Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

Scientists make four major discoveries about SARS-CoV-2

University of Minnesota Medical School researchers studied SARS-CoV-2 infections at individual cellular levels and made four major discoveries about the virus, including one that validates the effectiveness of remdesivir - an FDA-approved antiviral drug - as a form of treatment for severe COVID-19 disease.

10 Feb 2021

Exposure to seasonal coronaviruses does not produce antibodies that protect against SARS-CoV-2

Past exposure to seasonal coronaviruses (CoVs), which cause the common cold, does not result in the production of antibodies that protect against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, according to a study led by Scott Hensley, PhD, an associate professor of Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

10 Feb 2021

Freiburg immunologists decipher anti-cancer drug's mode of operation

Rituximab, an anti-cancer drug targeting the membrane protein CD20, was the first approved therapeutic antibody against B tumor cells. Immunologists at the University of Freiburg have now solved a mystery about how it works.

10 Feb 2021

Potential treatment strategies for patients suffering long-term COVID-19 symptoms

A new paper in Oxford Open Immunology, published by Oxford University Press, examines prior findings in the field of neuroimmunology that suggest potential treatment strategies for patients suffering long-term symptoms from COVID-19.

10 Feb 2021

Study provides first detailed estimates of peanut allergy among U.S. adults

Peanut allergy affects at least 4.5 million adults in the U.S., many of whom report developing their first allergy symptoms during adulthood, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

9 Feb 2021

COVID-19 vaccination associated with 3- to 5-fold reduction in viral load

Researchers in Israel report a reduction in viral load in vaccinated individuals.

9 Feb 2021

Study reveals new molecular mechanism linked to severe anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is a systemic allergic reaction that can affect the skin, the gastrointestinal tract, the respiratory system and the cardiovascular system.

9 Feb 2021

Smell and taste loss symptoms associated with robust SARS-CoV-2 antibody response in new study

Researchers in Italy report a correlation between the loss of smell and taste and an observed persistence or rise in antibody levels at five months after infection.

9 Feb 2021

HIV: New therapeutic approach to restore the effectiveness of immune cells

Prompted by the need to improve conventional treatments for people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), a team from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique has identified a therapeutic approach to restore the effectiveness of immune cells.

8 Feb 2021

Brain protein responsible for causing Alzheimer's disease also plays a protective role

Findings from a new study on Alzheimer's disease (AD), led by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan, could eventually help clinicians identify people at highest risk for developing the irreversible, progressive brain disorder and pave the way for treatments that slow or prevent its onset.

8 Feb 2021

Researchers identify a new drug target for Ebola, Marburg viruses

Ebola and Marburg are among the most deadly viruses, with mortality rates from these infections ranging from 25% to 90%.

8 Feb 2021

Study shows efficacy of radionuclide therapy–immunotherapy combination in prostate cancer model

A combination of radionuclide therapy and immunotherapy has proven successful in slowing the progression of prostate cancer and increasing survival time, according to new research published in the February issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

8 Feb 2021

Online searches can help predict later surges and declines in COVID-19 cases

Online searches for mobile and isolated activities can help to predict later surges and declines in COVID-19 cases, a team of researchers has found.

8 Feb 2021

Commentary on severe allergic reaction to mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines

A commentary by John M. Kelso, Division of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Scripps Clinic, published in the latest issue of the journal Vaccines, discusses anaphylactic reactions to these novel mRNA SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccines.

8 Feb 2021

Gut fungi teach the immune system how to respond to their dangerous relatives

Common fungi, often present in the gut, teach the immune system how to respond to their more dangerous relatives, according to new research from scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine. Breakdowns in this process can leave people susceptible to deadly fungal infections.

7 Feb 2021

New SARS-Cov-2 mutations could arise during chronic infection, say scientists

SARS-CoV-2 mutations similar to those in the B1.1.7 UK variant could arise in cases of chronic infection, where treatment over an extended period can provide the virus multiple opportunities to evolve, say scientists.

7 Feb 2021

Novel immunotherapy approach to revert the main hallmarks of cat allergy

Researchers from the Department of Infection and Immunity of the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) brought forward the potential of high doses of a specific adjuvant molecule, namely CpG oligonucleotide, in successfully modulating the immune system's allergic response to the main cat allergen Fel d 1, thereby inducing a tolerance-promoting reaction and reverting the main hallmarks of cat allergy.

5 Feb 2021

Fecal transplant overcomes resistance to immunotherapy in melanoma patients

Researchers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute demonstrate that changing the gut microbiome can transform patients with advanced melanoma who never responded to immunotherapy-;which has a failure rate of 40% for this type of cancer-;into patients who do.

5 Feb 2021

Study may lead to new therapeutic strategies to reduce allergic responses, inflammatory reactions

In order to fight pathogens, mast cells regulate inflammatory reactions of the immune system. Both mast cells and neutrophils are white blood cells and are critical for the body's immune defense.

5 Feb 2021

Emory MVA COVID-19 vaccine proven safe and effective in mice and monkeys

Researchers at Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have developed a COVID-19 vaccine that has proven safe and effective in mice and monkeys.

4 Feb 2021