Immune System News and Research

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Regulatory T cells found to promote inflammation in periodontal disease

Researchers still do not know much about diseases like periodontitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis, which are characterized by bone loss.

12 Jan 2021

Augmented response of immune system explains COVID-19 severity in patients with hypertension

COVID-19 patients who also suffer from high blood pressure are more likely to fall severely ill with the disease, which also leaves them at greater risk of death.

12 Jan 2021

New discovery helps explain how COVID-19 suppresses the body’s immune response

Seeking to understand why COVID-19 is able to suppress the body's immune response, new research from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology suggests that mitochondria are one of the first lines of defense against COVID-19 and identifies key differences in how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, interacts with mitochondrial genes when compared to other viruses.

12 Jan 2021

Researchers discover new way to control natural killer cells in immune system

UC San Francisco scientists have discovered a new way to control the immune system's "natural killer" (NK) cells, a finding with implications for novel cell therapies and tissue implants that can evade immune rejection.

11 Jan 2021

Proteogenomic study may lead to more effective treatments for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Proteogenomic studies may provide a better understanding of how to match cancer patients with an effective treatment for their specific cancer.

8 Jan 2021

Study may lead to new treatments for autoimmune diseases

According to a research team, headed by Decio L. Eizirik, MD, PhD, a Scientific Director from the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute Diabetes Center, new treatments for autoimmune disorders can be identified by studying both target tissues and the immune system together.

7 Jan 2021

Study explores why Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections are so dangerous

E. coli food poisoning is one of the worst food poisonings, causing bloody diarrhea and kidney damage. But all the carnage might be just an unintended side effect, researchers from UConn Health report in the 27 November issue of Science Immunology. Their findings might lead to more effective treatments for this potentially deadly disease.

7 Jan 2021

Main bioactive compound of ginger root counteracts autoimmune diseases in mice

Naturopathic medicine, or herbal medicine, is all the rage, especially among young people. But how much of this is supported by science?

7 Jan 2021

Sugar-binding protein could serve as a useful biomarker for patients at risk of sepsis

According to a research team headed by the University of Connecticut Health, a sugar-binding protein could drive terrible inflammation and worsen sepsis—a disease that kills over 270,000 individuals per year in the United States alone.

5 Jan 2021

Gut cells raise alarm during parasite invasion

To effectively combat an infection, the body first has to sense it's been invaded, then the affected tissue must send out signals to corral resources to fight the intruder.

29 Dec 2020

A protein encourages cell stickiness during development

Tohoku University scientists have, for the first time, provided experimental evidence that cell stickiness helps them stay sorted within correct compartments during development.

28 Dec 2020

Scientists discover new class of compounds for combating antimicrobial resistance

Wistar Institute scientists have discovered a new class of compounds that uniquely combine direct antibiotic killing of pan drug-resistant bacterial pathogens with a simultaneous rapid immune response for combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These finding were published today in Nature.

24 Dec 2020

Study reveals lower transfer of protective SARS-CoV-2 antibodies via the placenta

Recent analyses indicate that pregnant women and newborns may face elevated risks of developing more severe cases of COVID-19 following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

24 Dec 2020

Highly developed microscopy methods can help detect antigens

Highly complicated processes constantly take place in our body to keep pathogens in check: The T-cells of our immune system are busy searching for antigens - suspicious molecules that fit exactly into certain receptors of the T-cells like a key into a lock. This activates the T-cell and the defense mechanisms of the immune system are set in motion.

22 Dec 2020