Tinker Ready Swiss scientists have identified immune system abnormalities in patients with long COVID that might open the door to new diagnostic tests and treatments. The researchers found that a group of proteins in the blood that are part of the body’s immune response called the “complement system” are not working properly in patients with...
Category: <span>Immunology</span>
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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Tested for Post-Covid Conditions
High-dose pressurized oxygen can stress out old immune cells, leaving behind a younger, better-functioning immune system. It helped with acute COVID, and now Anders Kjellberg is also testing the post-covid method. An example of a hyperbaric chamber. Image credit: Steve Simpson via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 Text: Fredrik Hedlund; first published in the magazine Medicinsk...
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In fight against brain pathogens, the eyes have it
Peer-Reviewed Publication YALE UNIVERSITY New Haven, Conn. — 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. In a new study, researchers showed that vaccines injected into the eyes of mice...
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How early-stage cancer cells hide from the immune system
A new study finds precancerous colon cells turn on a gene called SOX17, which helps them evade detection and develop into more advanced tumors.Peer-Reviewed Publication MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY CAMBRIDGE, MA — One of the immune system’s primary roles is to detect and kill cells that have acquired cancerous mutations. However, some early-stage cancer cells...
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Predicting immunotherapy success via biomarkers
by Technion – Israel Institute of Technology Graphical abstract. Credit: Cancer Cell (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.12.005Researchers at the Technion’s Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and the Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences have discovered a subset of blood cells that predict the success of immunotherapy treatment. These findings are expected to streamline...
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Elusive immune cells dwelling in ‘hidden niches’ of the bone marrow may be key to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination
by Delthia Ricks , Medical Xpress Credit: CC0 Public DomainAlthough immunologists have developed a deep reservoir of knowledge illuminating how antibodies respond to vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, little is known about the elusive cells that produce infection-fighting antibodies. Although antibodies are among the first responders when infectious agents invade the body, they’re produced by mystifying cells...
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Scientists devise novel strategy to seek and destroy leukemia stem cells
by City of Hope National Medical Center Type II interferon (IFNy), a substance produced by immune cells, disrupts the leukemia stem cells’ ability to divide and spread cancer. However, IFNy also stimulates CD38, a protein that suppresses the immune cells’ ability to mount a response against infection. To overcome this challenge, City of Hope researchers designed...
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‘Switchable’ Bispecific Antibodies Pave Way for Safer Cancer Treatment
Immunotherapy utilizing an FDA-approved drug has enabled Penn researchers to develop a novel switchable bispecific T cell engager that mitigates negative outcomes of immunotherapy.Taking a blood sample – illustrative photo. Image credit: Annett Klingner via Pixabay, free license In the ever-evolving battle against cancer, immunotherapy presents a turning point. It began with harnessing the body’s...
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Study: ‘Hexaplex’ vaccine aims to boost flu protection
by Cory Nealon, University at Buffalo Graphical Abstract. Credit: Cell Reports Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101433Recombinant protein vaccines, like the Novavax vaccine used to fight COVID-19, offer several advantages over conventional vaccines. They’re easy to produce precisely. They’re safe and potentially more effective. And they could require smaller doses. Because of these traits, there is much interest...
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Small study adds to growing hope CAR-T cell therapy could revolutionize autoimmune disease treatment
By Theresa Gaffney ADOBEPeople with autoimmune disorders don’t usually get to talk about a cure. There’s symptom management, hopeful periods of remission often followed by relapses, but rarely a lasting fix for the way their immune system attacks healthy cells. If the immune system is an army, then those with conditions like lupus, multiple sclerosis, or...