HIV infecting a human cell. In a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, Doris Wilflingseder investigates the initial stages of HIV infection, a period when the immune system might still stop the virus. “HIV has been intensively investigated in research labs all over the world for more than 30 years,” says Doris Wilflingseder,...
Category: <span>Immunology</span>
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New strategy for multiple myeloma immunotherapy
Fig.1.MMG49 CAR T cells target the activated conformation of integrin b7 expressed on MM cells. In recent decades monoclonal antibody-based treatment of cancer has been established as one of the most successful therapeutic strategies for both solid tumors and blood cancers. Monoclonal antibodies (mAb), as the name implies, are antibodies that are made by...
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Combination immunotherapy targets cancer resistance
Image shows infiltration of transplanted human cancer cells (yellow/orange) by two myeloid cell subsets (red and green) in a mouse model treated with combination immunotherapy. Cancer immunotherapy drugs have had notable but limited success because in many cases, tumors develop resistance to treatment. But researchers at Yale and Stanford have identified an experimental antibody...
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These bacteria keep swapping resistance genes, even with no antibiotics around
Scientists studied how antibiotic resistance spreads among specific types of bacteria, including E. coli. The growing threat of antibiotic resistance has sparked calls to use antibiotics more responsibly to curb the spread of drug-resistant bacteria. The idea: If we reduce antibiotic use, we could reduce the resistance that’s been naturally selected for over time. But new research published Wednesday in Nature...
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Discovery of potent parasite protein may lead to new therapeutic options for inflammatory bowel conditions
High magnification micrograph of Crohn’s disease. Biopsy of esophagus. H&E stain. A single protein from a worm parasite may one day offer new therapeutic options for treating inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis, that avoid the potentially serious side effects of current immunosuppressant medications. The study, published today in Nature Communications, demonstrates the...
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Study explores whole-body immunity
Over the next few months, millions of people will receive vaccinations in the hope of staving off the flu—and the fever, pain, and congestion that come with it. But how can one injection trigger an immune response that protects someone from head to toe? Part of the answer, says Nicolas Chevrier, a former Bauer Fellow at the...
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Genome editing enhances T-cells for cancer immunotherapy
Scanning electron micrograph of a human T lymphocyte (also called a T cell) from the immune system of a healthy donor. Researchers at Cardiff University have found a way to boost the cancer-destroying ability of the immune system’s T-cells, offering new hope in the fight against a wide range of cancers. Using CRISPR genome...
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Enterovirus vaccine prevents virus-induced diabetes in a T1D experimental model
Scientists at the University of Tampere (Finland) and the Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) have demonstrated that an enterovirus vaccine can protect against virus-induced diabetes in a mouse model for type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is rising worldwide, and to date, the exact causes of the disease are not known. Enteroviruses (the most common virus affecting humans) are...
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Autoimmune disease discovery could spark new treatments
University of Colorado Boulder researchers have discovered a potent, drug-like compound that could someday revolutionize treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases by inhibiting a protein instrumental in prompting the body to start attacking its own tissue. “We have discovered a key to lock this protein in a resting state,” said Hang Hubert Yin,...
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Could this protein protect people against coronary artery disease?
Patients with no obstructed blood flow in the coronary arteries had higher levels of CXCL5 (blue) compared to patients with moderate levels (green) or lower levels (yellow) of CXCL5, who had increased severity of coronary obstructions (indicated by the arrows). The buildup of plaque in the heart’s arteries is an unfortunate part of aging. But...