July 16, 2018, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Bystander cells present in human lung and colorectal tumors could indicate how well a patient will respond to immunotherapy, an A*STAR-led study finds. Green and red tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes expressing CD39 in human lung cancer. Credit: A*STAR Singapore Immunology Network Directing patients’ immune responses against...
Category: <span>Immunology</span>
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Study shows painful eczema symptoms negatively impact quality of life
July 16, 2018, American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology If you’ve never suffered from eczema, also known as Atopic Dermatitis, you probably aren’t aware of the negative impact it can have on quality of life. The severe itching, redness and excessively dry skin all make life miserable for those who suffer from the allergic disease....
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Killer Immunotherapy—fighting cancer with genetic engineering
July 17, 2018 by Teresa Belcher, Particle Finding a cure for cancer is no easy feat, but Dr. Misty Jenkins has built her career in immunotherapy to do just that. Since 2016, Misty has led a lab at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. From a young age, Misty was fascinated with how the...
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Why is snot green? Immunologist answers 8-year-old’s burning question (and reveals the grim colour is actually good news for your immune system!)
When someone has a cold or infection immune cells kill off the virus or bacteria When the immune cells, which contain a green chemical, die they end up in snot The green colour is a sign your body is successfully fighting an infection It is thought to be a sign that a sniffle is something...
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The best foods for boosting your immune system
By Lana Burgess A strong immune system helps to keep a person healthy. Can specific foods boost the immune system? The immune system consists of organs, cells, tissues, and proteins. Together, these carry out bodily processes that fight off pathogens, which are the viruses, bacteria, and foreign bodies that cause infection or disease. When the...
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New discovery could mean improved immunity against reinfections
July 10, 2018, University of Minnesota Medical School For years, researchers have had an established viewpoint of the function of a unique protein in the body called purinergic receptor P2RX7 that triggers the innate immune response. It was considered a “bad thing” and therefore blocked. Now, University of Minnesota researchers have discovered a connection between the body’s memory cells...
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Mitochondrial DNA in exosomes is the alarm that initiates the antiviral response
July 10, 2018, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) have provided valuable information about the defense mechanisms of the immune system during the early stages of the response to pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. The research findings, published today in Nature Communications, contribute to the understanding of the...
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Scientists identify a protein complex that shapes the destiny of T cells
July 6, 2018, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Like a mentor helping medical students choose between specialties, a protein complex helps shape the destiny of developing T cells, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists have reported. The research appears today in the journal Science Immunology and adds to growing evidence of the critical role cell metabolism plays in the immune system. Corresponding author Hongbo...
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Scientists identify body’s microreactors for innate immunity
July 6, 2018 by Deborah Wormser, UT Southwestern Medical Center A DNA-sensing enzyme forms droplets that act as tiny bioreactors creating molecules to stimulate innate immunity—the body’s first response to infection, UT Southwestern researchers report. The work, reported today in the journal Science, could lead to novel treatments for infections, autoimmune disease, and cancer. (l-r) Mingjian Du and Dr....
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Cancer immunotherapy ‘could be safer’ with natural killer cells
Scientists have developed an immunotherapy that uses immune cells cultured from stem cells instead of cells that are taken from patients to seek and destroy cancer cells. The approach may lead to “off-the-shelf” stocks of cancer-killing cells, say researchers from the University of California, San Diego and the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. In a paper now published in...