The finding could lead to the development of needle-free vaccines. Skin can generate antibodies, independent of the rest of the immune system.Credit: kazuma seki/Getty The skin — once thought to be a mainly passive barrier — can produce its own antibodies that fight off infections, a pair of studies reports in Nature this week1,2. The findings could...
Tag: <span>Immune system</span>
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Understanding how the immune system switches between rest and action
Scientists at Gladstone and UCSF discover how one protein controls the behavior of immune cells, with potential applications for treating cancer and autoimmune conditionsPeer-Reviewed Publication Gladstone Institutes image: Scientists at Gladstone and UC San Francisco—including Maya Arce, seen here—discover how one protein controls the behavior of immune cells, with potential applications for treating cancer and...
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Immune system DNA may hold key for multiple personalized disease therapies
by Umea University A specific protein in human lung cells can block the SARS-CoV-2 virus from entering. Photo: Umeå University Some people naturally have higher levels of proteins that protect them from COVID-19. New studies at Umeå University of our immune system may pave the way for more personalized treatments of both COVID-19 and autoimmune disorders....
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Engineered receptors help the immune system home in on cancer
Peer-Reviewed Publication University of California – San Francisco Most cancer treatments – from chemotherapies to engineered immune cells – have a host of side effects, in large part because they affect healthy cells in the body at the same time as targeting tumor cells. For the same reason, designing new cancer drugs can be challenging...
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Drug combo strategy makes glioblastoma cells visible to attacking immune cells
by Julia Evangelou Strait, Washington University School of Medicine Researchers at WashU Medicine have identified a possible way to make glioblastoma cells vulnerable to different types of immunotherapy. The strategy, which they demonstrated in cells in the lab, forces brain cancer cells to display targets for the immune system to attack. Glioblastoma is one of the...
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Immune system imbalance could serve as a trigger for depression, suggests research
by Hebrew University of Jerusalem A summary model of the inflammatory underpinning of depression. Credit: Brain, Behavior, and Immunity (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.08.048 Depression, recognized as the leading cause of disability worldwide, affects nearly one in six people over their lifetimes. Despite decades of research, much remains unknown about the biological mechanisms underlying this debilitating condition. Professor Raz Yirmiya,...
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Playing in mud and dirt can boost your child’s immune system—here’s how
by Samuel J. White and Philippe B. Wilson, The Conversation Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain With the popularity of CleanTok on social media, we’re constantly being reminded about how dirty everything around us is. But while you might feel you should disinfect every surface in your home or send your child off to school with antibacterial gels so their...
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Mouse study sheds light on the secret to maintaining a youthful immune system
by Keck School of Medicine of USC Adaptive immune cells, such as B cells (pictured), are a key component of a youthful immune system. Credit: National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases What keeps some immune systems youthful and effective in warding off age-related diseases? In a new paper published in Cellular & Molecular Immunology, USC Stem Cell scientist Rong...
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Respiratory bacteria ‘turns off’ immune system to survive
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY NEWS Researchers from The University of Queensland have identified how a common bacterium is able to manipulate the human immune system during respiratory infections and cause persistent illness. Bacteria – illustrative photo. Image credit: Pixabay (Free Pixabay license) The research, led by Professor Ulrike Kappler from UQ’s School of Chemical and Molecular...
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How the stressed-out brain can weaken the immune system
08 August 2024 Stress leads to disarray of the gut microbiome, which in turn causes inflammation and a drop in the body’s ability to fend off infection. By Sara Reardon The vagus nerve connects the brain region called the amygdala (red; artist’s illustration) to nerves for the Brunner’s glands in the gut.Credit: Sebastian Kaulitzki/Science Photo...