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UrduA Ludwig Cancer Research study has identified a metabolic switch in the immune system’s T cells that is essential to the generation of memory T cells—which confer lasting immunity to previously encountered pathogens—and a T cell subtype found in tumors that drives anti-tumor responses during immunotherapy.
Tag: T cells
Rare diseases point to connections between metabolism and immunity
Inherited diseases of metabolism and immunity have more in common than previously recognized, according to a new study published in the journal Science Immunology. The findings point to a new set of metabolic genes that are important for the function of immune system T cells, and they offer insights that could improve care for patients with these disorders.
Meteorin-Like Protein Drains Energy From T Cells, Limiting Immune System’s Power to Fight Cancer
A protein called Meteorin-like (METRNL) in the tumor microenvironment saps energy from T cells, thereby severely limiting their ability to fight cancer.
MD Anderson and collaborators to launch project studying T cells on International Space Station
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and collaborators are initiating a research project that will send T cells to the International Space Station (ISS) to study the effects of prolonged microgravity on cell differentiation, activation, memory and exhaustion.
Announcing Stephen Jameson, Ph.D., as 2024-2025 President of the American Association of Immunologists
The American Association of Immunologists (AAI)
proudly announces Stephen Jameson, Ph.D., as its 2024-2025 president following his election to the office this past spring. Jameson, a distinguished immunologist, has been a member of the AAI Council since 2019 and will assume his new role on July 1, 2024.
Master autoimmune regulator gets by with a little help from its friends
See how St. Jude researchers investigated Foxp3 function as a transcription cofactor in regulatory T cells in immune system activation and suppression.
New research points to ‘stem-like’ T cells as culprits in ulcerative colitis
The researchers hope to one day target this T cell population via drug therapy. “These cells may be a very important target for treating ulcerative colitis and perhaps other autoimmune diseases…”
Obesity-cancer connection discovery suggests strategies for improving immunotherapy
The study reported in the journal Nature provides a mechanistic explanation for the “obesity paradox” — that obesity can contribute to cancer progression but also improve response to immunotherapy.
Getting Under the Skin at May 11 Symposium on Melanoma
The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai Cancer, is teaming up with the AIM at Melanoma Foundation for the 14th year to host a free melanoma symposium for patients, caregivers and clinicians.
Immune response, not acute viral infections, responsible for neurological damage, McMaster researchers discover
For years, there has been a long-held belief that acute viral infections like Zika or COVID-19 are directly responsible for neurological damage, but researchers from McMaster University have now discovered that it’s the immune system’s response that is behind it.
Some Benefits of Exercise Stem from the Immune System
Research in mice shows that the anti-inflammatory properties of exercise may arise from immune cells mobilized to counter exercise-induced inflammation. Immune cells prevent muscle damage by lowering levels of interferon, a key driver of chronic inflammation, inflammatory diseases, and aging.
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.
Researchers Report Protein Mutation Creates ‘Super’ T Cells with Potential to Fight Off Cancer and Infections
Using laboratory-grown cells from humans and genetically engineered mice, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have evidence that modifying a specific protein in immune white blood cells known as CD8+ T cells can make the cells more robust, potentially opening the door for better use of people’s own immune system T cells to fight cancer.
Disrupting A Core Metabolic Process In T Cells May Improve Their Therapeutic Efficacy
In exploring an aspect of how killer T cells generate the raw materials required for their proliferation, a Ludwig Cancer Research study has uncovered an unexpected link between the immune cells’ metabolism, regulation of gene expression, persistence and functional efficacy that could be exploited using existing drugs to improve cancer immunotherapy.
Specialized T cells in the brain slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease
Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital found that a subset of CD8+ T cells in the brain lessens the activation of microglia and limits disease pathology in a model of Alzheimer’s disease.
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.
Asymptomatic infections may underlie recent rise in whooping cough
In a new study, scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) compared the immune response of individuals who received older versus newer versions of the whooping cough vaccine. The unexpected findings may help explain the recent rise in whooping cough cases and point to potential targets for the next generation of vaccines.
First New Jersey Patient Treated with Genetically Modified T-Cells Developed at state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey has treated its first patient using genetically modified T-cells that were manufactured in its own state-of-the-art Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) facility.
‘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.
Family resemblance: How T cells could fight many coronaviruses at once
Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology show that T cells can recognize several different viral targets, called “antigens,” shared between most coronaviruses, including common cold coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2. They also looked more in-depth at what fragments of these antigens, called “epitopes,” are recognized and how conserved they are across different coronaviruses.
Inhibition of distinct glycolytic enzymes produces differential effects on CD4 T cell function
Introduction When T cells are activated, they upregulate glycolysis and take on a requisite Warburg phenotype. In this study, we evaluated the effect of inhibiting two distinct glycolytic enzymes, GAPDH and PGAM, on CD4 T cell differentiation. Methods/Results Using…
Susceptibility to Pathogenic T Cells in Chronic Lung Disease May Have Genetic Basis
UC San Francisco researchers have uncovered a surprising role for fibroblasts in the lungs in activating T cell inflammation that drives lung destruction in COPD exacerbation triggered by viral infection. They also identified a T cell subset that can be targeted to treat COPD exacerbations.
Harnessing good fats to relieve MS symptoms
Researchers find that fish oil derivative reduces and delays disease–causing inflammation in mouse model of multiple sclerosis
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.”
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.
Disarming the Body’s Defenders
Study shows how certain cancers neutralize T cells to subvert the immune system and help tumors grow
WFIRM researchers create specific cancer organoid system to study bacterial effects on immunotherapy
Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) researchers are using a tumor organoid system to examine the effects of metabolites secreted by bacteria on a specialized immunotherapy – immune checkpoint blockage, a promising cancer treatment development – to determine why some patients don’t respond or develop a resistance to the treatment over time.
Boot Camp for the Immune System
Researchers identify new mechanism that teaches immune cells-in-training to spare the body’s own tissues while attacking pathogens.
Helping the body make more insulin
Aresearch team is testing a protein block to suppress specific cells of the body’s immune system contribute to developing type 1 diabetes. If successful, the drug would diminish autoimmunity, preserving the body’s ability to naturally produce more insulin, the researchers said.
UCLA study identifies receptor that could alleviate need for chemo, radiation pre-T cell therapy
A research team led by UCLA’s Anusha Kalbasi, MD, has shown that a synthetic IL-9 receptor allows cancer-fighting T cells to do their work without the need for chemotherapy or radiation.
Haywire T cells attack protein in “bad” cholesterol
Detecting these T cells may lead to diagnostics to better detect heart disease—and disease severity.
Why Breakthrough COVID? Antibodies Fighting Original Virus May Be Weaker Against Omicron
If you’re wondering why after two vaccination doses and a booster shot, you still got sick from the omicron strain of the virus that causes COVID-19, one possible answer may have been found in a recent study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Yale Cancer Center Study Shows Stem-Like T Cells Could Aid Immunotherapy in Cancer Treatment
In a new study by Yale Cancer Center, researchers show stem-like T cells within certain lymph nodes could be natural cancer fighters.
Engineering CAR T Cells to Deliver Endogenous RNA Wakes Solid Tumors to Respond to Therapy
New study shows CAR T cells expressing RN7SL1 can activate the body’s natural immune cells against difficult-to-treat cancers
T cell response not critical for immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 or recovery from COVID-19
New research conducted in monkeys reveals that T cells are not critical for the recovery of primates from acute COVID-19 infections.
Discovery shows how tuning the immune system may enhance vaccines and ease disease
A metabolic control pathway that regulates T follicular helper cells offers targets for drugs to stimulate the adaptive immune response.
Research News Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins Medicine
NEWS STORIES IN THIS ISSUE:
– Study Says Failure to Rid Amyloid Beta Protein from Brain May Lead to Alzheimer’s Disease
– Johns Hopkins Medicine Team Discovers Novel Mediator of Once Mysterious Chronic Itch – Study Suggests Molecular Changes in Tissue Microenvironment May Promote Colorectal Cancer
– Researchers ID Anti-Inflammatory Proteins as Therapy Targets for Nasal and Sinus Problem
– Johns Hopkins Children’s Center Receives NIH Award to Study Dangerous Pediatric Disease
How the Body Builds a Healthy Relationship with “Good” Gut Bacteria
Research published in Nature reveals insights into how the body maintains balance with “good” gut bacteria that allows these microbes to flourish in the intestine but keeps them out of tissues and organs where they’re not supposed to be.
Antiviral T cells safe and effective for treating debilitating complication common after stem cell transplants
A Phase II trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found that BK virus (BKV)-specific T cells from healthy donors were safe and effective as an off-the-shelf therapy for BKV-associated hemorrhagic cystitis (BKV-HC), a painful complication common after allogeneic stem cell transplants for patients with leukemia or lymphoma. The study was published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Story Tips from Johns Hopkins Experts on COVID-19
NEWS STORIES IN THIS ISSUE:
PREGNANT AFTER THE FIRST DOSE OF COVID-19 VACCINE — NOW WHAT?
STUDY SHOWS VACCINES MAY PROTECT AGAINST NEW COVID-19 STRAINS … AND MAYBE THE COMMON COLD
EXPANDED DASHBOARD TOOL RANKS ACCESSIBILITY OF STATE VACCINE WEBSITES
Story Tips from Johns Hopkins Experts on COVID-19
Coping with childhood anxiety amid returning to the classroom; new global tracker measures pandemic’s impact on education worldwide; Covid-19 drives innovation and evolution in patient care…
Researchers Identify Immune Cells that Contribute to Transplant Rejection
‘Tissue-resident memory T cells’, whose main function is to provide local protection against re-infection, contribute to chronic transplant rejection.
Balanced T cell response key to avoiding COVID-19 symptoms, study suggests
By analyzing blood samples from individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, researchers in Singapore have begun to unpack the different responses by the body’s T cells that determine whether or not an individual develops COVID-19. The study, published today in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), suggests that clearing the virus without developing symptoms requires T cells to mount an efficient immune response that produces a careful balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules.
Insight About Tumor Microenvironment Could Boost Cancer Immunotherapy
A paper published today in Nature shows how chemicals in the areas surrounding tumors – known as the tumor microenvironment – subvert the immune system and enable cancer to evade attack. These findings suggest that an existing drug could boost cancer immunotherapy.
Scientists Find Key Function of Molecule in Cells Crucial for Regulating Immunity
Scientists discovered that the molecule AIM2 is important for the proper function of regulatory T cells and plays a key role in mitigating autoimmune disease. Treg cells are a seminal population of adaptive immune cells that prevents an overzealous immune responses.
Story Tips from Johns Hopkins Experts on COVID-19
Vaccines take time to work. After getting a COVID-19 vaccine, it takes a while for the immune system to fully respond and provide protection from the virus. For the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, it takes up to two weeks after the second shot to become appropriately protected.
A closer look at T cells reveals big differences in mild vs. severe COVID-19 cases
A big question on people’s minds these days: how long does immunity to SARS-CoV-2 last following infection?
Now a research team from La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), The University of Liverpool and the University of Southampton has uncovered an interesting clue. Their new study suggests that people with severe COVID-19 cases may be left with more of the protective “memory” T cells needed to fight reinfection.
Immunology study finds protein critical to T cell metabolism and anti-tumor immune response
Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that a protein called NF-kappa B-inducing kinase (NIK) is essential for the shift in metabolic activity that occurs with T cell activation, making it a critical factor in regulating the anti-tumor immune response.
Weizmann Institute of Science and Colleagues Show How Cancer Cells Hurt Themselves to Hurt Immune Cells More
Melanoma is skilled at evading therapies, with its cells going so far as to starve in order to stop the immune cells that would eradicate them. A team from the Weizmann Institute, including Prof. Yardena Samuels; the Netherlands Cancer Institute; and the University of Oslo have revealed one of melanoma’s tricks – never before seen in human cells – and a therapeutic target.
New study points to a better way to ward off asthma triggers
While quick-acting inhalers and medications can reduce inflammation during an asthma attack, people with asthma have few tools to prevent the next attack from coming. Now researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have discovered that blocking two immune molecules at the same time is key to preventing asthma attacks in a mouse model.