Collaborative webinars to focus on key scientific trends and findings related to gut microbiome and nutrition, and the interaction of diet, stress and immune function.
Tag: Immune System
Long COVID patients show distinct immune, hormone responses to virus
People suffering from long COVID symptoms show different immune and hormonal responses to the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a new study led by researchers at Yale School of Medicine. An estimated 7.5% of people infected with the SARS-CoV-2…
Researchers find potential way to tweak immune system to help it fight tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is old—ancient even. The infectious bacterial disease that plagued Old Testament Israelites and took down pharaohs was eventually stunted by vaccinations, antibiotics, and public health measures like isolation, but it hasn’t been cured yet. More than a million people around the world still die from TB every year.
New SARS-CoV-2 variant Eris on the rise
As a result of vaccination or infection, our immune system produces antibodies that attach to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from entering and replicating within cells.
LJI scientists harness ‘helper’ T cells to treat tumors
La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) scientists have published a pair of studies that show how we might harness CD4+ T cells while boosting the cancer-fighting power of CD8+ “killer” T cells.
New LJI research has major implications for controlling T cell activity
According to new research in the journal Immunity, T cells have a nuclear receptor doing something very odd—but very important—to help them fight pathogens and destroy cancer cells.
Dr. Jaime Avila shares back-to-school tips that parents should know.
Jaime Avila, MD, at Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center, answers common patient questions and reacts to the latest medical research What can parents do to help ease back-to-school anxiety? (SOT@ :14, TRT :51) Some kids may not…
A new look inside Ebola’s “viral factories”
The study, led by scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), reveals the inner workings of viral factories, clusters of viral proteins and genomes that form in host cells.
Mimicking the body’s own defenses to destroy enveloped viruses
Viruses often mutate or hide themselves within cells. But by mimicking the way the immune system naturally deals with invaders, researchers reporting in ACS Infectious Diseases have developed a “peptoid” antiviral therapy that effectively inactivates three viruses in lab tests.

Alternative cellular ‘fuels’ boost immunity
A metabolic by-product that is more prevalent during fasting may supercharge immune cells as they fight infection and disease, reports an early stage study by Van Andel Institute scientists and collaborators.

New algorithm may fuel vaccine development
Immune system researchers have designed a computational tool to boost pandemic preparedness. Scientists can use this new algorithm to compare data from vastly different experiments and better predict how individuals may respond to disease.
Immune system changes behavior to promote allergen avoidance
The immune system plays a key role in changing our behaviors in response to environmental dangers, a new Yale School of Medicine study finds. Researchers found ova-allergic mice lost their avoidance behavior to the egg protein when Immunoglobulin E antibodies,…
Researchers Find an Immune System ‘Trip Wire’ That Detects COVID-19
Biologists have identified a previously unknown way that our immune system detects viruses. The immune protein CARD8 acts as a trip wire to detect a range of viruses, including the virus that causes COVID. They also found that CARD8 functions differently among species and varies between humans.

‘Tipping The Balance’ Of Immune Cells from Bad to Good Reverses Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms in Mice
According to the federal government’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, nearly 3 million people worldwide — with almost a third in the United States — are living with multiple sclerosis (MS), a disabling neurological disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks nerves feeding information to the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). Although rarely fatal, MS can lead to long-term disabilities, and impair movement, muscle control, vision and cognition.
Immune system discovery could benefit spinal cord injuries
New research suggests that the immune system’s ability to respond to spinal cord injuries diminishes with age – and identifies potential avenues to improve that response and help patients heal.
Saturated fatty acids promote immune escape of oral cancers
A team from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center and School of Dentistry, led by Yu Leo Lei, D.D.S., Ph.D., have identified a mechanism in mice for how obesity affects some oral cancers’ ability to escape from the immune system.

One step closer to eliminating latency, the real challenge in combating HIV
An international study led by MELIS-UPF researchers from the Infection Biology and Molecular Virology laboratories has identified and characterized Schlafen 12 (SLFN 12) as a novel HIV restriction factor.
How interleukin-6 helps prevent allergic asthma and atopy by suppressing interleukin-2 signaling
The immune system has a biological telecommunications system — small proteins known as interleukins that send signals among the leukocyte white blood cells to control their defense against infections or nascent cancer.
CHOP-led Study Identifies Two Different Regulatory T Cell Populations
A regulatory class of human T cells descends from two different origins, one that relates to autoimmunity and one that relates to protective immunity, according to a new study led by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). The findings, published today in Science Immunology, could pave the way for new treatments for autoimmune diseases that target the immune system selectively.
Traumatic Brain Injury Interferes with Immune System Cells’ Recycling Process in Brain Cells
In a new study published in the January issue of Autophagy, they found that after traumatic brain injury, the brain’s immune system cells’ internal recycling function slowed dramatically, allowing waste products to build up and interfere with recovery from injury.
20-Year Study May Upend Long-Held Theory About Chromosomes and Cancer
Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say their 20-year study of more than 200 people with premature aging syndromes caused by abnormally short telomeres, or shortened repetitive DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes, may upend long-held scientific dogma and settle conflicting studies about how and whether short telomeres contribute to cancer risk.
How a Lowly Immune Cell Helps the Immune System Fight Cancer
New research reveals that long-underestimated neutrophils play key role in determining success of cancer immunotherapy
Artificial Sweetener could dampen immune response to disease in mice
Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute have found that high consumption of a common artificial sweetener, sucralose, lowers activation of T-cells, an important component of the immune system, in mice.
First nasal monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 shows promise for treating virus, other diseases
A pilot trial by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, tested the nasal administration of the drug Foralumab, an anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody.
Harvard Medical School Media Immersion: Boston, June 8-9, 2023
Application deadline: March 31
CDI, Axiom Space Sign Agreement to Pursue Science – In Space
Hackensack Meridian science institute, commercial space leader to work together beyond our atmosphere for clues to better protect human health
Chronic Alcohol Use May Increase Risk for SARS-CoV2 Infection, Study Suggests
A newly published animal study found that chronic alcohol consumption may create conditions in the body that can facilitate infection by SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. The study, published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, found that chronic alcohol use increased the levels of an enzyme that helps the virus enter the cells and, therefore, may increase the risk for COVID-19.
Immunaeon Joins the RegenMed Hub
Immunaeon is the latest addition to the RegeneratOR’s Innovation AcceleratOR, located in the Regenerative Medicine Hub (RegenMed Hub), a rapidly growing regenerative medicine ecosystem based in the Innovation Quarter of Winston-Salem.
How a high fat diet allows expulsion of intestinal parasite worms
Scientists have discovered that a high-fat diet allows the immune system to eliminate a parasitic worm which is a major cause of death and illness in the developing world.
Why lung cancer doesn’t respond well to immunotherapy
Immunotherapy — drug treatment that stimulates the immune system to attack tumors — works well against some types of cancer, but it has shown mixed success against lung cancer.
Boosting anti-cancer antibodies by reducing their grip
New research from the Centre for Cancer Immunology at the University of Southampton, published ahead of World Cancer Day (4 February), has shown that changing how tightly an antibody binds to a target could improve treatments for cancer.
Immunocompromised patients remain at higher risk of COVID-19 death in hospital
People with weakened immune systems remain more likely to die if hospitalised with COVID-19 than patients with normal immune systems, a new UK study has confirmed.
More than two billion are infected with this disease; Vitamin D can help
Sarcomas are cancer tumours found in e.g. the bones, muscles or fatty tissue. It is a rare type of cancer seen in only one per cent of cancer patients. It is complex and difficult to treat.
CUVET Successfully Developed the First Stem Cell Transplantation Technology to Treat Pet Diabetes
For the first time in Thailand, a research team from Chula’s Faculty of Veterinary Science (CUVET) is the first to have successfully developed a method to culture dog pancreatic cells from stem cells and cell transplantation technology. They aim to test the method in the lab and sick animals suffering from diabetes.
American Lung Association to Study New Treatment Approach for Lung Cancer
Sean P. Pitroda, MD, Assistant Professor of Radiation and Cellular Oncology at the University of Chicago, has received a Lung Cancer Discovery Award and been selected to join the American Lung Association Research Team for his work to improve treatment response in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (mNSCLC).
LJI Instructor Annie Elong Ngono, Ph.D., wins GVN support to advance infectious disease research
LJI Instructor Annie Elong Ngono, Ph.D., has spearheaded important studies into the immune response to deadly pathogens such as dengue virus. Now, this dedication to global health and virology has earned her acceptance to the Global Virus Network’s (GVN) highly selective Rising Star Mentorship Program.
LJI researchers find missing piece of the asthma puzzle
“This is a very striking and significant result that essentially separates LIGHT from any of the other inflammatory cytokines that have been implicated in the process in severe asthmatics.”
Common immune cells can prevent intestinal healing
B cells are critical to the proper functioning of the immune system.
Immune T cell defence is coping with COVID-19 variants of concern – for now
Immune T cells are continuing to target the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, although mutations are making some T cells less effective, according to new research.
DNA barcoding reveals cancer cells’ ability to evade the immune system
Some cancer cells can deploy parallel mechanisms to evade the immune system’s defences as well as resist immunotherapy treatment, according to a new study from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research.
Cecilia Lindestam Arlehamn wins WHAM Edge Award funding to study sex-based differences in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases
Cecilia Lindestam Arlehamn, Ph.D., aims to shed light on how sex-based immune system differences may affect the development and progression of these neurodegenerative diseases in men versus women.

The Black Death shaped the evolution of immunity genes, setting the course for how we respond to disease today, researchers find
An international team of scientists who analyzed centuries-old DNA from victims and survivors of the Black Death pandemic has identified key genetic differences that determined who lived and who died, and how those aspects of our immune systems have continued to evolve since that time.

Selection of human immune-related genes was driven by the Black Death
New research on ancient DNA found individuals with two copies of a specific variant of the ERAP2 gene were much more likely to survive the plague.
Disarming the Body’s Defenders
Study shows how certain cancers neutralize T cells to subvert the immune system and help tumors grow
Uncovering the skin’s secrets: Studies show how skin forms differently across the body
Two recent UC Davis studies reveal how skin forms differently across different areas of the body from the face and underarms to the palms of our hands and feet. By profiling the changes in skin, researchers found that the differences have a direct impact for how various skin diseases form across the body.
Newly Discovered “Danger Signal” May Spur Vaccine Development and Allergy Treatment
A team of Rutgers researchers and others inject parasitic worms into mice to study how injured cells trigger an immune response.
Researchers ID Low Immune Cell Responsiveness and High Level of Proteins as Features of COVID-19 Severity
Article title: Chemokines, soluble PD-L1 and immune cell hyporesponsiveness are distinct features of SARS-CoV-2 critical illness Authors: Eric D. Morrell, Pavan K. Bhatraju, Neha A. Sathe, Jonathan Lawson, Linzee Mabrey, Sarah E. Holton, Scott R. Presnell, Alice Wiedeman, Carolina Acosta-Vega,…
The immune system can help us diagnose cancer
One of the deadliest forms of cancer is biliary tract cancer. Only one in three patients diagnosed with the disease is operable. The rest must settle for life-sustaining treatment.
Anti-rejection medication and immunotherapy kicks cancer and protects kidney transplants
Adding immunotherapy to standard anti-rejection medication could change the lives of thousands of kidney transplant patients with incurable cancer, as new research shows it can reduce this risk of organ rejection and eliminate cancer in a quarter of patients.
Milk boost: Research shows how breastfeeding offers immune benefits
When infants breastfeed, they receive an immune boost that helps them fight off infectious diseases, according to recent research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.