Immune System News and Research

RSS

Study reveals "dormancy" of natural killer cells in tumors

Some immune cells in our bodies see their 'killer instinct' restricted after entering solid tumours, according to new research.

5 Feb 2024

"Cleaning cell" dysfunction explains unequal diabetes risk in obesity

Disrupted function of "cleaning cells" in the body may help to explain why some people with obesity develop type 2 diabetes, while others do not.

5 Feb 2024

Xist lncRNA identified as key trigger in female-biased autoimmune diseases

Researchers uncover that the Xist ribonucleoprotein complex, unique to females, is a key driver of sex-biased autoimmunity, offering new insights into autoimmune disorders' higher prevalence in women.

4 Feb 2024

Exercise shapes our gut health, study finds

Accelerometer-based study reveals physical activity levels significantly influence gut microbiota composition, linking moderate and vigorous exercise to beneficial microbial diversity and function.

3 Feb 2024

CAR T cells target senescent cells, improve healthspan in mice

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have transformed the treatment of blood cancers in recent years. And there have been positive signs the "living drugs" can be harnessed against other diseases, like autoimmune disorders.

2 Feb 2024

New vaccine may be potential off-the-shelf treatment for pancreatic, colorectal cancer

A new vaccine shows encouraging early results as a potential off-the-shelf treatment for certain patients with pancreatic or colorectal cancer, according to a study co-led by researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK).

2 Feb 2024

Unveiling HIV's "latch": New study reveals key to blocking infection

As the HIV virus glides up outside a human cell to dock and possibly inject its deadly cargo of genetic code, there's a spectacularly brief moment in which a tiny piece of its surface snaps open to begin the process of infection.

2 Feb 2024

CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool repairs defective T cells to treat rare hereditary disease

Some hereditary genetic defects cause an exaggerated immune response that can be fatal. Using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, such defects can be corrected, thus normalizing the immune response, as researchers led by Klaus Rajewsky from the Max Delbrück Center now report in "Science Immunology."

2 Feb 2024

New insights on how diet regulates allergic responses

The intricate relationship that exists between humans and the gut microbiome has become a hot research topic, and scientists are constantly uncovering new reasons why a healthy diet can lead to a healthier life.

1 Feb 2024

Long COVID and ME/CFS share isimilarities in immune system dysfunction, study finds

A study led by UMass Chan Medical School viral immunologists Liisa Selin, MD, PhD, and Anna Gil, PhD, discovered similarities in immune system dysfunction as a potential biomarker among people living with long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

1 Feb 2024

X-chromosome inactivation and its role in autoimmune susceptibility in females

Somewhere between 24 and 50 million Americans have an autoimmune disease, a condition in which the immune system attacks our own tissues. As many as 4 out of 5 of those people are women.

1 Feb 2024

Study observes rapid immune response in individuals switching to vegan and keto diets

Researchers evaluated the impact of vegan and ketogenic diets on immune response and gut microbiota in humans.

1 Feb 2024

CRISPR revolutionized: New method edits genes directly in the body

Most approved gene therapies today, including those involving CRISPR-Cas9, work their magic on cells removed from the body, after which the edited cells are returned to the patient.

1 Feb 2024

Is there an association between vitamin D, immunocompetence, and aging?

The role of an individual’s immunocompetence in the responsiveness to vitamin D.

1 Feb 2024

Unveiling the mystery behind rapid memory loss in cancer patients

In a rare but serious complication of cancer, the body's own immune system can start attacking the brain, causing rapid-onset memory loss and cognitive deficits.

31 Jan 2024

Researchers discover new class of compound that targets cancer stem cells

Many cancer therapies, in addition to producing numerous side effects, fail to achieve complete tumour remission, partly due to the presence of cancer stem cells, which are difficult to eradicate.

31 Jan 2024

Vegan and keto diets trigger distinct immune system changes in just two weeks

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health observed rapid and distinct immune system changes in a small study of people who switched to a vegan or a ketogenic (also called keto) diet.

30 Jan 2024

Gut microbiome may hold key to fighting common respiratory viruses

The composition of microbiota found in the gut influences how susceptible mice are to respiratory virus infections and the severity of these infections, according to researchers from the Center for Translational Antiviral Research in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University.

30 Jan 2024

New DNA-based vaccine can induce strong antibody response against SARS-CoV-2

Using a virus-like delivery particle made from DNA, researchers from MIT and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard have created a vaccine that can induce a strong antibody response against SARS-CoV-2.

30 Jan 2024

Cambridge scientists discover how fasting turns up the body's natural inflammation fighter

Cambridge scientists may have discovered a new way in which fasting helps reduce inflammation – a potentially damaging side-effect of the body's immune system that underlies a number of chronic diseases.

30 Jan 2024