Checkpoint blockade by a D-peptide for cancer immunotherapy or example, they induce the so-called immune checkpoints of T-cells to shut down immune responses. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, scientists have now introduced a new approach for immunological tumor treatment. Their method is based on the specific blockade of an immune checkpoint by a stable “mirror-image”...
Tag: <span>immune</span>
Post
Blocking a ‘jamming signal’ can unleash immune system to fight tumors
by Yale University Yale researchers have discovered a “jamming signal” that blocks a powerful immune system stimulant called interleukin-18 (IL-18) from reaching tumors, including in cancers that are resistant to conventional immunotherapy treatments, they report June 24 in the journal Nature. The research team created a version of IL-18 that could not be jammed and...
Post
Could the cure for IBD be inside your mouth?
by University of Michigan While many people put off their regular trips to the dentist, recent research has shown that the consequences of doing so may go beyond cavities and root canals. From heart disease to diabetes, poor oral health is often a reflection of a person’s overall health and may even be the cause...
Post
COVID-19 immunology study reveals universally effective antibodies
A study of 149 people who have recovered from COVID-19 show that although the amount of antibodies they generated varies widely, most individuals had generated at least some that were intrinsically capable of neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The findings are published in the journal Nature. Antibodies vary widely in their efficacy. While many may latch...
Post
Cyclosporin study may lead to novel ways of approaching mitochondrial dysfunction
Cyclic peptide molecules of the fungal origin called cyclosporins were discovered in 1970’s, and cyclosporin A soon became an important drug due to its immunosuppressive activity. The details of the biochemical reactions involving cyclosporin were elucidated by the beginning of 1990s, but still some aspects of the behavior of this molecule raise questions. Investigation started...
Post
Ten reasons why immunity passports are a bad idea
Restricting movement on the basis of biology threatens freedom, fairness and public health. Imagine a world where your ability to get a job, housing or a loan depends on passing a blood test. You are confined to your home and locked out of society if you lack certain antibodies. It has happened before. For most...
Post
Serious complication of Crohn’s disease may be preventable in young people
by University of Michigan For children and young adults with Crohn’s disease, steroid-sparing therapies may help reduce the risk of developing a severe and common complication of the inflammatory bowel condition, a new study suggests. About one in three people with Crohn’s disease develop what’s known as a perianal fistula, which can be painful, difficult...
Post
Eye injury sets immune cells on surveillance to protect the lens
by Thomas Jefferson University 3D surface structure imaging at one day post-corneal wounding shows immune cells (CD45+, green) migrating along within ciliary zonule fibrils (MAGP1+, white) that extend along the surface of the matrix capsule that surrounds the lens (perlecan+, red). Also seen are the ciliary zonules (white) that link the lens to the ciliary...
Post
New wearable sensor tracks Vitamin C levels in sweat
A team at the University of California San Diego has developed a wearable, non invasive Vitamin C sensor that could provide a new, highly personalized option for users to track their daily nutritional intake and dietary adherence. The study was published in the journal ACS Sensors. “Wearable sensors have traditionally been focused on their use...
Post
Interleukin-12 electroporation may sensitize ‘cold’ melanomas to immunotherapies
by American Association for Cancer Research Combining intratumoral electroporation of interleukin-12 (IL-12) DNA (tavokinogene telseplasmid, or TAVO) with the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) led to clinical responses in patients with immunologically quiescent advanced melanoma, according to results from a phase II trial published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for...