All articles tagged: Immunology

Northwestern Medicine investigators have uncovered how a protein contributes to heart transplant tolerance in mice, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Analyzing nasal swabs taken during the pandemic, researchers at Yale School of Medicine suggest that the frequent presence of other viruses and bacteria may have helped to protect children from the worst effects of COVID-19 by boosting their immune systems. Their results are published July 1 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM).

Bone marrow adipocytes (BMAds) are situated within the bone microenvironment, in close proximity to bone cells, vascular structures, and hematopoietic tissues. The shift of bone marrow stromal/stem cells (BMSCs) lineage towards committed adipogenic progenitors at the expense of osteoprogenitors is driven by abnormal signaling within the bone microenvironment due to pathophysiological conditions.

The protein Foxp3 is vital to the function of immune cells called regulatory T cells, which control immune system activation. Despite its importance, how Foxp3 regulates the immune system using environmental cues has remained unclear.

Despite high hopes, a drug that wipes out the namesake cell type associated with the disease eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) doesn't make patients feel better and doesn't reverse tissue damage in their throats.

B cells are known to generate antibodies through two different responses—an "emergency response" and an "everything is okay, let's prepare for the future response," says Mark Shlomchik, UPMC Professor and Distinguished Professor of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Researchers have developed a novel method capable of producing clinical doses of viable autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells in a ultra-small automated closed-system microfluidic chip, roughly the size of a pack of cards.

Antibodies can be likened to keys, with antigens as the corresponding locks. Each antibody is uniquely shaped to fit a specific antigen, much like a key fits its particular lock. The precise ability to bind to disease-causing proteins makes antibodies invaluable for researchers developing new treatments.

Researchers from the Department of Bioengineering (BE), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), have designed a novel 3D hydrogel culture system that mimics the mammalian lung environment. It provides a powerful platform to track and study how tuberculosis bacteria infect lung cells and test the efficacy of therapeutics used to treat TB.

Moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise training are associated with improvements in clinical asthma outcomes, according to a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: in Practice.

Our bone marrow—the fatty, jelly-like substance inside our bones—is an unseen powerhouse quietly producing 500 billion new blood cells every day. That process is driven by hematopoietic stem cells that generate all of the various types of blood cells in our bodies and regenerating themselves to keep the entire assembly line of blood production operating smoothly.

What causes food allergies to develop? There's compelling evidence that suggests imbalances of the gut microbiome could be to blame, creating inflammation of the intestinal tract and a gut environment that's prone to food allergies.

An enzyme-based treatment developed by Yale researchers mitigated autoimmunity and reduced death rates in both genetic and non-genetic mouse lupus models, a new study reveals.

Chinese scientists reveal the feasibility, tolerability, and efficacy of BCMA-CD19 bispecific CAR T-cells for treating chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and highlight the potential of CAR-T cell therapy in treating relapsed/refractory autoimmune disorders. This strategy is a promising step toward creating a potentially curable treatment for CIDP.

A team of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has developed a new paper-based serological test that can rapidly and accurately monitor changes in immunity against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. This innovative technology promises to revolutionize how we assess and track immunity in individuals, providing critical data to inform public health decisions

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have shed light on how an unusual population of T cells may drive harmful inflammation in people with ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune disease that causes damage to the large intestine.

The prevalence of allergic diseases has been increasing globally, posing significant public health challenges. Allergic reactions can range from mild, such as allergic rhinitis (AR) and conjunctivitis, to severe, like allergic bronchial asthma (BA). Conventional allergy treatments like antihistamines primarily address symptoms rather than underlying immunological mechanisms.

Autoimmune diseases cannot currently be cured, only treated, and this is also true for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, which affects the central nervous system. A Kobe University study of how the treatment acts on the immune system shows that it shifts the balance of types of immune cells. This finding may represent a step toward the development of personalized medicine for autoimmune dise

Lebrikizumab is associated with sustained effects for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis for up to week 52 following withdrawal of treatment, according to a study presented at the annual Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis Conference, held from June 8 to 10 in Chicago.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have discovered that a type of white blood cell—called a regulatory T cell—exists as a single large population of cells that constantly move throughout the body looking for, and repairing, damaged tissue.

In a study published in Nature Medicine, an interdisciplinary team of researchers from The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) and the Sydney Precision Data Science Centre at the University of Sydney have, for the first time, identified molecular biomarkers for transplant rejection that are common to all the major transplanted organs: hearts, lungs, livers, and kidneys.

Due to differences in clinical presentation and limited knowledge, diagnosing Sjögren's disease in children can be challenging. Although dysregulation of multiple immune response pathways has been shown in adults, few studies have investigated pathophysiological mechanisms in children.

By late in the pandemic, more than 96% of individuals in the U.S. ages 16 and older had COVID-19 antibodies from infection or vaccination. However, immunity from the virus tends to wane over time. Uptake of the boosters has been quite low, meaning that over time the current high levels of protection will dissipate.

If you've been sick with COVID-19, you may have some protection against certain versions of the common cold.

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine have discovered a previously unknown link between two key pathways that regulate the immune system in mammals—a finding that impacts our understanding of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). This family of disorders severely impacts the health and quality of life of more than 2 million people in the United States.

While most cell types experience a functional decline after years of proliferation and replication, T cells can proliferate seemingly indefinitely and without detriment.

CAR-T cell therapies are transforming the treatment of previously incurable blood cancers. Six approved CAR-T products have been administered to more than 20,000 people, and more than 500 clinical trials are underway. However, according to a recent study out of the Massachusetts General Hospital, among 100 patients suffering from lymphomas, myelomas or B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias that wer

Immune system cells called macrophages play an unexpected role in the complicated connection between obesity and cancer, a Vanderbilt University Medical Center-led research team has discovered.

A new position paper from the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) addresses the safety of administering live vaccines to patients who are currently being treated with dupilumab, a biologic therapy for various allergic conditions.

There is no significant association between exposure to immunosuppressive therapies and development of incident cancers among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and a history of cancer, according to a study published online May 18 in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in over 700 million infections and 7 million deaths worldwide. While age is recognized as a risk factor for severe COVID-19, the reasons for this are not yet fully understood.

Ciliopathies are multisystem disorders characterized by the dysfunction of motile and/or non-motile cilia, which show common clinical manifestations of ciliopathies include retinal degeneration, mental retardation, renal abnormality, obesity, and skeletal dysplasia. Fibrosis of vital organs, characterized by the extensive deposition of extracellular matrix components, represents another complicati

Clinton Mathias, associate professor of nutritional sciences in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), has discovered a potential new treatment for allergic reactions.

A recent study by a team led by Professor Shin Kaneko successfully induced regulatory T cell (Treg)-like cells from iPS cell-derived conventional helper T cells (Tconvs) and demonstrated their ability to suppress xenogenic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). The findings are published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Bacteria, parasites, viruses—the immune system tackles them all. At the front line of the human immune response are cells called macrophages, which are responsible for correctly identifying intruders and then directing how the entire immune system responds.

Scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School have identified how the first domino falls after a person encounters an allergen, such as peanuts, shellfish, pollen or dust mites. Their discovery, published in the journal Nature Immunology, could herald the development of drugs to prevent these severe reactions.

A new study from the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center reveals a connection between the most common type of white blood cells, which act as a first defense in the body's immune system, and a severe complication of CAR T-Cell immunotherapy.

A team of researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Virginia have made progress toward developing a drug candidate for treating chronic pain more safely.

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have isolated human monoclonal antibodies against influenza B, a significant public health threat that disproportionately affects children, the elderly and other immunocompromised individuals.

Australia has often been called the "allergy capital of the world".

The research group of Professor Riitta Lahesmaa have discovered a novel modulator for human regulatory T cells. This novel regulator can strengthen or dampen immune response and provides a new basis for therapeutic approaches for immune mediated diseases.

Joshua A. Boyce, MD, chief of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, is the senior author of a paper published in Immunity, "Mast Cells Control Lung Type 2 Inflammation via Prostaglandin E2-Driven Soluble ST2."

A team of molecular oncologists at Tsinghua University's State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, in China, has found that engineered, long-lived and multifunctional T cells repress signs and symptoms of allergic asthma in mice for up to a year.

A new study conducted by researchers from the German Rheumatology Research Center Berlin, an institute of the Leibniz Association, and the Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin has shed new light on how cytokines, in particular interleukin 21(IL-21), shape long lasting humoral immunity following vaccination.

Feeding children peanuts regularly from infancy to age five reduced the rate of peanut allergy in adolescence by 71%, even after many years when the children ate or avoided peanut as desired.

New research from scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) suggests people who received COVID-19 vaccines and then experienced "breakthrough" infections are especially well armed against future SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Celery, a major cause of vegetable allergies, carries the risk of causing severe allergic reactions, especially in individuals with mugwort pollen sensitization.

Eosinophils are specialized cells of our immune system. They are identified by their distinctive granules that stain red when treated with an acidic reagent, eosin, that gave them their name. Eosinophils are typically rare in our blood and tissues, accounting for about 3% of our white blood cells. Their biological roles are poorly understood, but recent studies suggest that eosinophils are involve

Researchers from the Centenary Institute and the University of Sydney have made a major discovery in vaccine science, gaining new insights into delta inulin as a crucial vaccine component. Their findings offer a promising pathway for advancing the next generation of vaccines.

A study which examines the common skin condition, chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), characterized by recurrent hives, has been recently published by Trinity College Dublin researchers in the journal Allergy.

The immune system strikes a fine balance by identifying and neutralizing disease-causing agents while carefully avoiding destruction of healthy tissues and cells. Now, researchers from Japan have shed new light on one of the processes that helps train immune cells to act only against genuine threats.

A certain biological pathway—a set of linked reactions in the body—drives the inflammation seen in the skin disease psoriasis, a new study finds. The work could lead to improved therapies for all inflammatory skin diseases, including atopic and allergic dermatitis and a type of boil called hidradenitis suppurativa, say the study authors.

A large team of biomedical researchers affiliated with a host of institutions across the U.S., the U.K., Saudi Arabia and France, has learned more about many of the factors involved in xenotransplantation as they conducted a large number of tests on two brain-dead human patients that had received genetically engineered pig hearts.

In the battle against diseases, the human body boasts an intricate defense network capable of identifying and neutralizing threats—the immune system. It serves as a guardian, constantly patrolling the body to keep it safe from invaders like bacteria, viruses, and even cancer cells.

The COVID-19 pandemic is over, but the virus that caused it is still here, sending thousands of people to the hospital each week and spinning off new variants with depressing regularity. The virus's exceptional ability to change and evade immune defenses has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to recommend annual updates to COVID-19 vaccines.

Researchers in the Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology have identified that features of the immune system that were previously considered to be characteristics of autoimmune diseases are normal components of the immune system in human gut that interact with each other alongside bacteria. The study is published in Nature.

A new microporous scaffold functions as a minimally-invasive surveillance method to identify rejection prior to graft injury in a mouse model, according to a study published in Science Advances.

Imagine the human body mounting an excessively heightened reaction to an infection, causing multiple organ failures and posing a risk of death. This condition, recognized as sepsis, affects approximately 49 million individuals worldwide annually. To reduce the mortality rate and the global burden of sepsis, the World Health Organization has classified it as a priority research area.

Published in Nature Aging, University of Minnesota Medical School researchers have provided new insight into enhancing immune responses in older individuals and the potential for using immunotherapy to make older adults less vulnerable to infections.

The protein galectin-1 (Gal-1) has been identified as a new PET imaging biomarker for immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, allowing physicians to predict the tumor responses before beginning treatment.

Australian researchers have discovered how changes in antibody levels over time can predict which children are likely to outgrow their peanut allergy.

Malignant primary brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer deaths among children and young adults with few therapeutic options. Treatments are limited by the blood–brain barrier, a unique structure within the brain formed by tightly connected cells that line the inside of blood vessels.

Scientists from Trinity College Dublin have made an important breakthrough that offers promise for developing new immune therapies for cancer. They have discovered that a vaccine adjuvant called C100 promotes potent anti-tumor immunity when it is injected directly into tumors in an animal model.

Researchers at MIT, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School have developed a potential new treatment for alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss and affects people of all ages, including children.

New USC research shows that iron serves as a gas pedal driving certain immune cells that cause inflammation in the lungs during an allergic asthma attack—and blocking or limiting iron may reduce the severity of symptoms.

Gut microbiota or the population of microbial inhabitants in the intestine, plays a key role in digestion and maintenance of overall health. Any disturbance in the gut microbiota can, therefore, have a systemic impact. Intestinal microbes metabolize dietary components into beneficial fatty acids (FAs), supporting metabolism and maintaining host body homeostasis.

Intestinal epithelial cells line the inner wall of the gut, creating a barrier against dangerous bacteria like enteropathogenic E. coli that seek to attach to and destroy this barrier. Such pathogens pose significant risks to human health, including infant deaths due to diarrhea, particularly in developing countries.

B-cells infiltrating the lungs may be responsible for one of the most common complications in lung transplantation, which can lead to rejection, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

LMU researchers have deciphered the complex interplay of various enzymes around the innate immune receptor toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), which plays an important role in defending our bodies against viruses.

A first-of-its-kind study led by the University of Oxford has successfully investigated human immunity against COVID-19 in people who already have antibodies against it. The results suggest that previous infection, together with vaccination, offers strong protection against the original COVID-19 strain.

Daily immunotherapy delivered via a dermal patch reduced the risk of reactions, including anaphylaxis, in children with an immunoglobulin E (IgE)–mediated cow's milk allergy, according to a recent clinical trial published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Findings from a new study, led by researchers at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine and published in Nature Immunology, have uncovered key functional differences in macrophages—a type of white blood cell that plays a pivotal role in the body's innate (general) immune system as a first-line defender against pathogens.

Duke researchers have opened a new avenue in the attack against influenza viruses by creating a vaccine that encourages the immune system to target a portion of the virus surface that is less variable.

Having a child with food allergies isn't easy to manage, and now new research shows that most of these parents turn to social media for medical advice.

Currently, most therapies for allergic diseases require lifelong treatment. Allergic reactions, characterized by ongoing (type 2) inflammation in response to chronic antigen exposure, underlie many chronic diseases in humans, including asthma, atopic dermatitis, ulcerative colitis and more. T helper 2 (Th2) cells play an important role in the body's immune response, particularly in allergic reacti

Colorectal cancer stands as one of the leading malignancies in the digestive system, ranking third and second in terms of new cases among men and women worldwide, respectively. Given the high incidence of this disease and the low response rate to immunotherapy, it is imperative to identify the environmental impeding factors to devise more precise and effective therapeutic strategies.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Hirotsugu Oda at the University of Cologne's CECAD Cluster of Excellence for Aging Research has discovered the role a specific protein complex plays in certain forms of immune dysregulation. The result may lead to new therapeutic approaches aimed at reducing autoinflammation and "repairing" the immune systems of patients who suffer from a genetic dysfunction of thi

Researchers from the Organoid group have developed a new organoid model that can be used to study the thymus. The organoids are derived from mouse thymus tissue, specifically model thymic epithelial cells (TECs). These cells are responsible for training the T cells of the immune system to properly respond to pathogens.

Our lungs are bombarded by all manner of different particles every single day. While some are perfectly safe for us, others—known as pathogens—have the potential to make us ill. The immune system trains its response whenever it encounters such a pathogen. Yet researchers at the University of Bonn have now shown that even harmless particles help to improve the immune response and have published the

A fully functioning immune system is essential to help the body maintain good health, and macrophages play a critical role in maintaining robust immune responses against infections.

Chemokines are signaling proteins that orchestrate the interaction of immune cells against pathogens and tumors. To understand this complex network, various techniques have been developed to identify chemokine-producing cells.

Osaka University researchers have discovered liver resident macrophages' pivotal role in defending against gut bacteria and related substances entering via the portal vein, particularly under compromised intestinal barrier conditions. Identified as "sentinel macrophages," they are activated by isoallo-lithocholic acid.

Driven by the overuse of antimicrobials, pathogens are quickly building up resistances to once-successful treatments. It's estimated that antimicrobial-resistant infections killed more than 1 million people worldwide in 2019, according to the World Health Organization.

Adequate drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier is a critical factor in treating central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Inspired by swimming fish and the microstructure of the nasal cavity, Prof. Cui is the first to develop swimming short fibrous nasal drops that can directly target the nasal mucosa and swim in the nasal cavity, which can effectively deliver drugs to the brain. The paper is

A study by researchers at National Jewish Health published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reports that air pollutants—including particulate matter, pollen, greenhouse gases, and other harmful substances—can contribute to the development and exacerbation of allergic diseases by disrupting the skin barrier.

Gut bacteria have emerged as a focal point of scientific exploration, with their intricate roles in our metabolism, nutrition, and overall health coming into sharp focus. New research from the Technion—Israel Institute of Technology has made a discovery that could lead to a better understanding of and treatment for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as colitis and Crohn's disease. The research

In a new study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have designed a new method for developing immunotherapy drugs using engineered peptides to elicit a natural immune response inside the body.

Thinking about getting a spring-time booster shot? A new study coming out of York University's Centre for Disease Modelling in the Faculty of Science shows that immunity after a COVID-19 booster lasts much longer than the primary series alone. These findings are among other—sometimes "unintuitive"—revelations of how factors like age, sex and comorbidities do and don't affect immune response.

In a first-of-its-kind clinical trial, researchers found that intravenous therapies made from virus-specific T-cells (VST) can effectively treat immunocompromised pediatric patients, far surpassing the current standard of care, according to new research published in Nature Communications.

Today, patients who receive an organ transplant need repeated surgical biopsies to test for acute cellular rejection (ACR) throughout their lifetimes. But a blood test for ACR could be on the horizon following the discovery of a promising biomarker.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an additional indication for AstraZeneca's Fasenra (benralizumab) as an add-on maintenance treatment for patients aged 6 to 11 years with severe asthma and an eosinophilic phenotype.

Children with liver transplants must take immunosuppressant medications for life. To maintain tolerance of the transplanted liver, doctors treat transplant rejection and conduct ongoing maintenance immunosuppression by increasing dosages of medication enough to counteract rejection.

Preparing a kid for summer camp is already a daunting task, and it's even more complicated if your child has allergies or asthma, experts say.

New research using live SARS-CoV-2 virus reveals an updated vaccine provides a strong immune response against previous strains and emerging variants.

Four new studies led by Harvard Medical School researchers at Boston Children's Hospital reveal details about how B cells in the immune system churn out antibodies that become increasingly potent and specific after we're vaccinated or exposed to an infection.

The Department of Clinical Medicine at the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) leads research on the immune system's role in advanced chronic liver disease. Through various experiments on mouse cirrhosis models and human tissues, researchers have examined how the protein LSECtin interacts with the liver's immune response.

The inflammation process plays a crucial role in allergic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis. Although the pulmonary epithelium, the carpet of cells that forms the inner surface of the lungs, is recognized as a major player in the respiratory inflammation that causes these diseases, the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood.

Chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy (CAR-T cell therapy) could provide a revolutionary approach to organ transplantation for patients who are hard to match and susceptible to rejection, Mayo Clinic researchers discovered.

A pilot study led by UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center investigators suggests that for people with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer, administrating an immunotherapy drug in combination with chemotherapy before surgery is safe and may improve long-term outcomes.

Researchers have made a breakthrough into how two chronic respiratory diseases in childhood affect the immune system, paving the way for better treatments.

The immune system in the intestine maintains a careful balance, tolerating our long-term resident (commensal) gut bacteria while defending against invading pathogens. Under certain circumstances, dysregulation of our intestinal immune response to commensal and pathogenic microbes can drive inflammatory disease.

A routine blood test that measures a patient's inflammation levels could improve the early diagnosis and management of a wide range of debilitating autoimmune diseases.

Mayo Clinic scientists have developed an immunotherapy strategy that potentially lays the groundwork for treating a spectrum of autoimmune diseases.

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, have discovered that a protein called Piezo1 prevents a type of immune cell in the lung from becoming hyperactivated by allergens. The study, to be published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), suggests that switching on Piezo1 could represent a new therapeutic approach to reducing lung inflammation and treat

Autoimmune diseases are among the most puzzling because turncoat constituents of the body wage a constant state of war. Sometimes the underlying cause of an autoimmune condition is so obscure—hidden within chemical miscues of the body—that a long investigatory search must be mounted to sleuth out a cause.

Food allergies occur often in childhood and can be severe or even fatal. Researchers at National Jewish Health are working to develop a program to prevent food allergies and have now identified early predictors of the condition.

While cancer remains one of the leading global causes of death, advancements in cancer therapies have significantly improved its manageability and potential for cure. Among these revolutionary cancer treatments are chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cells, genetically engineered to combat cancer.

A protein that shuts down immune cells in the lungs could be key to a new treatment for asthma attacks, a new report says.

For patients with recurrent glioblastoma, treatment with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells engineered to target the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) variant III tumor-specific antigen, in addition to the wild-type EGFR protein, through secretion of a T-cell-engaging antibody molecule (TEAM; CARv3-TEAM-E) results in radiographic tumor regression, according to a study published online M

In a study published in the journal National Science Review, a research team aimed to enhance treatment efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors. The research was led by Dr. Zhen Gu and Dr. Hongjun Li from the College of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Zhejiang University, along with Dr. Jie Sun from the School of Medicine at Zhejiang University,

Adults with certain socio-demographic and clinical characteristics may have weaker antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccination, which could leader to a higher risk of infection, according to a recent study published in Nature Communications.

Researchers co-led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and the University of Toulouse, France, have uncovered how bacteria and their toxins prompt the human immune response, leading to inflammation.

Cutting-edge bioluminescence technology pioneered at The University of Western Australia has been used to uncover a potential game-changer in immunotherapy.

A stem cell donation saves a leukemia sufferer's life. Five years later, the patient develops a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that occurs very rarely following a transplant. Researchers from the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel have studied the case and are calling for more extensive genetic analyses in bone marrow donors.

A study used a novel transgenic mouse model (TTP knock-in—TTPKI) that has a moderate elevation of TTP systemically to understand if there is a long-term benefit for bone health, thus contributing towards healthy aging. The research was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Cra

Researchers at the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have published a new study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases investigating the antibody response following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) 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.

A recent Northwestern Medicine study has shed light on the mechanisms of a specific protein that is necessary for the production of IgA antibodies in the gut in response to food allergens, according to findings published in the journal Mucosal Immunology.

Compared to adults, newborns are highly susceptible to infections and these infections can cause serious health complications and even death.

Making a personalized T cell therapy for cancer patients currently takes at least six months; scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the University Medical Center Mannheim have shown that the laborious first step of identifying tumor-reactive T cell receptors for patients can be replaced with a machine learning classifier that halves this time.

Scientists love a challenge. Or a friendly competition. Now, scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have recently published the results of a competition that put researchers to the test. For the competition, part of the Computational Models of Immunity network, teams of researchers from different institutions offered up their best predictions regarding B. pertussis (whooping cough)

A new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania shows that antibody responses to new SARS-CoV-2 variant infections and vaccinations are powerfully shaped by prior exposures to earlier SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

Allergic transfusion reactions (ATRs), a potentially life-threatening side effect of blood transfusions with unclear mechanisms, may be linked to food allergies in pediatric patients as per a recent study by scientists from Japan. They found that ATRs may be triggered by the presence of allergens in the donor's blood, influenced by their pre-donation diet. These findings could pave the way for saf

Tricks played by certain disease-driving gut bacteria might help explain differences in how patients experience Crohn's disease (CD)—a severe and painful chronic inflammatory bowel disease. A new study by researchers from DTU and 3 European universities shows that antibodies in the gut immune system, which line the stomach and intestinal walls and keep harmful bacteria at bay, may be crucial in un

A new study has shed light on the importance of the protein STAP-1 in activating certain immune cells. Understanding the role of STAP-1 in these cells could give researchers a better glimpse into immune-related disorders and ways to treat them.

How does your immune system decide between fighting invading pathogens now or preparing to fight them in the future? Turns out, it can change its mind.

A German man who deliberately got vaccinated for COVID-19 a whopping 217 times did not report any side effects from his many jabs, according to researchers studying possibly the "most vaccinated person in history".

Researchers at LMU Munich have shown that sleep enhances the migratory potential of T cells toward lymph nodes.

mRNA vaccines developed against the spike glycoprotein of severe acute respiratory syndrome type 2 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), displayed remarkable efficiency in combating coronavirus 19 (COVID-19). These vaccines work by triggering both cellular and humoral immune responses against the spike protein of the virus.

Antibody therapeutics are a rapidly growing class of drugs used to treat infections as well as a range of diseases. Among them are cancer and autoimmunity particularly important, and the use of antibody therapeutics transforms the lives of patients. Thus, there is an intense interest in engineering new antibody formats with improved efficacy for both therapeutic and prophylactic use.

Scientists at City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, show that a COVID-19 vaccine developed at the organization's Los Angeles campus also protects against mpox, according to research published in Communications Medicine.

T follicular helper cells (Tfh) are essential for strong antibody-mediated reactions of our immune system during infections and vaccinations. However, if they get out of control, this can cause diseases such as autoimmunity, allergies or cancer.

New research from the University of British Columbia reveals a safe path to overcoming food allergies for older children and others who can't risk consuming allergens orally to build up their resistance.

The eyes have been called the window to the brain. It turns out they also serve as an immunological barrier that protects the organ from pathogens and even tumors, Yale researchers have found.

A microscopic battle rages in our bodies, as our cells constantly fend off invaders through our immune system: a complex system of cells and proteins designed to protect us from harmful pathogens. One of its central components is the enzyme cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), which acts as a sentinel, detecting foreign DNA and initiating an immune response.

In findings that are nothing short of surprising, scientists have demonstrated that the liver is the site where the immune system unleashes its assault on pneumococcal bacteria following vaccination against the potentially lethal pathogens.

When foreign antigens trigger an immune response, T cells respond by proliferating and differentiating into two groups—effector and memory cells. Epigenetic and transcriptional pathways mediate this response, but the cells also undergo metabolic reprogramming to meet the dynamic biosynthetic demands of proliferation and differentiation.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently released a first-of-its-kind study focusing on the rare autoimmune disorder aplastic anemia to understand how a subset of cells might be trained to correct the overzealous immune response that can lead to fatal autoimmune disorders. The research, published in Frontiers in Immunology, identifies a specific enzyme known as PRMT5, as a k

The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation has published the Clinical Practice Guideline: Immunotherapy for Inhalant Allergy in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. This clinical practice guideline identifies quality improvement opportunities and provides clinicians trustworthy, evidence-based recommendations on the management of inhalant allergies with immunotherapy,

Scientists have long believed that a newborn's immune system was an immature version of an adult's, but new research from Cornell University shows that newborns' T cells—white blood cells that protect from disease—outperform those of adults at fighting off numerous infections.

As Canada's flu season collides with record strep A cases and ongoing COVID-19 concerns, a new study is shedding light on our understanding of respiratory immune responses. Scholars from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center (RI-MUHC) have discovered a surprising facet about a century-old vaccine for tuberculosis, Bacillus Calmette Guérin (BCG).

Spring allergies bring to mind thoughts of stuffy noses and watery eyes. But allergies actually affect many different and interconnected systems within a person's body, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

People threatened by accidental exposure to foods they're allergic to may have a new weapon of defense: On Feb. 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the use of the asthma drug Xolair to help prevent anaphylactic reactions.

Le Bonheur Children's Hospital's risk-based innovation program Changing High-Risk Asthma in Memphis through Partnership (CHAMP) has significantly decreased health care use related to asthma by targeting barriers to asthma care, according to research published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

The first form of mother's milk a baby receives after birth, known as colostrum, can dramatically alter its susceptibility to worm infections months to years later, according to an international study published in Allergy.

Like other factors such as age, sex, and genetics, smoking has a major impact on immune responses. This is the finding recently made by a team of scientists at the Institut Pasteur using the Milieu Intérieur cohort of 1,000 healthy volunteers, established to understand variability in immune responses. In addition to its short-term impact on immunity, smoking also has long-term consequences.

Nearly 150 years ago, scientists discovered that specialized blood cells serve a vital role in immune system protection against infection and illness.

Cells in the human body contain power-generating mitochondria, each with their own mtDNA—a unique set of genetic instructions entirely separate from the cell's nuclear DNA that mitochondria use to create life-giving energy. When mtDNA remains where it belongs (inside of mitochondria), it sustains both mitochondrial and cellular health—but when it goes where it doesn't belong, it can initiate an im

Researchers with McMaster University and Denmark-based pharmaceutical company ALK-Abello A/S have made a groundbreaking discovery: a new cell that remembers allergies.

Research suggests that a recent understanding of cell movements may help shed light on the mechanisms driving primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), an autoimmune disease that attacks the bile ducts of the liver.

The intricate relationship that exists between humans and the gut microbiome has become a hot research topic, and scientists are constantly uncovering new reasons why a healthy diet can lead to a healthier life.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health observed rapid and distinct immune system changes in a small study of people who switched to a vegan or a ketogenic (also called keto) diet. Scientists closely monitored various biological responses of people sequentially eating vegan and keto diets for two weeks, in random order.

The composition of microbiota found in the gut influences how susceptible mice are to respiratory virus infections and the severity of these infections, according to researchers from the Center for Translational Antiviral Research in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University.

New research shows for the first time that measuring airborne allergen levels could help people with hay fever to better control their symptoms.

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have found direct evidence that exposure to common cold coronaviruses can train T cells to fight SARS-CoV-2. In fact, prior exposure to a common cold coronavirus appears to partially protect mice from lung damage during a subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infection.

In the late nineteenth century, physicians started treating human disease with blood serum extracted from immunized horses. But those extracts—which contained antibodies that target disease agents—often produced disastrous immunological response.

Currently used Food and Drug Administration-approved transplant drugs—with the addition of an also already FDA-approved complement inhibitor—are the optimal immunosuppression regimen for pig-to-human kidney transplants, according to a landmark discovery by University of Alabama at Birmingham investigators. The research is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

An immune component of breast milk known as the complement system shapes the gut environment of infant mice in ways that make them less susceptible to certain disease-causing bacteria, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Researchers from Cleveland Clinic and IBM have published a strategy for identifying new targets for immunotherapy through artificial intelligence (AI). This is the first peer-reviewed publication from the two organizations' Discovery Accelerator partnership, designed to advance research in health care and life sciences.

If you or someone close to you suffers from severe allergic reactions, you have probably heard there are new recommendations out that offer guidance on the diagnosis, management and treatment of anaphylaxis.

A study led by the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute) has found that CD4+ T cells, traditionally called 'helper T cells' for their role in aiding the activation of other immune cells, are remarkably effective in controlling melanoma.

It has been four years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 has yet to be eradicated and new variants are continuously emerging. Despite the extensive immunization programs, breakthrough infections (infection after vaccination) by new variants are common.

Researchers with McMaster University have created an instruction manual that will help scientists across the globe find hard to detect B cells.

The Xue Lab at the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) has made another breakthrough in better understanding and potentially modulating the immune system to fight diseases.

A Rutgers researcher, through his spinoff company, has led a team to design and test a device that quickly counts a person's white blood cells with a single drop of blood, similar to the way glucometers rapidly scan for blood sugar levels.

Tuberculosis, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) kills upwards of 1.6 million people a year, making it one of the leading causes of death by an infectious agent worldwide—and that number is only growing larger.

New research has found that prenatal exposure to prescription opioids, such as oxycodone, methadone and codeine, may impact the development of immune systems.

After COVID vaccination, it usually takes weeks for our bodies to develop protective antibody responses. Imagine, however, a vaccine that speeds up the production of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that spreads COVID-19.

To mechanistically understand what happens in the living body under physiological and pathological conditions, requires a non-invasive high spatiotemporal resolution research tool. It has been challenging to create such a tool and tremendous time and effort have been committed to solving this difficult task.

Cytokines are chemical messengers that help the body get rid of invading bacteria and viruses, and control inflammation. The body carefully balances cytokines because they help keep the immune system healthy. However, this balance is upset if the immune system overreacts. A serious infection or a severe burn can unleash a cytokine storm in the body. During the storm—also called cytokine release sy

T cell surface markers CD4 and LAG-3 are related proteins that promote and inhibit cell activity, respectively. However, although LAG-3 has started to gain appreciation as an immune checkpoint molecule that can be targeted in cancer immunotherapy, only CD4 is well understood.

If the oxygen level in organs and tissues falls below normal, hypoxia occurs. Then the body launches defensive responses. In many ways, they coincide and overlap with the response to inflammation, because this process is accompanied by local hypoxia.

In the case of an autoimmune disease, the immune system not only attacks pathogens, but also the body's own cells. Researchers at the University of Freiburg—Medical Center have now been able to show that defective signaling pathways in the body play a decisive role in the development of immune cells, a discovery that opens up new therapeutic approaches for autoimmune diseases such as autoimmune ly

Severe gum disease has been linked to the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, but an understanding of how the connection plays out in the immune system remains unclear. This week in mSystems, a new study identifies immune system cells that play a critical role in the microbial link between COPD and gum disease.

One of the biggest barriers to regenerative medicine is immunological rejection by the recipient, a problem researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences are one step closer to solving after genetically modifying pluripotent stem cells to evade immune recognition.

The microbiome has a profound influence on our health, but exactly how our resident bacteria wield their power is still unclear. A type of T cell appears to provide some answers for gastrointestinal health, a study of the mouse microbiome finds.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have shown that nasal drops with IgA antibodies can protect mice from SARS-CoV-2 infection. The results imply a new way to protect individuals at high risk from different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and possibly other infections. The study is published in PNAS.

Natural killer (NK) cells, part of the innate immune system, can permanently remain in infected tissue and thus contribute to immunological memory, researchers at the University of Würzburg have discovered.

Humans are protected by two branches of the immune system. Innate immunity provides built-in defense against widespread characteristics of bacteria and viruses, while adaptive immunity memorizes individual pathogens that a person has already encountered. Vaccines teach the adaptive immune system about new pathogens without having to go through an actual infection. This has greatly contributed to h

When asked, "How old are you?" Most people measure by how many birthdays they've had. But scientists have developed epigenetic clocks to measure how "old" your body really is. At the forefront of aging research, these clocks go beyond our calendar age to try and reveal our biological age—a true marker of how healthy we are.

An important aspect to aging is how the immune system changes over time. Such changes have consequences, and they contribute to the greater risk for severe infections and other diseases such as cancer in the aging population. Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) and UConn Health are rigorously investigating why vaccines don't work as well in some older adults

In updated guidelines issued by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology/American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and published online Dec. 17 in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, recommendations are presented for gaining and maintaining control of atopic dermatitis (AD).

This study was led by Dr. Shuyang Yu (College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University), Dr. Jingyu Xu (The Collaborative Innovation Center of Tissue Damage Repair and Regeneration Medicine of Zunyi Medical University) and Dr. Xuguang Du (College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University) and illustrated the key role of Mettl3 in CD8 T cell response during acute infection

One of the more rigorous debates in immunology has centered on the origin of an enigmatic T cell population that possesses properties imparting memory and stem cell–like qualities, but facts about their genesis were so elusive that debate has raged for nearly two decades about the source of these vital immune system constituents.

Professor Yi Sun's team at the Zhejiang University report a functional compensatory effect between the Ube2m-Rbx1 and Ube2f-Sag axes of the neddylation–Cullin-RING ligases (CRLs) system in Treg cells, using conditional KO mouse models. The team also revealed that both Ube2m-Rbx1 and Ube2f-Sag axes are essentially required for the functions of Treg cells, and elucidated mechanistically that the Rbx

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Danderyd Hospital have followed recipients of the new updated COVID-19 vaccine and analyzed the antibody response to different SARS-CoV-2 variants. The results show a surprisingly strong response to the now dominant and highly mutated omicron variants.

Air pollution may trigger more asthma attacks in urban children and teens, a new study reports. Even moderate levels of ozone and fine airborne particulates—two ingredients of smog—appear to increase kids' risk of asthma attacks, according to findings published online in The Lancet Planetary Health journal.

A new treatment appears to reduce food allergies in children and teens, according to interim clinical trial results.

Kids are home for the holidays, but the wonders of the season can pose problems for children with asthma.

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have gained a deeper understanding of the nuanced roles of JAK inhibitors, or modulators, in inflammation across various cell types and tissues. Their findings suggest a more precise approach is required to potentially expand JAK inhibitor use to a wider range of allergy and inflammatory disorders.

Ahmet Coskun and his collaborators plan to create a chemical atlas of all the immune cells in the human body, a 3D micromap to help clinicians navigate the complex role of the entire immune system in the presence of different diseases.

With SARS-COV-2 infection rates rising again, you may be wondering if you should get a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot. Yale physicians have built a tool to help answer these questions.

Two new practice parameters from the Joint Task Force for Practice Parameters (JTFPP) offer evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis and atopic dermatitis (AD) in pediatric and adult patients. The Joint Task Force is a partnership between the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

B cell deficiency is a common condition that can result either from immunosuppressant drugs used to treat autoimmune disease or certain cancers—such as rituximab (RTX)—or from natural immune deficiency. These patients suffer from a weakened immune system that is less effective at combating both viral and bacterial diseases. As B cells are a key type of immune cell that produces antibodies, a defic

Our body's immune system is a complex network of organs, cells, and proteins that work in synchrony to protect our bodies against infections caused by pathogens and fight against disease-causing changes in our body, such as the emergence of cancer cells. Cell-mediated cytotoxicity is one of such defense mechanisms carried out by the immune system that fights against foreign cells.

Sepideh Dolatshahi, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia, is spearheading an exploration of systems immunology in its crucial development phase—during pregnancy.

Immune cells play an active and intimate role in directing the growth of human lung tissue during development, researchers find, revolutionizing our understanding of early lung development and the role of immune cells outside of immunity.

The Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine against tuberculosis can elicit a good response in neonates. Infants who are exposed to HIV but are uninfected display an altered immunity to vaccination.

The global COVID-19 vaccination campaign saved an estimated 20 million lives. However, while current COVID-19 vaccines provide protection against developing severe disease, they do little to prevent infection and transmission.

Delivering the two-dose mpox vaccine, called JYNNEOS, in smaller than the usual FDA-approved doses, and by injection between layers of the skin rather than by the standard route under the skin, produced a detectable immune response, a new study shows. This also occurred regardless of whether people were living with or without HIV.

It's no secret that a high-fiber diet is good for you—just ask Google. Lots of research suggests that eating a high-fiber diet can lower your risk for certain cancers, but less is known about whether fiber can also help you fight a current cancer diagnosis.

A major clinical trial, led by experts at the University of Nottingham, has shown that people with inflammatory conditions are able to improve the antibody response from a COVID-19 booster vaccination by interrupting their treatment for two weeks immediately after having the vaccine.

A new paper in Biology Methods & Protocols indicates that researchers in Germany have developed a new system to display epitopes in mammal cells for immunization studies. They believe that this method can help scientists greatly in immunization efforts.

Immune cells fight infectious intruders, for example, or search for incipient cancers. Therefore, they are constantly migrating through the tissues of our body. But in the wrong place, immune cells like neutrophil granulocytes can cause damage. If these white blood cells infiltrate tumors, this is often associated with a poor prognosis for patients. This is why they could benefit from drugs that p

In order for immune cells to do their job, they need to know against whom they should direct their attack. Research teams at the University of Würzburg have identified new details in this process.

On good days, the immune system can effectively handle pathogens that invade the body. However, when foreign matter takes the upper hand, the body builds a wall of immune cells called granuloma around the pathogens to isolate them.

The immune system can carry out many biological processes, from killing viruses to fighting cancer, thanks in large part to approximately 100 key cell-signaling proteins called cytokines, which instruct immune cells what to do. Cytokines are also targeted by drugs for many diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, COVID-19, and cancer, but until now, scientists haven't had a comprehensive view of how

Researchers have discovered that misreading of therapeutic mRNAs by the cell's decoding machinery can cause an unintended immune response in the body. They have identified the sequence within the mRNA that causes this to occur and found a way to prevent 'off-target' immune responses to enable the safer design of future mRNA therapeutics.

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, working with Imperial College London, King's College London and University of Cambridge, have shown that an influx of water and ions into immune cells allows them to migrate to where they're needed in the body.

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and plays an important role in maintaining homeostasis as well as protecting the body from the outside environment. Skin diseases can be life-threatening or heavily impair patients' quality of life. Urticaria (also called "hives") is common, affecting at least one in five people in their lifetime, and can persist for years or even decades.

University of Queensland-led research shows being overweight can impair the body's antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 infection but not to the protection offered by vaccination.