If you have a pet as a kid, does this lower your risk of asthma and eczema?
Some studies indicate children with pets may be less likely to have allergies. But the evidence can be tricky to interpret.
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Mitochondria can sense bacteria and trigger your immune system to trap them – revealing new ways to treat infections and autoimmunity
Not only do mitochondria serve as the engine of the cell – they also act as watchtowers for the immune system.
Some viruses prefer mosquitoes to humans, but people get sick anyway − a virologist and entomologist explain why
The virus that causes eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, has evolved to infect mosquitoes. To be able to spread between people, however, it faces extra challenges.
Long COVID inflicts deep scars on the lungs, but targeting specific immune cells could reverse damage − new research in mice
Researchers developed a new mouse model that replicates long COVID-19 more accurately than current models. Their findings could lead to new treatments.
What’s the difference between ‘man flu’ and flu? Hint: men may not be exaggerating
Is it time to cut the men in your life some slack this winter? Here’s what the evidence says.
Boost your immune system with this centuries-old health hack: Vaccines
Even if you’re healthy and fit, you still need vaccines to protect yourself from severe disease.
Iron fuels immune cells – and it could make asthma worse
Asthma attacks can result from immune cells overreacting to a harmless allergen. Tamping down iron levels in certain immune cells can help control their activity.
Snakebites: we thought we’d created a winning new antivenom but then it flopped. Why that turned out to be a good thing
By reporting this new way that future antivenoms can fail, the research has highlighted a problem with current antivenom testing recommendations.
Immune cells can adapt to invading pathogens, deciding whether to fight now or prepare for the next battle
When faced with a threat, T cells have the decision-making flexibility to both clear out the pathogen now and ready themselves for a future encounter.
What if every germ hit you at the exact same time? An immunologist explains
Your immune system is often able to fend off pathogens it’s never seen before. But defending your body against all of them all at once is a tough challenge.