An international research team has succeeded in elucidating key immunological and biochemical mechanisms underlying granulomatous skin diseases. The findings, recently published in Science Advances, identify new therapeutic targets for these chronic in…
Stanford Medicine researchers and their colleagues found that a new drug, obexelimab, significantly reduces the risk of relapse in patients with IgG4-related disease, a rare chronic immune condition often misdiagnosed as cancer.
A consistent biological barrier that stops the immune system from making the antibodies most needed to protect the nose and throat from respiratory viruses has been identified. The discovery, led by researchers from the University of Surrey, in partner…
When thinking of the immune system, most people imagine white blood cells putting up a fight against invading germs in the bloodstream. But now, in research published in Molecular Cell, scientists detail a separate but equally important route by which …
Scientists have uncovered a surprising new way the immune system fights cancer, overturning a core belief that has guided immunology for decades. The research found that when cancer cells shut down a key immune-recognition molecule called MHC I—a commo…
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a lifelong autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks islets, certain areas of the pancreas, and destroys cells that would otherwise produce insulin, a hormone crucial for regulating blood sugar levels. One emerging tr…
A pioneering clinical trial has successfully enabled two patients with end-stage kidney disease to receive previously improbable kidney transplants. These individuals were considered among the most difficult in the nation to match with a compatible don…
Researchers at Umeå University have shown in a new study that the environment in the womb can leave lasting imprints on the immune system and influence the risk of developing Type 1 diabetes, even when the genetic background is the same. The findings r…
Researchers at University Medical Center Utrecht have uncovered a previously underappreciated mechanism that helps immune cells to respond rapidly to infections. Using advanced long-read RNA sequencing, the team shows that alternative RNA splicing, whi…
T cells are some of the immune system’s most important warriors. They can stop tumor growth and even fight off severe infections. Now scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have discovered how T cells target paramyxoviruses, a viral fami…
Immune checkpoint therapy, a type of cancer immunotherapy that helps the immune system recognize and attack tumors, has transformed cancer treatment. While these therapies can produce long-lasting benefits for some patients, many cancers either fail to…
Researchers from VIB, VUB, and an international network of collaborators have created the most comprehensive single-cell atlas to date of tumor-associated dendritic cells. By integrating data from 14 mouse tumor models and 10 human cancer types, the st…
Our body receives and processes a vast number of signals. Chemical signals serve as guidance cues and ensure, for example, that immune cells arrive exactly where they are needed. Many vital processes such as sensory perception, immune responses, cardio…
A Salk Institute study found that a simple dietary amino acid, methionine, dramatically improved survival in mice facing severe infections and inflammatory conditions. Rather than directly targeting the immune system, methionine boosted kidney filtrati…
The combination of a vaccine and a drug, which both harness the immune system to attack cancer cells, has proven successful in cutting the risk of skin cancer recurrence and death by 49%, a new study shows. This reduction was calculated five years afte…
Microplastics (MP) are the subject of intensive medical research, but little is yet known about their effects on the immune system. A study led by the Medical University of Vienna now shows that tiny particles of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) remain…
Scientists at Scripps Research have uncovered a molecular “switch” that appears to fuel the damaging brain inflammation seen in Alzheimer’s disease. They found that a protein called STING becomes chemically altered in a way that keeps the brain’s immun…
A new study suggests fish oil may help reduce insulin resistance even in people who aren’t obese. In diabetic rats, omega-3 supplementation improved blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and inflammation by shifting immune cells into a more anti-inflammator…
New results from the Phase III SUNRISE clinical trial show that tezepelumab significantly reduced the need for long-term oral corticosteroid use in adults with severe oral corticosteroid-dependent asthma while maintaining asthma control and improving k…
A new study has revealed a group of blood proteins that are altered in people who go on to develop multiple sclerosis (MS), in some cases more than a decade before diagnosis. The findings offer hope that a simple blood test could one day identify peopl…
A specially formulated tomato-soy juice packed with natural plant compounds may help calm inflammation linked to obesity, according to a new clinical study. Healthy adults with obesity who drank the juice daily for four weeks saw significant reductions…
Long-term residential exposure to traffic-related and industry-related pollutants is associated with increased chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) risk, according to a study published online May 28 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
In a study published in Science, researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed a spatial atlas of specialized immune structures, called tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs), across multiple cancer types. This first-of…
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have identified key differences in how immune cells generate and use energy, a process known as cellular metabolism, in people with latent versus active tuberculosis (TB). The findings offer new insights into why s…
Long regarded as cells involved primarily in allergic responses and antiparasitic defense, eosinophils are now drawing increasing attention in oncology. A review article led by Marie Gilon, an oncology resident physician and Ph.D. candidate at the Univ…
A Mount Sinai-led research team has demonstrated that autoimmunity, in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues, is responsible for the often-debilitating and confounding symptoms of long COVID in a subset of people.
Why do some people recover easily from bacterial infections while others rapidly deteriorate into life-threatening sepsis? According to a new study published in Nature Communications, the answer may lie not only in the invading pathogen itself, but als…
A new brain imaging study has found no evidence of widespread brain inflammation in patients suffering from prolonged symptoms after COVID-19 infection. Instead, the most severe long COVID symptoms were associated with increased brain activity in regio…
Trillions of microorganisms live in the human gut, collectively forming the gut microbiome. They support important bodily functions, including digestion, metabolism, and the immune system. While this microbial community remains stable for many years, i…
Valley Fever, technically known as Coccidioidomycosis, is a dust-borne fungal infection that occurs in dry regions like the southwestern US and is proliferating in California and Arizona. California alone spends $1 billion a year on treatment.
The overuse of antibiotics is increasingly leading to the emergence of infectious superbugs—dangerous bacteria that have developed antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and are therefore much harder, if not impossible, to eliminate from the body. In a review …
A new LMU study shows how different immune cells variously influence the formation of dangerous vascular deposits—and identifies miR-147 as a potential starting point for future therapies.
While we tend to quickly forget having been ill or having received a vaccine, the immune system remembers remarkably well. It has memory B cells—”trained” immune cells that circulate throughout the body in search of harmful invaders they have encounter…
At age 49, Jan Janisch-Hanzlik’s multiple sclerosis was destroying her freedom to live the life she wanted. She gave up her active nursing job for a desk role. Frequent falls made her afraid to carry her grandchildren. She had to move to a bigger house…
Researchers at Texas A&M have developed a nasal spray that appears to reverse brain aging by calming inflammation and restoring the brain’s energy systems. After just two doses, memory and cognitive function improved for months, raising hopes for futur…
Researchers have discovered how part of the body’s immune system could better combat a leading cause of death for people with cystic fibrosis (CF). A team led by The University of Queensland’s Professor Peter Sly and Dr. Abdullah Tarique has identified…
A massive international study could upend 40 years of heart attack treatment. Researchers found that beta blockers—routinely prescribed after uncomplicated heart attacks—offered no real benefit for patients whose heart function remained normal, despite…
A study led by researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) has identified a mitochondrial checkpoint that enables dendritic cells to efficiently activate T lymphocytes against viruses and tumors. Dendritic cells are im…
Not all broken genes fail in the same way: some simply stop working, while others interfere with what still works. Researchers from Hiroshima University have identified a critical boundary within the immune-regulating gene called RELA that helps predic…
In a new study published in Nature Immunology, researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital demonstrated that pairing the original COVID-19 mRNA vaccine with an immune system enhancer, known as an adjuvant, improved the duration of the vaccine’s protectio…
Immunotherapy for cancer works like a guided missile, directing the body’s immune cells toward tumor cells. However, not all immune cells respond to the call to attack, and this can lead to variability in treatment responses. As immune cell response is…
Scientists at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have captured, for the first time, “housekeeping” immune cells actively attacking and engulfing live melanoma cells—a discovery that could change the way we approach treatment for one of Australia’…
Researchers at The George Washington University, working with Weill Cornell Medicine, have identified specific gut bacteria linked to better responses to cancer immunotherapy in patients with advanced melanoma. The study analyzed data from 678 patients…
Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have discovered that combining key vaccine ingredients could give the body the tools it needs to fight the entire family of arenaviruses with a single vaccine. This “pan-arenavirus” vaccine approach…
MIT scientists have identified cysteine — an amino acid found in foods like meat, dairy, beans, and nuts — as a potent trigger for intestinal repair. In mice, a cysteine-rich diet activated immune cells that released healing signals, helping stem cells…
A newly developed microscopy technique allows, for the first time, the visualization of more than 30 protein markers simultaneously in the human brain and uses bioinformatics to analyze their spatial relationships. In the process, the researchers have …
Immunotherapy could be a promising new treatment option for patients with difficult-to-treat depression. This is a key finding from a University of Bristol-led pilot randomized controlled clinical trial, published in JAMA Psychiatry.
As tumors outgrow their blood and nutrient supplies, or respond to treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy, individual cancer cells die, exposing their internal scaffolds. These dead cells are an abundant source of mutated proteins, or antigens, …
Most people living with severe asthma are also battling other health conditions that go under the radar, a major new study has found. Researchers analyzing data from thousands of patients discovered that the additional illnesses—which range from obesit…
The most common white blood cells in your body—immune cells called neutrophils—can make a protein nobody knew they were making, Stanford Medicine investigators have discovered. That unexpected sighting joins a growing list of hints tying schizophrenia,…
CAR T-cell therapy is considered a milestone in personalized cancer treatment. In this approach, a patient’s own immune cells are genetically modified to recognize and destroy tumor cells. While it has already shown impressive success in certain blood …
Calcium is widely known for its role in maintaining strong bones and teeth, but it is also one of the body’s most important cellular messengers. Calcium signals help regulate muscle contraction, neural function, immune cell activation and many other ph…
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have revealed that sensory nerve signals interfere with the immune system’s response to lung cancer. This previously unrecognized neuroimmune connection could be targeted to improve responses to immunotherapy.
Researchers have discovered a new method to boost the body’s natural ability to fight respiratory viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), one of the leading causes of severe lung infections worldwide.
Scientists have identified a protein that appears to put the brakes on the chronic inflammation linked to aging. Older mice with boosted levels of the protein were stronger, more energetic, and had healthier bones than untreated mice. Researchers say t…
Inflammatory bowel diseases occur when the delicate balance between the gut, the immune system, and the microbiota is disrupted. Until now, however, it was unclear whether harmful microbes or defects in the body’s own immune cells were the primary caus…
Chemotherapy can be life-saving for many patients, but not all tumors respond—and some that do, may eventually become resistant. Investigators at Houston Methodist have identified a possible explanation for this resistance, offering new insight into wh…
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Bristol Myers Squibb, and the University of Oxford have discovered a way to give worn-out immune cells a second wind in the fight against multiple myeloma. In two studies published this month …
Thomas Delong, Ph.D., moved to Colorado from Germany two decades ago intent on one thing: understanding the origin of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and finding ways to stop it. Diagnosed at age 12 with the disease that affects 9.5 million people worldwide, Del…
Barrier organs that form boundaries between the body and the outside environment, such as the lungs, skin, and intestines, face a difficult balancing act. They must respond quickly to threats such as infection, but they also need to avoid triggering un…
In a condition known as “IgLON5 encephalitis,” the immune system mistakenly attacks cells in the brain. This leads to brain inflammation and neuronal damage, which can manifest as sleep disturbances, cognitive impairment, and movement disorders.
In most people, influenza stays in the upper respiratory tract—mainly the nose—and clears without spreading further. But during pregnancy, the virus can extend beyond the lungs into the cardiovascular system, increasing the risk of severe complications…
A research project led by the Institute for Research in Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA) and the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences at the University of Barcelona, together with the Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB) of the CSIC (which …
Fifteen years ago, doctors in Europe noticed a remarkable thing happening in people with chronic hepatitis B infections. When patients went off their medications, the virus started to come back—and then some of the patients were cured. Something was go…
A new study has uncovered a genetic cause that may explain why some people develop Kaposi sarcoma despite having no apparent immune deficiency. The rare cancer, which forms in the cells lining blood vessels, is caused by human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), al…
Friendly skin bacteria could hold the key to stopping eczema in its tracks, according to a breakthrough by a team of UK and Japanese scientists. Their new study reveals harmless microbes living on our skin release powerful molecules that can shut down …
Mayo Clinic researchers have identified an immune-regulating molecule that may help explain why some patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, do not respond to commonly used therapies. The findin…
An epigenetic mechanism by which tumors manage to hide from the body’s immune defenses has just been described by an international scientific team led by the University of Liège and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. These findings open up avenues for n…
Researchers have identified a pathway that triggers an immune response in cells with defective DNA repair. In particular, the authors of a new paper demonstrated how the downregulation of AUF1 impairs DNA repair, followed by activation of the immune re…
A huge long-term study found that drinking two to three cups of coffee a day was linked to a much lower risk of dementia, especially before age 75. Researchers say caffeine may help keep brain cells active while reducing inflammation and harmful plaque…
Researchers from the Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation in Pharmacogenomics (CERSI-PGx) have published a new prescribing guideline aimed at reducing the incidence of serious allergic reactions to common anti-seizure medications. …
MIT engineers have developed a new way to amplify the T-cell response to mRNA vaccines—an advance that could lead to much more powerful cancer vaccines and stronger protection against infectious diseases.
As blood stem cells age, their lysosomes become overactive and damaged, triggering inflammation and weakening the body’s ability to regenerate healthy blood and immune cells. By calming this cellular “overdrive,” researchers restored the stem cells’ yo…
Neurons and white blood cells differ greatly in shape, function, and location within the body. However, researchers at the University of Sao Paulo (USP) in Brazil discovered that certain genes are equally dysregulated in both cell types in people with …
A new international perspective led by UNC School of Medicine researchers highlights that oral food challenges, historically considered essential to food allergy clinical trials, are now limiting who can participate and threatening to slow progress in …
Scientists have long known that the immune system plays a key role in aging. As people age, they have weaker responses to vaccination, greater risks of infection and higher levels of inflammation. A new study led by UCLA Health researchers used results…
Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UK) have contributed to discovering a “control switch” inside our immune cells that helps the body destroy dangerous fungal infections. Researchers found that a protein called RAB5c helps white blood cells k…
New research from the University of Kansas shows a “risk gene” linked to higher odds of developing autoimmune diseases such as diabetes or lupus may also provide a survival advantage fighting viral infections like coronavirus. The research centers on a…
Until recently, allergy treatment was largely based on average treatment schemes. A patient with pollen allergy would receive a similar therapy to others with the same diagnosis. Today, this model is beginning to change. The latest recommendations publ…
Creativity and curiosity have always been central to the work of Joshua Moreau, Ph.D., an immunologist whose work at Oregon Health & Science University sits at the intersection of harnessing the immune system; delving into tissue biology; and, most rec…
Cancer immunotherapy is built on a simple but powerful idea: the immune system can recognize and destroy cancer cells if it is properly activated. In many patients, however, this response is too weak or too slow to be effective. Recently, a type of imm…
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center have identified a promising new strategy to overcome resistance to immunotherapy in colorectal cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths…
Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) are the first in the world to characterize human antibodies capable of neutralizing measles virus. These antibodies bind to key sites on measles virus and prevent the virus from entering host cells….
Ahead of World Lupus Day on May 10, new research from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and UNSW Sydney helps explain why women are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with an autoimmune disease—a condition where the immune system misfires…
As part of the body’s first line of defense against foreign invaders, macrophages play an integral role in the innate immune system. However, the ability of macrophages to interpret and respond to diverse danger signals remains incompletely understood.
Chronic immune diseases are shaped by multiple inflammatory processes happening at the same time, each in different parts of the tissue. This finding from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal Immunity, is based on a mouse study. The research…
When the human heart is damaged by a heart attack, stiff scar tissue eventually forms around the affected areas. This weakens the heart’s pumping ability and increases the risk of heart failure and arrhythmias. Zebrafish, by contrast, can regenerate th…
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have successfully treated children aged 1–3 years with peanut allergies. The children slowly became accustomed to eating peanuts by consuming small amounts of them daily, which were gradually increased over time. Th…
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism by which HIV-1 can infect resting immune cells. The discovery challenges a decades-old assumption in HIV biology, and opens new avenues for understanding how…
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to help scientists accelerate drug discovery and search for new treatments. But for AI tools to work effectively, researchers need to know whether they can be validated and applied in real-world situat…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent (dupilumab) for the treatment of children (aged 2 to 11 years) with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU).
Scientists have developed a breakthrough injectable biomaterial that travels through the bloodstream to repair damaged tissue from within, reducing inflammation and jumpstarting healing. In animal studies, it successfully treated heart attack damage an…
After a heart attack, the body rapidly floods the injured heart with neutrophils—white blood cells that help repair damage but can also make it worse when too many arrive too quickly. New research from the University of Oklahoma shows that these early-…
Mammalian meat allergy (MMA) is one of the few known food allergies caused by an environmental trigger—a tick bite. In simple terms, MMA results in an allergic reaction to red meat, making it difficult or sometimes even impossible for affected individu…
Activated immune cells secrete tiny capsules bearing DNA that can enter other immune and tumor cells to stimulate the body’s defense systems, according to a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine. The discovery extends the scientific unde…
T cells are crucial components of our immune system, serving as critical protectors against infection and disease. But there are limits to their defensive capabilities. T cells are not inexhaustible protectors. Often, when T cells have engaged in killi…
Symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, altered sleep, and social withdrawal are often treated as inconvenient side effects of infection. While some scientists have suggested that they may serve a protective function, it is widely assumed that they…
Researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have uncovered a critical mechanism driving inflammation in mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD), a rare but devastating autoinflammatory disorder. The study, published in Immunity, reveals that imm…
Stem-cell memory T (TSCM) cells are a rare subset of immune cells with the ability to self-renew, persist long term, and mount potent anti-tumor responses. These properties make them an attractive candidate for next-generation CAR T-cell therapies. How…
The body’s “killer” T cells don’t just attack—they strike with astonishing precision, forming a tiny, highly organized contact zone that lets them destroy dangerous cells without harming their neighbors. Now, scientists have captured this process in un…
