A universal vaccine to protect people from most strains of flu may be a step closer to reality. Scientists say they have developed a vaccine which may only need to be given a few times over someone’s life, instead of a new one each year. Current vaccines, offered during flu seasons, can become outdated quickly...
Category: <span>Immunology</span>
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Combination immunotherapy shrinks melanoma brain metastases
Combination immunotherapy shrank melanoma that has spread to the brain in more than half of the patients in a clinical trial reported in the New England Journal of Medicine led by an investigator at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Hussein Tawbi, M.D., Ph.D. Credit: MD Anderson Cancer Center Of 94 patients in the single-arm study combining...
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Chickenpox, shingles and vaccines—expert discusses what you need to know
What’s the difference between chickenpox and shingles? Should you get the vaccine? Find the answers below. Credit: iStock Chickenpox and shingles generally won’t kill you, but for some adults, they could result in a trip to the hospital. So with a new shingles vaccine now available, should you consider vaccination to avoid chickenpox and shingles...
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Can You Get Measles if You’ve Been Vaccinated? Here’s What to Know.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday that people in 21 states and the District of Columbia have contracted measles. So far, 107 people have been affected during this recent outbreak — and this number will likely exceed last year’s number of 118 cases, according to USA Today. All this talk about measles might have you...
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Cannabis link to relieving intestinal inflammation explained
Reports from cannabis users that the drug reduces the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may finally be explained by new research from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the University of Bath showing that endocannabinoids help control and prevent intestinal inflammation in mice. Credit: CC0 Public Domain This is the first-time scientists have...
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Team finds missing immune cells that could fight lethal brain tumors
Glioblastoma brain tumors can have an unusual effect on the body’s immune system, often causing a dramatic drop in the number of circulating T-cells that help drive the body’s defenses. Researchers at Duke Cancer Institute have tracked the missing T-cells in glioblastoma patients in the bone marrow, locked away and unable to function because of a...
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Researchers artificially generate immune cells integral to creating cancer vaccines
Study also identifies a flaw in a current cancer therapy in clinical trials THE MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL / MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (New York, NY – August 14, 2018)– For the first time, Mount Sinai researchers have identified a way to make large numbers of immune cells that can help prevent cancer reoccurrence, according to a...
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Protein droplets keep neurons at the ready and immune system in balance
HOWARD HUGHES MEDICAL INSTITUTE Inside cells, where DNA is packed tightly in the nucleus and rigid proteins keep intricate transport systems on track, some molecules have a simpler way of establishing order. They can self-organize, find one another in crowded spaces, and quickly coalesce into droplets – like oil in water. IMAGE: IN THIS 3-D RECONSTRUCTION,...
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Retinoic acid may improve immune response against melanoma
Immunotherapies use the immune system to fight cancer. But cancers like melanoma have found ways to turn off the immune system, allowing them to resist treatments and often leading to recurrence. Now University of Colorado Cancer Center clinical trial results published today in the journal International Immunopharmacology describe a promising strategy to remove one of melanoma’s most...
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Autoimmunity plays role in development of COPD, study finds
Autoimmunity plays a role in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study led by Georgia State University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center that analyzed human genome information stored in Vanderbilt’s DNA biobank. Micrograph showing emphysema (left – large empty spaces) and lung tissue with relative preservation of the alveoli (right)....