Researchers identified a key metabolite in cells that helps direct immune responses and explains at a single cell level why immune cells that most efficiently recognize pathogens, vaccines, or diseased cells grow and divide faster than other cells.
Tag: Immunology
AAI Announces Esteemed 2024 Distinguished Fellows: Recognizing Excellence in Immunological Innovation and Leadership
Recognizing exceptional scientific contributions and noteworthy service to the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) and the wider immunology community, AAI announces its 2024 class of Distinguished Fellows.
LJI welcomes new faculty member Miguel Reina-Campos, Ph.D.
Cancer researcher Miguel Reina-Campos, Ph.D., has joined the faculty of La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) as an Assistant Professor to lead the Laboratory of Tissue Immune Networks. His laboratory at LJI aims to investigate the basis of CD8+ T cell tissue immunity to improve life-saving cancer immunotherapies.
Long COVID linked to persistently high levels of inflammatory protein: a potential biomarker and target for treatments
SARS-CoV-2 triggers the production of the antiviral protein IFN-γ, which is associated with fatigue, muscle ache and depression. New research shows that in Long COVID patients, IFN-y production persists until symptoms improve, highlighting a potential biomarker and a target for therapies.
In Memoriam: Jonathan W. Uhr, M.D., renowned immunologist and longtime Chair of Microbiology
Jonathan W. Uhr, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Immunology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, who discovered how antibodies are made and developed a technique that led to the early detection of cancer cells, died Feb. 15. He was 96. Dr. Uhr was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
New Trial Highlights Incremental Progress Towards a Cure for HIV-1
A new clinical trial, led by clinicians and researchers at the UNC School of Medicine, show that the combination of the drug vorinostat and immunotherapy may modestly shrink the latent HIV reservoir, but more work needs to be done in the field to create a cure.
Renowned Immunologist Dr. Gary Koretzky to Receive AAI Lifetime Achievement Award Honoring Exceptional Contributions to Immunology
Recognizing the impact of his research and outstanding leadership in the field of immunology, Gary Koretzky, M.D., Ph.D., DFAAI (AAI ’92), will receive the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Lifetime Achievement Award, the association’s highest honor, at the AAI annual conference IMMUNOLOGY2024TM, May 3-7 in Chicago.
Brain Protein’s Virus-Like Structure May Help Explain Cancer-Induced Memory Loss
In a rare but serious complication of cancer, the immune system can start attacking the brain, causing rapid memory loss. What triggers this was largely unknown. Now, researchers at University of Utah Health have found that some tumors can release a virus-like protein, kickstarting an out-of-control autoimmune reaction.
New technology makes cancer easier for immune system to find and destroy
A new technology to increase visibility of cancer cells to the immune system using CRISPR has been developed, and could lead to a new way to treat cancer.
Ursula Storb, immunologist and role model for women scientists, 1936-2023
Storb was a Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology for more than 29 years.
Jean-Laurent Casanova is Recipient of 2023 Maria I. New International Prize for Biomedical Research
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai will award its 2023 Maria I. New International Prize for Biomedical Research to Jean-Laurent Casanova, MD, PhD, for revolutionizing our understanding of human infectious diseases through the discovery of genetic and immunological determinants that underpin both rare and common infectious illnesses. The prize honors medical pioneers in the tradition of Maria I. New, MD, a world-renowned researcher in pediatric genetic disorders with a special focus on endocrinology over her six-decade career. Dr. Casanova will receive a prize of $20,000 and will present the Maria I. New Distinguished Lecture during a ceremony to be held in at Icahn Mount Sinai in New York City on November 21, 2023.
American Association of Immunologists Congratulates Dr. Steven Rosenberg on Receiving the National Medal of Technology and Innovation
AAI celebrates an immunologist being given the National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Army of specialized T cells may trigger asthma attacks in older men
LA JOLLA, CA—Scientists from La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) and The University of Southampton, UK, have uncovered a group of immune cells that may drive severe asthma. These cells, called cytotoxic CD4+ tissue-resident memory T cells, gather in the lungs and appear to possess the molecular weaponry to cause the most harm in men who developed asthma later in life.
Miriam Merad, MD, PhD, Elected to the National Academy of Medicine for Seminal Work in Immunology and Cell Biology
Miriam Merad, MD, PhD, an esteemed immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) in recognition of her pioneering contributions to the fields of immunology and cell biology.
World-first research breakthrough sparks new hope for bowel cancer patients
Every year, over 15,500 Australians are diagnosed with bowel cancer, and it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the country. Over 1,700 (one in ten) of those diagnosed are young Australians aged under 50, and this incidence is increasing.
Allergy study on ‘wild’ mice challenges the hygiene hypothesis
The notion that some level of microbial exposure might reduce our risk of developing allergies has arisen over the last few decades and has been termed the hygiene hypothesis.
Study offers way to increase immune checkpoint inhibitor effectiveness in patients with MTAP-deleted cancers
The deletion of MTAP is primarily responsible for the decline in T cell function and lack of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients whose tumor cells lack working copies of this gene.
The American Association of Immunologists Announces 2023 Recipients of the Careers in Immunology Fellowships
The American Association of Immunologists awards thirteen principal investigators one year of salary support for trainees
The American Association of Immunologists Announces 2023 Recipients of the Travel for Techniques Awards Program
AAI awarded four scientists funds for trips to laboratories to learn new research techniques
Cell therapy can reduce risk of death from COVID-19 by 60%, study shows
The use of cell therapy to treat COVID-19 patients can reduce the risk of death from the disease by 60%, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis conducted by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil, in partnership with colleagues in Germany and the United States.
UTSW researchers identify driver of inflammatory bowel disease
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered an intracellular mechanism that converts protective intestinal cells into disease-driving pathogenic cells, a finding that could lead to improved treatments for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
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.
Intestinal bacteria release molecular ‘brake’ on weight gain
Bacteria that live in the intestines inhibit a molecule that limits the amount of fat absorbed, increasing weight gain in mice fed a high-sugar, high-fat diet, researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center report. The findings, published in Science, could eventually lead to new ways to combat obesity, diabetes, and malnutrition – health problems that plague hundreds of millions worldwide.
Rather than providing protection, an Omicron infection may leave patients more susceptible to future COVID infections, researchers find after studying seniors in care
Researchers at McMaster University have found that rather than conferring immunity against future infections, infection during the first Omicron wave of COVID left the seniors they studied much more vulnerable to reinfection during the second Omicron wave.
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.
Expert Available to Discuss Rise in Rare and Obscure Diseases
There’s been an uptick in the U.S. recently in relatively obscure and rare diseases — malaria, leprosy, measles –– making a comeback, with many in the health community sounding the alarm bells. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Brian DeHaven, PhD, an expert in virology and immunology,…
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.
Moffitt Names Paulo Rodriguez, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Immunology and Co-Leader of the Immuno-Oncology Program
Moffitt Cancer Center has appointed Paulo Rodriguez, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Immunology and co-leader of the Immuno-Oncology Program.
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.
Cancer Research Institute Awards Over $28 Million in Grants to Fuel Immunotherapy Innovations
The Cancer Research Institute awarded $28.7 million in research grants and fellowships in the 2023 fiscal year ending June 30, 2023. In total, CRI distributed 73 awards that will advance cancer immunology research at 41 institutions in 10 countries. CRI grants were awarded to support projects involving a variety of immune-based approaches as well as the development of novel technologies that may help pave the way for the next generation of immunotherapies.
Gene that regulates immune activity in the retina identified
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a gene called Lipe that appears to be pivotal to retinal health, with mutations spurring immune activation and retinal degeneration. This is important because the retina is responsible for detecting the light that is transformed into vision. The findings, published in Communications Biology, provide clues about the mechanisms behind a variety of disorders affecting the retina, including macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
Akiko Iwasaki, Ph.D., Is 2023–2024 President of The American Association of Immunologists
AAI announces new president
The American Association of Immunologists Appoints Gail A. Bishop as Incoming Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Immunology
The American Association of Immunologists Appoints Gail A. Bishop as Incoming Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Immunology
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.
CHOP Researchers Show that IgA Fine Tunes the Body’s Interactions with Microbes
A new study by researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has demonstrated that IgA acts as a “tuner” that regulates the number of microbes the body sees every day, restraining the systemic immune response to these commensal microbes and limiting the development of systemic immune dysregulation.
UC San Diego First to Test Cancer Drugs in Space Using Private Astronaut Mission
The latest space experiments from UC San Diego and Axiom Space will explore therapies for breast and colorectal cancer aboard the ISS, and monitor astronauts’ stem cell health over time.
Tipsheet: Donate Life Month 2023
Experts from the Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Transplant Center and Smidt Heart Institute are available for interviews about transplantation, immunology and organ donation in April, Donate Life Month, and throughout the year.
Too Much Insulin Can Be as Dangerous as Too Little
UC San Diego researchers describe a key player in the defense mechanism that safeguards against excessive insulin in the body, which can be as harmful as too little.
To Ward Off Aging, Stem Cells Must Take Out the Trash
UC San Diego researchers find stem cells use a surprising system for discarding misfolded proteins. This unique pathway could be the key to maintaining long-term health and preventing age-related blood and immune disorders.
Simmons Cancer Center investigators receive nearly $15 million in CPRIT funding
Ten scientists in the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center have been awarded nearly $15 million in grants from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to advance research on a wide range of cancer issues.
Healthy gut bacteria can help fight cancer in other parts of the body, UTSW researchers find
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how healthy bacteria can escape the intestine, travel to lymph nodes and cancerous tumors elsewhere in the body, and boost the effectiveness of certain immunotherapy drugs. The findings, published in Science Immunology, shed light on why antibiotics can weaken the effect of immunotherapies and could lead to new cancer treatments.
Harvard Medical School Media Immersion: Boston, June 8-9, 2023
Application deadline: March 31
UC San Diego’s Astrobiotechnology Hub to Drive Drug Discovery in Space
UC San Diego’s new Astrobiotechnology Hub brings together leaders in academia, biotechnology and aerospace industries under a united mission to advance stem cell science and commercialization in space.
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
New $17 million grant establishes LJI as global hub for immunology data curation and analysis
A new grant of over $17 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has established La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) as the leading institute for human immunology data curation, analysis, and dissemination. With this funding, LJI has taken the helm of the Human Immunology Project Consortium Data Coordinating Center, a critical tool in the effort to fuel scientific collaboration in immunoprofiling and highlight findings from the overall Human Immunology Project Consortium (HIPC).
Cleveland Clinic Announces Next Step in Preventive Breast Cancer Vaccine Study
Cleveland Clinic researchers have launched the next step in their novel study of a vaccine aimed at preventing triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive and lethal form of the disease.
Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti, Ph.D. named 2022 AAAS Fellow
Immunologist recognized for her achievements in the field of innate immunity, developing new concepts in inflammasome biology and inflammatory cell death, PANoptosis.
Artificial Intelligence Aids Discovery of Super Tight-Binding Antibodies
UC San Diego scientists developed an artificial intelligence tool that could accelerate the development of new high affinity antibody drugs.
Tissue-Specific Immunity May Be the Future, if We Can First Learn its Rules
UC San Diego study reveals critical insights into the complex biology of tissue-specific T cells, paving the way for a new branch of precision therapeutics in immunity, autoimmunity, and cancer.