An experimental drug called DT-109 reversed severe fatty liver disease in animal studies by repairing the gut and preventing harmful toxins from damaging the liver. The discovery could open the door to a new class of treatments for MASH and potentially…
A new study found that dietary fiber can determine whether beneficial intestinal worms help reduce inflammation or become essentially inactive. With plenty of fiber, the worms remained healthy and supported an anti-inflammatory response, while a low-fi…
People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a significantly increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease. They also suffer from chronic inflammation, the causes of which are still only partly understood. Oxalic acid (oxalate) has so far been k…
New research presented at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2026 Annual Meeting explores an approach that could expand the potential of cell replacement therapy for type 1 diabetes by evaluating whether immune-engineered, allogen…
A research team led by Professor Yoosoo Yang (Department of Integrative Biotechnology) of Sungkyunkwan University, in collaboration with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and Incheon National University, has developed a next-generati…
Researchers from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and University College Dublin (UCD) have shown for the first time that a food supplement made from yeast helps the body make stronger immune cells that can fight cancer. The research teams found that adding…
Chronic and viral infections can literally exhaust certain key cells in the immune system from a constant barrage of attacks. But a new pair of papers by scientists at the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) points to a way to…
A new platform developed by researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center quickly finds and isolates rare, tumor-reactive immune cells that are especially good at recognizing and attacking cancer cells, even without knowing which tum…
Researchers at the University of Sheffield have discovered that a fungus deadly to people with weakened immune systems can disable a critical defense used by neutrophils, the body’s front-line, infection-fighting white blood cells.
A King’s College London study, published in Nature Communications, offers insight into how long-term inflammation may contribute to cognitive decline in disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, aging, depression and the lingering neurological effects of …
Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered that gut bacteria help regulate the development of the body’s immune system by directing the movement of vitamin A through a previously unrecognized cellular network. The preclinical findings…
Scientists have discovered that creatine may strengthen one of the immune system’s most important cancer-fighting pathways by energizing dendritic cells that activate killer T cells. The promising results could eventually help make immunotherapy more e…
Widely recognized as the face of food poisoning, salmonella bacteria lurk in raw meat and poultry, on pets, and in unpasteurized dairy products. If untreated, extreme cases can lead to full-body infections, like typhoid fever. UIC researcher Kiwook Kim…
A protein produced by gut immune cells orchestrates both immune protection against pathogens and immune tolerance of gut bacteria, according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The discovery illuminates the complex biology of the gu…
A new “tumor-on-a-chip” model is giving scientists a live look at how pancreatic cancer can recruit the body’s own immune cells to help tumors survive. Researchers say the findings, published in Biofabrication, reveal possible new targets to weaken the…
A molecule linked to chronic inflammation disrupts the brain’s ability to create new neurons, uncovering a pathway with therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative diseases and neurological conditions. The King’s College London study, published in Natu…
In people with severely compromised immune systems, JC polyomavirus can trigger an untreatable, often fatal brain disease. An international research team has identified how virus mutations can strategically interfere with how human antibodies recognize…
A new HIV vaccine developed by La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), Scripps Research scientists and IAVI has the potential to protect humans from developing HIV infection and AIDS. This HIV vaccine is the first to generate a high number of “broadly…
Chinese researchers have revealed the key role of iron in initiating allergic airway inflammation. The study, which was published in Cell, was conducted by a team led by Prof. Sun Bing from the Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science (Shanghai …
Researchers from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago identified a distinct subtype of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE)—a chronic allergic inflammatory disorder in which the esophagus narrows, interfering with food passing properly. They …
A novel vaccination strategy against certain malignant brain tumors could fundamentally improve treatment for patients. Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Mannheim University Medical Center, Heidelberg University Hospital and nu…
An interdisciplinary team at Jena University Hospital achieved a surprisingly rapid and significant improvement in two patients with an autoimmune peripheral nervous system disorder. The team administered teclistamab, a drug originally developed for mu…
Stress, bad weather, strep throat, alcohol or cuts—there are a number of triggers that can set off psoriasis. At the same time, a great deal is happening in research on this skin disease, and new ways of controlling the immune system are being discover…
Genetically engineered CAR T cells expressing artificial receptor proteins are increasingly used in the clinic to boost the immune system’s response against leukemias and other cancers. In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM)…
An Australian study by researchers at Peter Mac has shown that the natural protection against breast cancer offered by childbearing is due to the influx of killer T cells to the breast. The research shows that the cells begin to populate the breast dur…
A new intranasal DNA vaccine may give the immune system an extra weapon against tuberculosis by targeting bacteria that can hide from antibiotics. In animal studies, it helped clear infections faster, reduced lung inflammation, and prevented relapse af…
Unlike accidental cell death, some cells can actively decide to die through a controlled process. This is called programmed cell death and can occur in different forms, including apoptosis and necroptosis. Cells use this process when they are damaged, …
In the event of a severe heart attack, immature immune cells are released into the bloodstream from the bone marrow. A research team led by the University of Münster has demonstrated that the maturity level of neutrophils can be used to determine the s…
Children who have been in contact with dogs in early childhood are, on average, healthier and require fewer courses of antibiotics than children without such contact. The protective association is explained, at least in part, by the spread of dog-assoc…
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have uncovered how serotonin-related metabolism helps regulate an understudied immune cell involved in allergic inflammation. The study, published in the journal Allergy, adds to knowledge about how allergic immune …
Researchers at Tel Aviv University’s Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences have uncovered how a natural and essential immune system process can be hijacked to promote cancer progression. In a new study, the research team developed an advanced tec…
Infant feeding with whole goat milk formula (WGF) can reduce the incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD), especially in those with a parental history of AD, according to a study published in Clinical Nutrition.
Scientists have identified targets on the malaria-causing parasite that could be key to developing a universal vaccine against one of humankind’s oldest and deadliest diseases. Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University and collaborators acros…
T cells are an elite fighting force of the immune system, seeking out and destroying diseased cells. But in a prolonged campaign against a chronic condition—like a viral infection or cancer—the body needs a steady supply of these killer troops. Where a…
COVID-19 vaccine boosters not only protect against SARS-CoV-2—the virus behind the most recent pandemic—but may also help protect against some future coronaviruses that risk spreading from animals to humans, Cambridge researchers have shown.
Maternal cesarean section (CS) and maternal history of allergic diseases (MHAD) are independent and synergistic risk factors for allergic rhinitis (AR) in offspring, according to a study published online June 20 in the International Journal of Pediatri…
Summertime can bring a host of triggers for those with allergies and asthma. People often focus on spring and fall allergies, but summer allergies can take a toll on those affected. By learning more about seasonal allergies, you can better recognize th…
Lyme disease can be easiest to treat in its earliest stages, but current tests often miss infections during that critical window and cannot tell whether bacteria are still present or were cleared years ago. New research led by Tufts University School o…
Griffith University researchers have identified a key immune cell dysfunction in people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), offering new clues about the condition.
Genetically predicted lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) seems to increase susceptibility to allergic rhinitis (AR), according to a study published online May 29 in Tobacco Induced Diseases.
For a vaccine to be effective, it must do two things. First, it must trigger an immune response. Second, the vaccine must train the body to remember the response so it can fight that same disease in the future. Now, new research shows that the only vac…
Scientists at the University of Oklahoma have identified a previously unrecognized immune system pathway that helps explain how cigarette smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The findings, published in Circulation Research, show that c…
More children are getting diseases such as celiac disease, type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than before, research shows. IBD is a term for conditions like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. These are all autoimmune diseases, wh…
Flu season is no longer just flu season. Since 2022, the health care community has faced what’s known as a “tripledemic” of seasonal influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). That may mean the flu shot needs to become more than a flu s…
Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have uncovered a critical link between the immune system in early life and its function in adulthood. The study, published in Science Immunology, identifies a new role for specialized skin immune cells,…
The technology that gave the world mRNA COVID vaccines is being tested in a variety of new ways, and emerging research reveals that a crucial T-cell population can be reprogrammed in animal models by reimagining the science that was introduced to the p…
Researchers at National Jewish Health have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that helps drive inflammation in allergic asthma, offering new insight into how the disease develops and potentially revealing new targets for future therapies.
Scientists at UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio, have found a link between a bacterium in the gut microbiome (ecosystem) and lupus that could lead to more effective treatment of the disease, des…
A new study has uncovered a key mechanism that helps one of the deadliest brain cancers evade the immune system, according to the study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
For the immune system to effectively combat pathogens, antibody responses must be precisely controlled. So-called follicular regulatory T cells (Tfr cells) play a key role in this process by limiting excessive immune responses and helping to maintain i…
Chronic psychological stress can help tumors evade immune attack through a chain of molecular events involving gut bacteria and viruses within those bacteria, according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The findings unveil a new l…
Leading CAR T cell therapy researchers have developed a human-in-the-loop artificial intelligence (AI) framework that centers scientists’ expertise to find viable target antigens for CAR T cell therapy. The work was led by experts from the Perelman Sch…
Researchers at Mayo Clinic have uncovered a previously hidden step in how the immune system prepares to fight cancer, a discovery that could help scientists develop more effective and longer-lasting cancer immunotherapies.
“Peacemaker” immune cells could help treat diseases ranging from type 1 diabetes to neurodegeneration by restoring immune tolerance, according to a new paper in Frontiers in Science.
New research, published in The Journal of Immunology, identifies biomarkers of a distinct immune profile that could be used to identify patients at risk for chronic critical illness (CCI) on admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) after traumatic in…
The immune system depends on molecular alarms that detect danger inside cells. One of these alarms is STING, short for “stimulator of interferon genes.” STING helps cells respond to infections, damaged DNA and cancer. When it activates at the right tim…
In autoimmune disorders, immune cells targeting “self” proteins are mistakenly activated, resulting in abnormal expansion and responsiveness. These disorders are known to reduce patients’ quality of life over a prolonged period. This can be attributed …
As the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis worldwide, norovirus is an all too familiar ailment. Its telltale digestive upset—not to mention its reputation for being notoriously contagious—has earned it the nicknames “winter vomiting bug” and “stomac…
As the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis worldwide, norovirus is an all too familiar ailment. Its telltale digestive upset—not to mention its reputation for being notoriously contagious—has earned it the nicknames “winter vomiting bug” and “stomac…
Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have identified a specialized population of immune cells that plays a central role in driving abnormal tissue growth in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), offering new insight into disease progression and poten…
Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have identified a specialized population of immune cells that plays a central role in driving abnormal tissue growth in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), offering new insight into disease progression and poten…
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common form of lupus, is an autoimmune disorder that occurs more frequently in women. Having multiple X chromosomes has been associated with an increased risk of developing lupus; however, the reason for thi…
A pilot study from Karolinska Institutet shows that immunotherapy may enable the stimulation of egg maturation in women with autoimmune POI (premature ovarian insufficiency)—a condition that usually leads to infertility. Three out of 10 women gave birt…
A parasitic worm might be the impetus behind a new generation of medicine. In a recent review in published in Clinical & Translational Immunology, Neima Briggs, MD, Ph.D., instructor of medicine (infectious diseases) at Yale School of Medicine, found t…
A quarter of the global population is estimated to have been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, yet only 5%–10% of those infected go on to develop active tuberculosis (TB). “The big question has always been what distinguishes people who control …
For many people with asthma, air-quality advisories are harbingers of worsening symptoms. But for reasons science has struggled to explain, the extent to which pollution exacerbates asthma varies widely from person to person.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Despite advances in glycemic control and the development of new immunotherapies, there is still a need to identify complementa…
Two new studies jointly published in Nature Communications reveal that certain species of fungi in the gut play a key role in the development of immune dysregulation and some pediatric allergic diseases—and may be promising targets for new therapies.
Scientists from the University of Bath (UK) have shed new light on how Crohn’s disease develops and why it affects people differently after finding new evidence of a link between a key immune system gene in the gut and signaling of the hormone estrogen.
Scientists discovered that kombucha’s flavor, chemistry, and antioxidant activity vary dramatically depending on the tea used to make it. Green and oolong tea kombuchas emerged as the most biologically active, while fermentation transformed each tea in…
Strange “chimeric” RNA once thought to be the product of cancer is actually an important controller of women’s health, including influencing their susceptibility to infectious disease and autoimmune disorders, new University of Virginia School of Medic…
Researchers at NDORMS have found that a naturally occurring compound called spermidine may help improve vaccine responses in some older adults by reducing signs of immune system aging.
Researchers at Marshall University have identified a potential immune mechanism contributing to metabolic dysfunction and insulin resistance associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), offering new insight into how chronic sleep-related oxygen depri…
The benefits of dietary fiber extend beyond digestive health, as dietary fiber-derived metabolites produced by gut microbiota can influence immune function. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are secondary metabolites produced by the gut microbiota throug…
Diets rich in sugars and fats are associated with metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, chronic inflammation and diabetes. During development, these imbalances can have a particularly significant impact, as the body must coordinate growth, ma…
For some people, cancer immunotherapies are life-changing. These treatments can turn the body’s own immune system against a tumor, either eliminating it or shrinking it enough to make surgery possible. But these therapies don’t work for everyone, can g…
Asthma is conventionally viewed as “treatable but incurable.” In other words, we can manage its symptoms but not reverse the underlying condition. But advances in science are challenging this view, and we think a cure may be within reach.
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare autoimmune condition in which the body’s own defenses turn against the optic nerves and spinal cord. This confusion leads to inflammation that can rob people of their vision, disrupt something as…
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause severe lower respiratory tract infections, particularly in newborns and older adults. How the virus manages to evade the immune system and what changes it triggers in infected cells have not been fully unders…
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions have discovered how immune cells called neutrophils can help triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells metastasize to other organs. The study, published in Cancer Research, found…
Fibromyalgia is a complex disorder characterized primarily by chronic widespread pain, fatigue and other physical and cognitive symptoms. Although it affects millions of people worldwide, the underlying biological mechanisms are not yet fully understoo…
In a paper published in Cell, a USC Stem Cell-led team reports a new way of generating a renewable and expandable supply of the progenitor cells that give rise to macrophages. These immune cells help drive the body’s response against pathogens, and the…
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center led a study to develop a computational method that reveals how immune cells navigate the complex environment inside tumors, offering insights that could inform future cancer therapies. T cells are key playe…
Immunotherapies are a promising approach in the fight against cancer. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a lab-on-a-chip system called CellTrap. It makes it possible to observe the interactions between immune cells a…
Trans-vaccenic acid (TVA), the most abundant trans fatty acid found in human breast milk, helps boost immune system development and has long-lasting effects on immune system health in mice, according to a new study by researchers from the University of…
Researchers from Trinity have discovered how two deadly coronaviruses (SARS1 and MERS) outsmart one of our most important antiviral defenses by shutting down parts of the immune system. The findings help explain why certain therapies (using interferon)…
GLP-1 receptor agonists are currently among the most widely discussed classes of drugs worldwide. They have gained popularity for their effectiveness in treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, but increasing evidence suggests their effects may be much br…
Researchers from National Taiwan University (NTU) and National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) have identified a promising way to reinvigorate the body’s cancer-fighting immune cells by rewiring their metabolism, revealing a potential new strategy fo…
Scientists have discovered a new protective communication circuit between specialized immune cells in the intestines, a circuit that may be therapeutically targeted to improve inflammatory bowel disease outcomes, according to a recent study published i…
In a new study published in Science Immunology, researchers at King’s College London looked at a type of tissue important for the immune response called gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), which is located within the lining of the gut. Unlike other …
For decades, influenza vaccines have been judged largely by the antibodies they generate in the bloodstream, a measure that has remained the gold standard since the first flu immunizations were administered in the 1940s.
About 25 million people in the U.S.—roughly eight out of 100—are diagnosed with asthma. Allergens, air pollution, extreme weather conditions and other irritants can cause chronic lung inflammation, leading to coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath.
An international team of researchers report in the journal Nature Immunology that a mutation in the gene OTULIN causes pediatric-onset pyoderma gangrenosum, characterized by recurrent ulcerating skin sores. They classify the condition as a new inborn e…
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have identified a target that may improve the response to CAR T-cell therapy, a treatment for patients with recurrent or difficult-to-treat blood cancers.
A detailed cellular study of Crohn’s disease has mapped how gene activity changes across more than 50 cell types in the gut. The study provides an open resource of the genes that characterize each cell type and those whose activity shifts in disease, u…
Dual-target CAR T-cell therapy for recurrent glioblastoma (GBM), delivered directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), triggers a broad immune response, with natural killer (NK) cell activation linked to better patient outcomes and longer overall surv…
Certain white blood cells in the immune system, known as neutrophils, can make cancer immunotherapy less effective, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Immunity. The results show that a signaling molecule in the…
Researchers from Amsterdam UMC, in collaboration with other hospitals, have successfully completed the first Phase III study of an in vivo CRISPR therapy. In this large-scale, double-blind trial, 80 patients with hereditary angioedema were randomized t…
