Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

Role of immunological imprinting in elicitation of new antibodies

We are repeatedly exposed to the influenza virus via infections, vaccinations and our communal environments. The annual flu shot is believed to be the best line of defense, and doctors recommend vaccinations every year because the flu virus is in a constant state of adaptation and mutation, rendering older vaccines obsolete.

21 Mar 2019

Anti-vaxxer Italian leader down with chickenpox

In a twist of fate, an Italian politician who was lobbying against mandatory vaccination laws, has come down with chickenpox and is now hospitalized.

21 Mar 2019

Salk scientists show how background noise from neurons can interrupt focused attention

It's easy to miss something you're not looking for. In a famous example, people were asked to closely observe two groups of people--one group clad in black, the other in white--pass a ball among themselves.

20 Mar 2019

New study identifies CD40 molecule as key entry point for dangerous bacteria

A new study identifies a single molecule as a key entry point used by two types of dangerous bacteria to break through cellular barriers and cause disease.

20 Mar 2019

GARP protein can be a potential target for immunotherapy against colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women. Despite significant advances in therapies for this particular cancer, the five-year survival rate is 12 percent, according to the American Cancer Society.

19 Mar 2019

Study suggests potential new approach to treat atopic dermatitis

How does the immune system respond to fungi on our skin? Researchers at the University of Zurich have demonstrated that the same immune cells that protect us against skin fungi also encourage the inflammatory symptoms of atopic dermatitis. An antibody therapy could alleviate this chronic inflammatory skin disease.

18 Mar 2019

A novel approach for treating inflammatory arthritis

Researchers at the University of Minnesota, in collaboration with researchers at Medtronic, have shown that noninvasive daily ultrasound stimulation of the spleen in mice with inflammatory arthritis resulted in significantly less joint swelling compared to arthritic mice that were not treated.

15 Mar 2019

Long-awaited structure offers new insights into rejection of transplanted organs

Rejection of any kind is always hard to deal with, but when one's body rejects a precious organ transplant, the consequences can be devastating. Professor A. Vathsala, Co-director of the National University Centre for Organ Transplantation at the National University Hospital and Professor of Medicine, shared that between 30% to 40% of kidney transplants are lost over time to rejection.

15 Mar 2019

Study: Early-life exposure to microbiota inhibits colon cancer in adulthood

Exposure to microbiota, or microorganisms such as bacteria, in the early stages of life plays a crucial role in establishing optimal conditions in the intestine that inhibit the development of colon cancer in adulthood, according to a study led by Georgia State University.

14 Mar 2019

Researchers define pathway that helps us make antibodies

Our bodies are continuously concocting specific antibodies to thwart invaders like a virus or even pollen, and scientists have new information about how the essential production gets fired up and keeps up.

13 Mar 2019

New data describes way to reliably quantify a person's 'immune age'

New data, published in Nature Medicine, from scientists at the Technion, Stanford and CytoReason describes for the first time ever a way to reliably quantify a person's "immune age".

12 Mar 2019

Researchers identify gene that increases risk of antibiotic reaction

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and colleagues have identified a gene that increases the risk for a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction to the commonly prescribed antibiotic vancomycin.

11 Mar 2019

Vitamin D may be protective among asthmatic obese children, finds study

A new study finds vitamin D may be protective among asthmatic obese children living in urban environments with high indoor air pollution.

9 Mar 2019

Scientists move one step closer to a HIV cure

Scientists found no rebound of HIV in two patients who stopped taking their HIV medication after they received stem cell transplants for a hematological [blood] disease. Both patients underwent stem cell transplantation as part of their cancer treatment.

6 Mar 2019

Experimental vaccine strategy shows great promise in treating tuberculosis

For years, scientists have been trying to come up with a better way to protect people against tuberculosis, the disease caused by infection with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria.

5 Mar 2019

Tactile and proprioceptive stimulation improves effects of perinatal brain injuries in mice

A research conducted by the INc-UAB shows that the same perinatal brain injury caused by hypoxia and ischemia have differentiated effects on each gender, but can be improved through tactile and proprioceptive stimuli.

5 Mar 2019

Study finds how miR-132 acts as ‘handbrake’ on our immune system

Researchers have discovered how a tiny molecule known as miR-132 acts as a "handbrake" on our immune system - helping us fight infection.

5 Mar 2019

FutureNeuro collaborates with UCB to inform improvements in epilepsy treatment

FutureNeuro, the SFI Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases, based at RCSI, has partnered with global biopharmaceutical company, UCB, to unlock the power of healthcare data to inform improvements in clinical care of people with epilepsy.

5 Mar 2019

Researchers examine process of gut-based cells involved in long-term immunity

Only a few vaccines - for example, against polio and rotavirus - can be given orally. Most must be delivered by injection.

5 Mar 2019

Researchers find how common oral bacteria accelerates growth of colon cancer

Researchers at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine have determined how F. nucleatum -- a common oral bacteria often implicated in tooth decay -- accelerates the growth of colon cancer. The study was published online in the journal EMBO Reports.

4 Mar 2019