Immune System News and Research

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Virginia Tech doctoral candidate wins NIH award to fuse immunology and neuroscience research

Gabriela Carrillo didn't always aspire to be a neuroscientist. It wasn't until she was providing in-home behavioral analysis therapy for children with autism that she was drawn to the lab.

22 Oct 2020

Study shows how genetic predisposition contributes to the development of multiple sclerosis

About half of the people with multiple sclerosis have the HLA-DR15 gene variant. A study led by the University of Zurich has now shown how this genetic predisposition contributes to the development of the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis in combination with environmental factors.

22 Oct 2020

Study may pave way for more effective treatment for Hepatitis C

Virologists at Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) have identified a critical role played by a cellular protein in the progression of Hepatitis C virus infection, paving the way for more effective treatment.

22 Oct 2020

New method for producing FTVI enzyme can help improve cord blood transplants

A new way of producing an enzyme called fucosyltransferase VI (FTVI) in the lab could help enhance the therapeutic potential of cord blood transplants.

22 Oct 2020

Study: Antibody-based drug could dramatically reduce cancer in mice

Despite the remarkable successes of immune-based treatments for cancer, not everyone responds to these approaches and relapses do occur.

22 Oct 2020

Ancient elements in human DNA can activate powerful immune response to kill cancer cells

Ancient embedded elements in our DNA from generations past can activate a powerful immune response to kill cancer cells like an infection.

22 Oct 2020

Dietary supplement represents an innovative strategy to help in the fight against SARS-CoV-2

SPIN (SPermidin and eugenol INtegrator for contrasting incidence of coronavirus in EU population) is a European project powered by EIT Food that is currently developing a dietary supplement supporting the function of the immune system in the fight against SARS-CoV-2 infections in population at high risk.

21 Oct 2020

Brigham researchers identify possible subtypes of preeclampsia

Preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure, occurs in about 7 percent of pregnancies and is a leading cause of maternal mortality and premature birth.

21 Oct 2020

"Immunological imprinting" could influence antibody response to COVID-19

Researchers in the United States and Spain have shown that prior exposure to seasonal coronaviruses may influence antibody responses to infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

21 Oct 2020

Study explains how certain foods can prevent respiratory tract infections

On 22 October 2020 paediatrician Ellen van der Gaag will receive her PhD for her thesis entitled 'Health-promoting effects of nutrition in children'.

21 Oct 2020

New DNA-cutting tool could advance gene editing for novel treatments

Gene editing for the development of new treatments, and for studying disease as well as normal function in humans and other organisms, may advance more quickly with a new tool for cutting larger pieces of DNA out of a cell's genome, according to a new study by UC San Francisco scientists.

21 Oct 2020

Scientists use gold nanorod scattering to identify changes in macrophages

Every biological system is naturally equipped with a defense mechanism to protect against abnormal changes caused by either local, environmental, or biochemical alteration. White blood cells play the role of such a 'soldier' in our immune response.

21 Oct 2020

Scientists discover mechanism linking gum disease to inflammatory conditions

The link between periodontal (gum) disease and other inflammatory conditions such as heart disease and diabetes has long been established, but the mechanism behind that association has, until now, remained a mystery.

20 Oct 2020

New smart surface pulls critical COVID-19 marker from the blood

When COVID-19 attacks, the immune system produces a cytokine, or protein, called Interleukin-6 (IL-6), whose concentrations can offer vital information about a patient's level and stage of infection.

20 Oct 2020

New vaccine targeting toxic Aβ may offer clinical benefit in treating Alzheimer's disease

Our immune system's capacity to mount a well-regulated defense against foreign substances, including toxins, weakens with age and makes vaccines less effective in people over age 65.

20 Oct 2020

Psoriasis patients taking immunosuppressants have high COVID-19 survival rates

Patients with psoriasis who are taking drugs that affect their immune system have high rates of survival from COVID-19. According to the first findings from a global registry of psoriasis and COVID-19 patients, led by Guy's and St Thomas' clinicians, over 90% survive.

20 Oct 2020

Novel microfluidic approach to fight cancer could greatly benefit patients

CAR-T biotherapeutics company Carina Biotech and researchers at the University of South Australia have developed a novel approach based on microfluidic technology to "purify" the immune cells of patients in the fight against cancer.

20 Oct 2020

Can ordinary COVID patients get the Trump treatment? It’s OK to ask

When Terry Mutter woke up with a headache and sore muscles on a recent Wednesday, the competitive weightlifter chalked it up to a hard workout.

20 Oct 2020

Researchers apply a novel technique to improve understanding of liver disease, immune activation

Human cells are encased by a membrane coated with diverse sugar molecules known as glycans. These glycans play many roles in health and disease, making them important to understand.

20 Oct 2020

The connection between severe COVID-19 and white blood cell counts

However, in other research, white blood cells' exact roles and subtypes in severe COVID-19 are still unclear. The team writes, "It is unknown if blood cell counts before infection are associated with the risk of developing severe COVID-19." They explained that the numbers of these cell types could be influenced by several factors such as age, gender, disease status, and medications.

19 Oct 2020