A new study published in The Journal of Immunology by researchers at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC) has uncovered a crucial biological “off switch” in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common and one of the most agg…
While modern life includes many conveniences, humans are still incessantly exposed to a variety of metabolic stresses we have never experienced before. Our immune systems are constantly trying to protect us, and CD8⁺ T cells in particular—also known as…
Cannabis is no longer viewed solely as a recreational substance; it is increasingly recognized for its therapeutic potential. In many parts of the world, laws have evolved to include the use of cannabis for medical purposes. The medical community hasn’…
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is the cause of AIDS, is a master of deception, using just nine genes to hijack the complex cellular machinery of the human body. Yet, even after decades of research on how the virus replicates and persists…
Deep in the lungs, resident memory B cells stand guard against influenza reinfection—but whether they remain there may depend on how strongly they are signaled through their own receptors. New research using an animal model of influenza infection provi…
The advent of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 changed the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the Nobel Prize–winning technology is being adapted to fight cancer, with mRNA vaccines in clinical trials for melanoma, small-cell lung cancer and…
Restricting calorie intake in species such as mice, rhesus monkeys, and fruit flies has been shown to extend their lifespans. In some cases, these animals not only live longer, but are also free of disease. But when pushed too far, calorie restriction …
Cancer risk increases with age and is often more aggressive and difficult to treat in older adults. However, fewer than 10% of mouse studies use aged animals, with most relying on mice roughly equivalent to humans in their early 20s. This discrepancy i…
UPMC and University of Pittsburgh clinician-scientists have weaned and kept multiple liver transplantation patients off of all immunosuppressant drugs for more than three years through a first-in-human clinical trial of a unique “immune priming” therapy.
The immune system acts as a critical sentinel of organismal aging, integrating the sensing of physiological states with the execution of defense and clearance functions. Immunosenescence not only reflects systemic functional decline but also serves as …
An innovative gene-editing strategy could establish a new way for the body to manufacture therapeutic proteins—including certain kinds of highly potent antibodies that are naturally difficult to produce—by reprogramming the immune system itself.
UCLA researchers have identified a rogue population of immune cells that quietly accumulates in aging tissues and in the livers of people with fatty liver disease. Clearing these cells, they found, dramatically reduced inflammation and reversed liver d…
The human immune system is finely tuned to detect and destroy viral threats. But this same defense system can misfire. When fragments of the body’s own damaged DNA are mistaken for viral invaders, the result is a powerful, misplaced inflammatory respon…
Researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) show that active mitochondria maintain dendritic cells, the immune system’s sentinels, in a “ready-to-respond” state, linking cellular metabolism to gene regulatio…
The immune system’s B cells create antibodies that can mount a response against just about anything—either destroying a pathogen or instructing the rest of the immune system to go after the offender. But what happens when these antibodies malfunction?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Class I recall for Nuts.com’s Espresso Malted Milk Balls after finding the product contains undeclared wheat and soy, two major allergens.
The average human has about 1.8 trillion immune cells. These cells patrol the body for bacteria, viruses, cancers, and other threats. Vaccines enhance this security system by teaching our immune cells to target specific pathogens. According to the Worl…
People who have elevated levels of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSAs)—immune system proteins that can target and attack donor stem cells—wait an average of three additional months to receive blood or bone marrow transplants from a healthy donor,…
New research suggests that autoimmune diseases may be driven by DNA mutations in immune cells that remove the natural brakes on the immune system. It reveals a previously hidden role for somatic mutations—DNA changes acquired throughout life—in disease…
We’re keeping an eye on new influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viral variants. Here’s what we know about those viruses—and your immune system’s ability to fight back.
Vaccines play a critical role in preventing infectious diseases, but their success often depends on adjuvants—substances that enhance immune responses. While these compounds improve vaccine effectiveness, they can also trigger reactogenicity, such as l…
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition estimated to affect approximately 1 in 100 children worldwide. This condition is characterized by differences in how people communicate and interact with others, as well as restricted int…
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks its own insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Some individuals with type 1 diabetes experience cognitive differences, sometimes described as “brain fog,” as well as memory lapses, …
New findings reveal that obesity significantly impaired the quality and longevity of antibody responses to a Pseudomonas aeruginosa vaccine in a mouse model. The impaired antibody production was due to defects in germinal centers, a transient part of t…
Scientists investigating the naturally occurring immunopeptide PEPITEM have shown reductions in arthritic joint swelling to a degree comparable to the current standard of care, and reduce the inflammatory changes that cause joint damage.
A new study from the University of Gothenburg may help guide the development of better influenza vaccines. Memory cells in the nose slow the influenza virus as soon as it enters the body. They reduce viral levels and may help protect against more sever…
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of human-made chemicals found in everything from food packaging to firefighting foam. Often called “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment, they can affect our health and…
A research team has discovered a previously unknown mechanism by which the immune system fights bacterial infections. The scientists found that a specific protein, the chloride channel PACC1, is crucial for immune cells to effectively kill bacteria. If…
More than 35,000 men in the United States die from prostate cancer each year. Now, a new study reveals the immune cell weaponry we might use to save lives.
Allergy affects more than one billion people worldwide—and the number is rising. For many, it means mild symptoms such as itching and a runny nose. For others, it can develop into life-threatening reactions. Now, two new studies bring researchers an im…
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have uncovered a key reason why immunotherapy has largely failed in pancreatic cancer—and identified a promising strategy to overcome that resistance. The study, published in the journal Immunity, shows…
Increasing maternal prepregnancy body mass index (ppBMI) and increasing birth length are associated with offspring atopic dermatitis by age 3 years, according to a study published online March 23 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global.
Since 2017, a personalized immunotherapy called Chimeric Antigen Receptor, or CAR-T cell treatment, has worked wonders to treat patients with blood cancers such as leukemia. But when it comes to treating solid tumor cancers, such as lung, breast and ki…
Statistics show clear differences in the population’s immune system according to sex: men are more susceptible to infections and cancers, while women have stronger immune responses, which translate, for example, into better responses to vaccines. Even …
A common eye-health nutrient, zeaxanthin, may also help the body fight cancer more effectively. Scientists discovered it strengthens T cells and enhances the impact of immunotherapy treatments. Found in everyday vegetables and supplements, it’s safe, a…
The immune system is designed to protect us against viruses and bacteria. In autoimmune diseases, however, the immune system instead attacks the body’s own cells. Conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) and rheumatoid arthritis are well…
Sauna bathing releases white blood cells into the bloodstream, a new study from Finland shows. Circulating white blood cells play a key role in the body’s defense against various pathogens and diseases. The results were published in the journal Tempera…
Chronic inflammation often works quietly in the background but can fuel serious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. New research reveals that everyday plant compounds—like menthol from mint, cineole from eucalyptus, and capsaicin from ch…
New research finds that exposure to PFAS may weaken the immune system in adults, raising new concerns about the long-term health effects of these widely used chemicals. The study, titled “Associations of serum PFAS with COVID-19 antibody levels among f…
Antibody therapeutics are laboratory-made proteins designed to work like the body’s natural antibodies. They are widely used to treat diseases such as cancer by binding to specific targets, including cancer cells or inflammatory molecules. However, in …
A new method of making cancer cells more visible to the immune system could improve how well immunotherapy works against a range of different tumors, potentially leading to more effective treatment for patients, according to a new study led by a team o…
The application of CAR immunotherapies to neurodegenerative diseases is limited by major challenges due to the complex nature of these pathologies and the heterogeneity of harmful molecules to be treated. Nonetheless, and despite uncertainties, the ini…
A new single-cell technology is giving scientists their clearest view yet of immune cell behavior—capturing not just genetic intent, but real-time activity. By measuring RNA and proteins simultaneously, it reveals cytokine activity with greater accurac…
Scripps Research scientists have developed a new class of drug compounds that reduce harmful inflammation while leaving the body’s ability to fight infections intact—a long-sought goal in treating autoimmune diseases. The compounds, called ENDOtollins,…
In a preclinical study from Mass General Brigham, researchers have found that even short-term exposure to high levels of dietary fat results in a quick and selective loss of critical gut immune cells called ILC3s, promoting intestinal permeability and …
Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a new method to identify which proteins are most likely to trigger an immune response—a discovery that could help improve transplant care, regenerative medicine and other areas where the immune system plays a crit…
Scientists have discovered how two transcription factors form a reciprocal regulatory circuit that controls T-cell exhaustion and migration during viral infection, which may inform future therapeutic strategies for managing infections and cancer, accor…
When your head is splitting, your nose is running nonstop, your eyes are itching and you’re coughing, coughing, coughing, what’s the best way to fight back? That depends on what’s causing your symptoms, said Dr. Ian Tullberg, an urgent care and family …
A research team led by the Fisabio Foundation has demonstrated that dermcidin, an antimicrobial peptide produced constitutively by the human body, also exhibits antiviral activity against the influenza virus. The study also shows that people who do not…
Scientists at James Cook University have uncovered new insights into how the body contains latent tuberculosis, using a cutting-edge technique that allows researchers to map exactly where immune cells and bacteria interact inside tissues. The research,…
Systemic candidiasis is an opportunistic fungal infection that has been difficult to treat effectively. Research published in a paper in the April edition of Cell Host & Microbe suggests that immune metabolic reprogramming could be a new strategy to fi…
A new clinical trial suggests that what people eat could finally offer real relief for Crohn’s disease, a condition that has long lacked clear dietary guidance. Researchers found that a “fasting-mimicking diet” — involving just five days a month of ver…
A new study from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity shows that seasonal influenza vaccination does more than protect against viruses circulating that year; it can also prime the immune system to respond to future strains, including …
Melbourne researchers have led the world’s largest study confirming most patients labeled allergic to penicillin are not truly allergic. The study, described as a “game changer” by lead author Professor Jason Trubiano, demonstrates for the first time t…
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists have discovered how tumors disable immune “gatekeeper” cells that alert the rest of the immune system to the presence of cancer—and how restoring their energy production can improve immunotherapy. Dendri…
New research led by Gregory Pearson, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the College of Natural Sciences, reveals that the brain’s immune defenses operate on a daily schedule, a finding with potential implication…
Two new studies from the UC Davis MIND Institute examined regulatory T cells (Tregs) and their potential role in neuroinflammation and behavioral changes associated with autism. Tregs act as immune system “brakes,” calming inflammation to prevent overr…
Children with the rare but serious allergic disease FPIES have an atypical gut microbiota compared to healthy children. This is shown in a new study from Umeå University, published in the journal the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Because the immune systems of people with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) don’t function like everyone else’s, it was unclear until now how well COVID-19 vaccinations protected them. In a new study, posted on the medRxiv preprint server, scientists hav…
Allergies are usually associated with the immune system, genetics, and environmental factors. Increasingly, however, another element is appearing in this puzzle: the gut microbiota. A review of studies published in the International Journal of Molecula…
In a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, a research team at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reports developing a therapeutic intranasal (nose-delivered) DNA vaccine against tuberculos…
Signaling is fundamental to how cells sense and respond to their environment—but in immune cells, those signals must be precisely amplified to mount an effective defense against invasive threats. New research by immunologists in Germany is shedding lig…
For patients with allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis, the addition of vidian neurectomy to endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is associated with superior improvements in symptoms and nasal function, according to a study published online Feb. 15 i…
A research team from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has discovered how the immune system’s CD8+ T cells use the nutrient cysteine t…
A collaborative effort among researchers at the Henan Academy of Innovations in Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, and Shenzhen University School of Medicine has provided the first proof-of-principle study demonstrating that targeting a receptor on…
In new research, scientists at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, in collaboration with researchers at Harvard University and Brigham Young University, used the Stanford-SLAC Cryo-EM Center to capture, for the first time, …
Type 1 diabetes researchers have made great progress in understanding the disease in the last two decades, even as a cure remains elusive. Now they have something that benefits any scientific effort. It’s a map.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine have identified a possible way to make longer-lasting vaccines for respiratory viruses like influenza and the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The work, published March 25 in the…
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine have identified a possible way to make longer-lasting vaccines for respiratory viruses like influenza and the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The work, published March 25 in the…
Scientists have uncovered an important new link between the brain and immune system after stroke, which could lead to potential new treatments to improve recovery and reduce long-term disability. In new research published in the international journal F…
In a new study, orthodontics researchers at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine recently discovered how synthetic polymers, including clear aligners, retainers and sleep devices, may affect the immune system. Thikriat Al-Jewair, DDS, L….
Researchers have uncovered how a disease-causing bacterium uses a single protein to interfere with the body’s defenses in more than one way, offering a clearer picture of how infections take hold at the cellular level. The study was led by Dr. Yaakov S…
Atopic dermatitis (AD) during childhood is not associated with increases in markers of cardiovascular risk, according to a study published online March 24 in JAMA Network Open.
Dr. Donald Kohn has been developing gene therapies for rare pediatric immune disorders for over 30 years. This week, his role in a clinical trial has culminated in the first-ever U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved therapy for severe leukocyte a…
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating neurological disorder caused by malfunctioning immune responses that target the brain and spinal cord of the central nervous system (CNS). What makes the body turn against itself? Failure of the immune system t…
A new study reveals that high doses of antioxidants—often seen as harmless or beneficial—may actually impact future generations. Male mice given common supplements like NAC produced offspring with subtle but significant facial and skull changes. Resear…
Scientists at Cincinnati Children’s have identified how certain immune cells are molecularly programmed to respond faster when the body encounters a familiar threat, shedding light on immune memory and its links to diseases such as asthma, multiple scl…
Northwestern Medicine investigators have uncovered a missing link behind the harmful effects of autoantibodies linked to blood clots, pregnancy complications and other inflammatory conditions, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of th…
Vitamin D supplementation may help shape how the immune system responds to gut bacteria in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a Mayo Clinic-led study published in Cell Reports Medicine.
Inherited variations in antibody genes can affect how we respond to infections and vaccines, show two new studies from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Immunity. The researchers have mapped immune gene variation across multiple global pop…
In 2023, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine led by the late Dr. Bert O’Malley discovered that the steroid receptor coactivator 3 (SRC-3) in immune cells called regulatory T cells (Tregs) plays a decisive role in shaping the anti-cancer immune re…
Lymph nodes are key control centers in the immune system and play an important role in defending the body against infections and tumors. For these processes to function properly, immune cells (B cells and T cells) must be organized in a precise spatial…
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified how the quintessential immune protein known as stimulator of interferon genes (STING) migrates from one cellular organelle to another, a necessary step in its activation. The findings, publishe…
Some viruses that make us sick are cleared by the immune system within days, while others lurk in our bodies for a lifetime and reemerge later to cause new problems. How and why viral levels in the body change over time—and the health impacts of these …
Living with a dog does not seem to worsen long-term asthma severity in children with allergic asthma, but may increase the risk of asthma exacerbations slightly, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden that has been published in the J…
Consider two seemingly unrelated medical puzzles. First: Every day, our bodies produce hundreds of billions of new cells, many of which are mutated. If cancer arises from cellular mutation, why don’t we all have the disease all the time? Second: Severe…
As antibiotic resistance continues to rise worldwide, scientists are searching for new strategies to combat infections. This latest research at Trinity Translational Medicine Institute at Trinity College Dublin combats this problem by focusing on stren…
Our immune system protects the body from infections and harmful changes throughout our lives. However, it loses its effectiveness with age, resulting in an increased risk of disease. But what happens when the immune system ages—and can this process pos…
When someone gets a bad infection, the body’s immune system rushes in to fight the germs. But sometimes this defense system becomes too strong and starts hurting the person’s own tissues and organs. This condition, known as sepsis, is still one of the …
In a paradigm-breaking study, researchers have discovered a novel way the immune system, specifically T cells, attack their target cells, reshaping long-held assumptions in immunology and demonstrating direct implications for the field of cancer immuno…
When a virus enters the lungs, the immune system has to react fast. The lung maintains its own community of immune cells capable of mounting a local defense on the spot. Researchers from the University of Basel now describe the role of a specialized gr…
A technique that transforms immune cells into cancer-seeking bloodhounds may overcome a roadblock that has hampered immunotherapy for solid tumors, according to a new study by Stanford Medicine researchers. The approach equips certain types of immune c…
A growing body of evidence suggests that long COVID (or post-COVID syndrome), a condition affecting more than 10% of people after a SARS-CoV-2 infection, may be driven by the immune system turning against the body. Now, new research coordinated by UMC …
Immunotherapy has been one of the most transformative treatments for cancer patients in recent decades, shifting the emphasis from the broad-spectrum approach of chemotherapy to prompting the immune system’s boldest warriors—its T cells—to target only …
Imagine a game of chess where your opponent’s king is in check. It cannot move, but the game is not over—the piece remains on the board. This is how the body might control HIV on its own: The virus would be contained and unable to replicate or spread, …
HIV exhausts the body’s immune system by overactivating it, despite effective antiviral treatment. Researchers from Linköping University in Sweden have conducted cell studies showing that an existing medication restores immune cell function. The findin…
Skin, our largest organ, acts as a protective barrier against pathogens that try to invade our bodies while constantly monitoring for potential threats. In the skin’s outermost layer, the epidermis, reside keratinocytes, cells that detect danger and ac…
Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, infects an estimated 390 million people and causes around 20,000 deaths worldwide each year. New research suggests the skin is a major site of immune surveillance for dengue. The findings could help in the develo…
