Immune System News and Research

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Understanding the Gut Microbiome's Role in Space and on Earth

Scientists have uncovered how space travel profoundly alters the gut microbiome, yielding insights that could shape future space missions.

30 Aug 2024

Researchers on the Brink of a Scientific Breakthrough in Cancer Treatment

By figuring out how the body’s immune system targets diseased cells, a multinational team of scientists is on the cusp of a breakthrough in the fight against cancer.

29 Aug 2024

The Molecular Process That Causes MS and Autoimmune Diseases

A human immune system suppressor known as “regulatory T cells” was first identified more than 20 years ago by a research team working in the lab of Yale researcher David Hafler, who was at Harvard at the time.

29 Aug 2024

Innovative Stem Cell Research Unveils Glial Cell Dynamics in Multiple Sclerosis

Researchers from The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute and Case Western Reserve University have discovered novel ways in which glia, by using the largest known collection of stem cell models from MS patients, essential brain support cells contribute to the disease.

27 Aug 2024

Study Utilizes Flow Cytometry and Advanced Transcriptomics to Reveal Age-Related Defects in Thymic Regeneration

Research identifies two states of age-associated thymic epithelial cells, linking thymic degeneration to aging and injury, impacting immune system function.

26 Aug 2024

The Role of DNA Repair Pathways in Antibody Somatic Hypermutation

In a recent online publication in SCIENCE CHINA Life Sciences, researchers from the laboratory of Leng-Siew Yeap at the Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine published a review article entitled "Molecular Mechanisms of DNA Lesion and Repair During Antibody Somatic Hypermutation". This review comprehensively summarizes the mechanisms involved in the generation of antigen-specific diversified antibodies, with a particular focus on the mechanisms that generate high-frequency point mutations and low-frequency deletions and insertions (indels) in antibody genes.

22 Aug 2024

Ancient Microbes Shaped Modern Immune Systems

When you get infected with a virus, some of the first weapons your body deploys to fight it were passed down to us from our microbial ancestors billions of years ago.

22 Aug 2024

Bad Bacteria Use Electric Signals to Find Entry Points in the Gut

How do bad bacteria find entry points in the body to cause infection? This question is fundamental for infectious disease experts and people who study bacteria.

21 Aug 2024

Breakthrough Research Reveals Early Development of Eye Macrophages in Mice

Macrophages, also known as scavenger cells, are part of our immune system. They destroy invading pathogens and are found in the organs and the bloodstream.

20 Aug 2024

New Insights into Cell Communication During Inflammation

Indiana University School of Medicine researchers have made significant progress in understanding how cells communicate during inflammation.

16 Aug 2024

Deep-Learning Model Identifies Parkinson's Disease-Specific Neuroanatomical Features

A deep-learning-based contrastive approach to examine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from Parkinson’s disease patients.

14 Aug 2024

Light-Activated Macrophages Show Increased Appetite for Cancer Cells

The body has a veritable army constantly on guard to keep us safe from microscopic threats from infections to cancer.

13 Aug 2024

Advancing Genome Visualization with CRISPR/Cas9 Technology in Live Cells

Understanding the spatiotemporal organization of the genome in the nucleus is crucial for advancing our knowledge of chromatin structure and its functional dynamics in both normal and diseased states.

13 Aug 2024

Bacterial Defense Mechanism Revealed Through RNA-Derived Gene Synthesis

Researchers have uncovered a surprising way bacteria defend themselves: when a bacterium is infected, bacterial enzymes that copy genetic information from RNA into DNA synthesize genes whose protein products help shut down cell growth.

12 Aug 2024

LINE-1 RNA from Ancient Viruses Promotes Bone Repair

Around half of the human genome is composed of DNA fragments originating from ancient viruses. These "transposable elements" (TEs) are now known to play various roles in modulating gene expression and disease development.

8 Aug 2024

Study Reveals 70 Million Years of Host-Parasite Genetic Arms Race

Hosts and their parasites are in constant competition. Through genetic diversity, the host can change in such a way that infection is no longer possible.

8 Aug 2024

Cyclo(L-Pro-L-Tyr): A Promising Tyrosinase Inhibitor Derived from Skin Bacteria

Melanin protects the skin-;the body's largest organ and a vital component of the immune system-;from the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

6 Aug 2024

Mast Cells Recruit Neutrophils in Immune Response

Mast cells are well-known for their part in allergic reactions, but the immune system relies heavily on them. They release chemicals in response to allergens, which cause common allergy symptoms like tissue swelling and inflammation.

5 Aug 2024

Discovery of Immune Cell Reservoirs Near Glioblastomas Offers New Treatment Possibilities

Glioblastomas are highly aggressive, usually incurable brain tumors. If all therapeutic options are exhausted, patients have an average life expectancy of less than two years.

1 Aug 2024

Swabbing Technique Reveals Diversity of Immune Cells in the Upper Airway

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have published the first-ever, in-depth analysis of immune cell memory in the upper airways of adult volunteers. Among these immune cells, the researcher spotted "tissue resident" memory cells, which stand ready to defend the airway from SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory diseases.

1 Aug 2024