Immune System News and Research

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Disrupting key immune regulator boosts anti-tumor immunity, enables cancer clearance

The immune system must strike an exquisite balance between vanquishing infections and cancer, while at the same time restraining its activity to avoid inadvertently attacking the body's healthy tissues and organs.

23 Oct 2019

Researchers discover conjugative plasmid that augments virulence in superbug

A recent research led by a scientist at City University of Hong Kong has discovered an easily transmitted DNA piece that can make a new type of hyper-resistant and deadly superbug become hyper-virulent quickly, posing an unprecedented threat to human health.

23 Oct 2019

New study indicates a way to improve cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy drugs trigger the body's immune system to attack tumors and have revolutionized the treatment of certain cancers, such as lymphoma, lung cancer and melanoma. Yet, while some patients respond well to the drugs, others don't respond at all. Cancer immunologists want to change that.

23 Oct 2019

Findings point to potential interventions to improve preemie growth during high risk pregnancy

A study in humans and mice demonstrated that a fetus has its own microbiome, or communities of bacteria living in the gut, which are known to play important roles in the immune system and metabolism.

23 Oct 2019

Anti-arthritis drug can stop tuberculosis bacillus from infecting blood stem cells

Immunologist Johan Van Weyenbergh (KU Leuven) and his Belgian-Brazilian colleagues have shown that a drug used to fight arthritis also stops the process that allows the tuberculosis bacillus to infect and hijack blood stem cells.

23 Oct 2019

Anesthesia has no influence on risk of breast cancer recurrence, study shows

One of the largest global studies in the field of anaesthesia, in which the MedUni Vienna has participated, showed that, following curative breast cancer surgery under regional anaesthesia, the risk of recurrence was not reduced in comparison to general anaesthesia with opioids.

23 Oct 2019

UofSC researchers find a new route for effective treatment of Gulf War Illness

A recent study led by scientists at the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health has shown that adjusting GI tract viruses by repurposing existing FDA-approved antiviral drugs offers a route for effective treatment for Gulf War Illness and its myriad of symptoms.

22 Oct 2019

Celiac disease may now be curable with biodegradable nanoparticles

A phase 2 trial just concluded shows that people with celiac disease may now be able to hope for a cure, through a treatment that makes the immune system tolerant towards gluten. This could eventually make it possible for such individuals to eat gluten-containing foods without fear.

22 Oct 2019

Link between pregnancy stress, immune activation, and postpartum depression

A new study presented at the Society for Neuroscience meeting on October 19, 2019, at Chicago, shows for the first time how postpartum depression could actually be due to abnormal immune system activation within the brain, which in turn is set off by chronic pregnancy stress. This is the earliest study to show this link in animals.

22 Oct 2019

Study uncovers brain biology behind postpartum depression

Chronic stress during pregnancy triggers an immune response in the brain that has potential to alter brain functions in ways that could contribute to postpartum depression, new research in animals suggests.

22 Oct 2019

Antibiotic treatment can cause transient and long-term disruption of gut microbes

Trillions of microbes in the intestine aid human health, including digestion of breast milk, breaking down fiber and helping control the immune system.

22 Oct 2019

Long-term exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment impairs brain function in mice

Human-made toxic chemicals that linger indefinitely in the environment disrupt the performance of critical helper cells in the mouse brain, leading to impaired function over long-term exposures, say neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center.

22 Oct 2019

New treatment shows promise to reverse celiac disease

Results of a new phase 2 clinical trial using technology developed at Northwestern Medicine show it is possible to induce immune tolerance to gluten in individuals with celiac disease. The findings may pave the way for treated celiac patients to eventually tolerate gluten in their diet.

22 Oct 2019

Healthiest gut bacteria with plant-based or Mediterranean diet

A new study shows that specific foods that are supplied by either a plant-based or a Mediterranean-type diet can protect the gut against inflammatory disorders, by selectively promoting the growth of anti-inflammatory bacteria.

21 Oct 2019

Creatine powers fight against cancer, improves efficacy of immunotherapies

The immune system functions as the body’s defense against pathogens and harmful substances, including cancer cells. They protect the body against potential harm. In cases of cancer, though the body tries to fight the tumor cells, they may become too aggressive for the immune system to eradicate.

21 Oct 2019