancer immunotherapy. Promising initial te…
Around 25% of hay fever sufferers in the UK are allergic to birch tree pollen. This means that for a good chunk of the population, the arrival of spring and summer means sneezing, itchy eyes, blocked sinuses and days spent indoors avoiding pollen. But …
A new study led by a team of researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center reveals that lymphoma can accelerate the biological aging of the immune system and other tissues, providing new insight into how cancer reshapes the body beyond tumor growth.
Antiretroviral treatments for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) have been extremely successful in extending life expectancy and reducing transmission. But one major challenge has so far prevented researchers from developing a cure: HIV likes to hide.
The global incidence of autoimmune diseases among children has increased over the past few decades. A study published in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Ju-Young Shin at Sungkyunkwan University, Republic of Korea, and colleagues suggests that …
A team of researchers from The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has successfully treated a rare and aggressive T-cell lymphoma that developed after CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma, marking a first in the fie…
Natural killer (NK) cells became markedly better at killing cancer cells after scientists removed key gene targets identified through a new genome-wide CRISPR screening tool, according to new research from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Cen…
Immune checkpoint blockade medications have revolutionized cancer treatment, giving patients and providers new hope to control and sometimes cure metastatic cancer. However, predicting which patients will benefit from this expensive and sometimes toxic…
Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), a rare and aggressive type of lung cancer, has a high chance of metastasis, no standard treatment and a poor survival rate. A study published in Nature Communications provides a new understanding of the dise…
By revealing the molecular mechanisms behind the peacekeeping abilities of specialized immune cells, scientists are uncovering new pathways for treating autoimmune conditions and detecting diseases like cancer.
Cancer cells can break down the protective covers around nerves, causing nerve injury that triggers chronic inflammation, leading to immune exhaustion and eventual resistance to immunotherapy, according to new research from the University of Texas MD A…
A research team involved in the recently published successful transplantation of allogeneic iPS cell-derived dopaminergic neural progenitors into patients with Parkinson’s disease, led by former Junior Associate Professor Asuka Morizane and Professor J…
All cells in the body contain the same DNA, but different cell types express different genes; skin cells express genes for the skin, liver cells express liver genes, and so on. This coordination is crucial to help cells differentiate into their assigne…
A group of nerve cells known for their role in detecting chemical irritation, tissue damage, heat, and pressure now emerge as critical defenders against the worst ravages of the flu caused by an overactive immune response, according to new research by …
A new study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham reveals that an antibody originally designed to fight dengue virus may also block the spread of Zika virus in vulnerable areas of the body—including the reproductive organs.
The most common cancer-causing strain of human papillomavirus (HPV), HPV16, undermines the body’s defenses by reprogramming immune cells surrounding the tumor, according to new research from the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
In a scientific first, researchers have decoded a naturally acquired antibody directly from the blood of a child exposed to malaria. Using advanced mass spectrometry, the team identified an antibody that blocks a critical interaction between the parasi…
A new study from Moffitt Cancer Center may offer a breakthrough for patients with advanced melanoma who don’t respond to current immunotherapy treatments. The research, published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, found that adding a third imm…
Lymph nodes are a key part of the human immune system, whose primary function is to combat infections. The effectiveness of vaccines is based on their ability to trigger events in lymph nodes that lead to the development of an immune response that prot…
A team of scientists at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research has discovered that inactivation of a stress pathway makes ER+ breast cancer cells ignore stress signals, allowing them to evade treatment.
One of the biggest challenges in cancer treatment is that certain cancers reappear after chemotherapy—and an aggressive type of blood cancer called acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is notorious for this. Now, new research from The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) …
A new study, led by researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), identified tiny pieces of messenger RNA that are missing in pediatric high-grade glioma tumors but not in normal brain tissues. Preclinical research indicates that these mis…
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that affects millions worldwide and can have a devastating impact on patients’ lives. Yet, about one in three patients respond poorly to existing treatments.
A Medical University of South Carolina team reports in Frontiers in Immunology that it has engineered a new type of genetically modified immune cell that can precisely target and neutralize antibody-producing cells complicit in organ rejection.
Laboratory mice are often considered the scientific equivalent of identical twins—genetically identical and expected to look and behave the same. But new research from the Faculty of Science, Charles University, shows that this assumption doesn’t alway…
Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered how a subset of immune cells are essential for successful organ transplantation acceptance and that therapeutically targeting them may improve long-term survival post-transplant, according to a recent st…
Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the University of Michigan have developed a monoclonal antibody to stop sepsis, a deadly full-body infection. The antibody also has the potential to treat a broad array of other inflammato…
A research team co-led by UCLA investigators has found that pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug that helps the immune system attack cancer cells, can effectively shrink or eliminate tumors in patients with unresectable advanced desmoplastic melanoma, …
While fasting has become a popular trend, particularly for people who hope to lose weight, new UBC Okanagan research suggests fasting does not have the same effect on all body types.
The immune system is meant to protect the body from infection and disease. But with age, it can become less capable of doing so. However, Mayo Clinic researchers have found that some older people maintain “immune youth”—a new term coined by Mayo resear…
NRG Oncology recently reported the results of the phase II/III NRG-BN007 clinical trial showing that combining ipilimumab and nivolumab with radiation therapy (RT) did not improve progression-free survival (PFS) for patients with newly diagnosed MGMT-u…
For a few dozen people in the world, the downside of living with a rare immune condition comes with a surprising superpower—the ability to fight off all viruses.
A computational approach by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists promises to make designing T-cell-based immunotherapies that target two cancer-related antigens at the same time far easier and faster.
A team of researchers at the University of Missouri is on a mission to better understand which immune cells in pigs are most responsive to an influenza infection.
Skin cancer is typically caused by damage to the skin’s cells from ultraviolet radiation. But a recent case study has just shed light on another potential cause: human papillomavirus.
A new drug-releasing system, TAR-200, eliminated tumors in 82% of patients in a phase 2 clinical trial for individuals with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer whose cancer had previously resisted treatment.
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death among women with gynecological cancers. The current medical playbook—surgery followed by chemotherapy—initially shows promise. Tumors shrink, sometimes disappearing entirely. But in more than 80% of patients…
In a discovery that could expand the array of current cancer immunotherapy treatments, scientists at Harvard Medical School have identified a new molecular brake that hinders the ability of T cells to attack tumors.
Adding a MET gene inhibitor enhances the effect of combined chemotherapy and immunotherapy in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to a multicenter study led by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, in collaboration with researchers from the CIB…
Gene therapies hold immense promise for treating sight loss. These therapies use a modified, harmless virus to deliver therapeutic genes directly to diseased cells, helping them to function normally again.
Among the many forms of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common and one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. It is a complex disease with multiple aggressive subtypes that are difficult to treat.
A cancer drug could enhance how patients respond to chemotherapy even in treatment-resistant tumors. The drug works by disarming a key defense mechanism that tumors use to protect themselves from treatment. In preclinical models, it has already shown p…
Yale University School of Medicine reports that cysteinyl leukotrienes released by intestinal mast cells are essential for anaphylaxis after food ingestion in mice, while responses to intravenous allergen challenge proceed without that requirement.
Treatment with interferon or with glatiramer acetate? This question arises for many patients who receive a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) for the first time. Until now, the choice between the two could practically be made at random: both preparat…
A study led by Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center helps explain why a rare and hyper-aggressive subtype of kidney cancer is susceptible to immunotherapy—information that helped researchers create a first-of-its-kind tool to guide treatment decisi…
Many diseases affect men and women differently. Asthma tends to strike men earlier in life, yet more women develop asthma as they get older. Parkinson’s is more common in men, but Alzheimer’s is more common in women.
Most vaccines are designed to provide immunity against just one pathogen. Vaccines for chicken pox (caused by varicella-zoster virus) were only developed to fight that one disease, for example.
Early withdrawal of a treatment for patients with a rare kidney disease is possible without relapse, safer for patients and saves the NHS millions of pounds, new research has revealed.
Many major cancers, including those of the lung, breast and prostate gland, spread to the bones as they progress. These bone metastases are often debilitating, even deadly. They are also notoriously resistant to all kinds of treatment, including immuno…
An interdisciplinary team of scientists has developed a technology to decode immune cell communication. By measuring interactions between cells, the method offers insights into how the human body fights viral infections, how malfunctions can lead to au…
T-cell redirection therapy using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and/or bispecific antibody (BsAb) has been established and become a promising treatment strategy for relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphomas. To further improve their therapeutic eff…
Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases, genetic disorders affecting the brain, have no effective treatment and are typically fatal within the first years of life.
A study published in Cell Reports Medicine reports a scalable, data-driven computational framework for designing combinatorial immunotherapies, offering hope for patients with poor responses to current immunotherapies.
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 …
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…
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…
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 …
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…
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…
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 …
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.
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.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Apellis Pharmaceuticals’ Empaveli (pegcetacoplan) as the first treatment for C3 glomerulopathy (C3G) or primary immune complex membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (IC-MPGN).
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of the joints (the synovium), causing pain, swelling, and progressive damage. Approximately 18 million people worldwide live with RA. Ear…
A paper published in Cell highlights how researchers have leveraged AI-based computational protein design to create a novel synthetic ligand that activates the Notch signaling pathway, a key driver in T-cell development and function.
A new radioimmunotherapy approach has been shown to successfully eliminate cancer stem cells (CSCs) in preclinical models of ovarian cancer, outperforming the current gold standard. This research, published in the July issue of The Journal of Nuclear M…
About one quarter of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) may be treated and derive a benefit with the current standard chemotherapy. To better understand why some tumors resist chemotherapy and identify better ways to treat those cancer…
In a first-of-its-kind clinical trial, UCLA scientists have shown it’s possible to reprogram a patient’s blood-forming stem cells to generate a continuous supply of functional T cells, the immune system’s most powerful cancer-killing agents. This appro…
Mayo Clinic has treated the first person in the U.S. using a novel radioactive medicine for advanced breast cancer as part of an international multisite clinical trial.
