Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

Could new strains of COVID evolve in farm animals or pets?

It appears no one is safe from severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Given that SARS-CoV-2 likely developed in bats and later transmitted to humans in Wuhan, China, there has been concern over animals infecting humans. But more evidence has shown that humans are more likely to infect animals — from hamsters, gorillas to the domestic cat.

14 Jul 2021

Combination of dietary isoflavones and metabolizing gut bacteria may protect against MS

A new University of Iowa study suggests that metabolism of plant-based dietary substances by specific gut bacteria, which are lacking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), may provide protection against the disease.

13 Jul 2021

Study: Diet rich in fermented foods boosts microbial diversity, decreases inflammation

A diet rich in fermented foods enhances the diversity of gut microbes and decreases molecular signs of inflammation, according to researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine.

12 Jul 2021

Intranasal COVID-19 vaccine protects animals against lethal COVID-19 infection

In a new study assessing the potential of a single-dose, intranasal COVID-19 vaccine, a team from the University of Iowa and the University of Georgia found that the vaccine fully protects mice against lethal COVID-19 infection.

8 Jul 2021

Growing concern over SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant

A new report from Chile – currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server – reveals how mutations in the spike glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Lambda variant can confer protection from neutralizing antibodies and increase viral infectivity rates, which means massive vaccination campaigns should be accompanied by strict genomic surveillance.

8 Jul 2021

Changes to COVID-19 vaccination strategy could speed up herd immunity

Researchers in the United States have proposed changes to the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination strategy that they say would increase the likelihood of herd immunity being achieved in the most timely and cost-effective manner.

8 Jul 2021

New biological pathway selectively controls how key immune cells mature into functional components

Immunologists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have identified a biological pathway that selectively controls how key immune cells, called T follicular helper cells, mature into functional components of the immune system.

8 Jul 2021

Common anti-coagulant drug could treat emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2

QUT PhD researcher Zachariah Schuurs said the research team had identified a new binding site on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

7 Jul 2021

Researchers discover how vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia happens

A McMaster University team of researchers recently discovered how, exactly, the COVID-19 vaccines that use adenovirus vectors trigger a rare but sometimes fatal blood clotting reaction called vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia or VITT.

7 Jul 2021

Can memory T cell responses to seasonal coronaviruses protect against severe COVID-19?

In a recent study published in the journal Science Immunology, scientists have revealed that the presence of CD8+ T cells against conserved epitopes of seasonal coronaviruses is associated with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). These immune cells exhibit a memory phenotype and provide protection against severe disease.

7 Jul 2021

Study addresses potential interrelations between AID/APOBECs and the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Together with their multifaceted action mechanisms, activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and so-called APOBEC proteins are important factors in the body's immune response and offer fast and effective protection against a large number of DNA and RNA viruses.

7 Jul 2021

Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine elicits durable T cell memory and antibody responses

Researchers in the United States have shown that Moderna’s mRNA-1273 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine induces durable antibody and T cell responses to the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that are comparable to those seen in cases of COVID-19 caused by natural SARS-CoV-2 infection.

6 Jul 2021

Gene-edited cellular therapeutics can successfully treat cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases

Scientists at UC San Francisco have shown that gene-edited cellular therapeutics can be used to successfully treat cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, potentially paving the way for developing less expensive cellular therapies to treat diseases for which there are currently few viable options.

6 Jul 2021

Exposure to beneficial microorganisms is not affected by targeted hygiene or cleaning

The theory that modern society is too clean, leading to defective immune systems in children, should be swept under the carpet, according to a new study by researchers at UCL and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

5 Jul 2021

New immunotherapy treatment for cancer patients is more effective and less dangerous

Cell toxicity during immunotherapy is a major limitation to cancer treatment.

2 Jul 2021

Research associates prior encounter with seasonal coronavirus to milder COVID-19 symptoms

A study by Stanford University School of Medicine investigators hints that people with COVID-19 may experience milder symptoms if certain cells of their immune systems "remember" previous encounters with seasonal coronaviruses -- the ones that cause about a quarter of the common colds kids get.

2 Jul 2021

Is there a link between circadian rhythms and COVID-19 severity?

This study showed that the time of day of SARS-CoV-2 infection could impact the severity of the viral infection and the host immune response.

1 Jul 2021

Study highlights the importance of T cell cross reactivity in stopping severe COVID-19 infections

Researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology have found that T cells from people who have recovered from COVID-19 or received the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are still able to recognize several concerning SARS-CoV-2 variants.

1 Jul 2021

BU awarded T32 grant to mentor research trainees in lung biology and pulmonary sciences

Boston University School of Medicine's longest NIH-funded research training program, "Biology of the Lung: A Multi-Disciplinary Program," has been awarded a five-year, T32 grant to provide multidisciplinary training and exposure to collaborative lung biology in three scientific areas that are special strengths at Boston University: Development and Regenerative Medicine; Immunology and Infection; and Biomedical Data Sciences.

1 Jul 2021

Study highlights changes within SARS-CoV-2 variants that could be exploited to design effective inhibitors

A computational study that analyzes and explores the time-based structures of the SARS-CoV-2 variants with specific spike (S) protein mutations is discussed here.

30 Jun 2021

Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

Could new strains of COVID evolve in farm animals or pets?

Combination of dietary isoflavones and metabolizing gut bacteria may protect against MS

Study: Diet rich in fermented foods boosts microbial diversity, decreases inflammation

Intranasal COVID-19 vaccine protects animals against lethal COVID-19 infection

Growing concern over SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant

Changes to COVID-19 vaccination strategy could speed up herd immunity

New biological pathway selectively controls how key immune cells mature into functional components

Common anti-coagulant drug could treat emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2

Researchers discover how vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia happens

Can memory T cell responses to seasonal coronaviruses protect against severe COVID-19?

Study addresses potential interrelations between AID/APOBECs and the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine elicits durable T cell memory and antibody responses

Gene-edited cellular therapeutics can successfully treat cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases

Exposure to beneficial microorganisms is not affected by targeted hygiene or cleaning

New immunotherapy treatment for cancer patients is more effective and less dangerous

Research associates prior encounter with seasonal coronavirus to milder COVID-19 symptoms

Is there a link between circadian rhythms and COVID-19 severity?

Study highlights the importance of T cell cross reactivity in stopping severe COVID-19 infections

BU awarded T32 grant to mentor research trainees in lung biology and pulmonary sciences

Study highlights changes within SARS-CoV-2 variants that could be exploited to design effective inhibitors

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