Immune System News and Research

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Research Offers a Promising Avenue for Improving T-Cell-Based Cancer Therapies

Using laboratory-grown cells from humans and genetically engineered mice, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have evidence that modifying a specific protein in immune white blood cells known as CD8+ T cells can make the cells more robust, potentially opening the door for better use of people's own immune system T cells to fight cancer.

4 Oct 2023

Leishmania Parasites Found to Infect Non-Immune Cells

The organisms that cause visceral leishmaniasis, a potentially deadly version of the parasitic disease that most often affects the skin to cause disfiguring disease, appear to have a secret weapon, new research suggests: They can infect non-immune cells and persist in those uncommon environments.

4 Oct 2023

Wildling Mice With High Microbial Exposure can Develop Allergies

The notion that some level of microbial exposure might reduce our risk of developing allergies has arisen over the last few decades and has been termed the hygiene hypothesis.

3 Oct 2023

Scientists Develop Molecular Radar to Detect Active Cullin-RING Ligases

Our cells have a fleet of 300 molecular machines, called cullin-RING ligases, or "CRLs" for short, that each is capable of triggering destruction of specific proteins for the well-being of our cells.

27 Sep 2023

Ribo-seq Optimization to Gain Insights into Protein Production

Ribosome profiling, a gene sequencing approach, has increased the understanding of the human genome by uncovering previously undiscovered protein-coding regions.

22 Sep 2023

Key Proteins in Human Breast Milk Crucial for Baby’s Healthy Gut

The abundance of two species of bacteria known to be good for human health and used as probiotics, Clostridium butyricum and Parabacteroides distasonis, has been linked to high concentrations of key proteins in human breast milk, particularly osteopontin and κ-casein.

13 Sep 2023

Scientists Uncover New Genetic Insights into Staphylococcus Aureus

New genetic insights into Staphylococcus aureus have been discovered by Australian researchers, showing what makes the bacteria so hazardous when it enters the bloodstream.

13 Sep 2023

The First Microrobots Capable of Navigating Within Groups of Cells and Stimulating Individual Cells

A group of researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has developed the world's first microrobot ("microbot") capable of navigating within groups of cells and stimulating individual cells.

12 Sep 2023

Slowing down Alzheimer’s with Specialized T Cells

Alzheimer’s disease, a neurological disorder characterized by gradual cognitive decline, including memory loss, affects up to 5.8 million Americans today. Protein aggregates made up of beta-amyloid or other proteins occur in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. These beta-amyloid plaques appear to be a major cause of the disease.

8 Sep 2023

Immune Cells Can Create Their Own Chemical Cues to Navigate

In a breakthrough finding, Jonna Alanko, a researcher from InFLAMES, has unveiled that immune cells are not mere passive followers of chemical signals in their surroundings.

7 Sep 2023

Targeted MicroRNA-34a Therapy Shows Promise in Slowing Tumor Growth in Mice

A new cancer therapy developed by Purdue University researchers attacks tumors by tricking cancer cells into absorbing a snippet of RNA that naturally blocks cell division.

5 Sep 2023

LJI Scientists Harness 'Helper' T Cells To Treat Tumors

Scientists are on the hunt for a unique set of mutations, called "neoantigens," that let the immune system distinguish tumor cells from normal cells. Their goal is to help the immune system react to neoantigens and target tumor cells for destruction.

4 Sep 2023

Crick Researchers Identify Stem Cells in Thymus for First Time

For the first time, Francis Crick Institute researchers have discovered stem cells in the human thymus. These cells provide a possible new target for research into immunological disorders, cancer, and immune system stimulation.

31 Aug 2023

Understanding the Role of T Cells in Lung Cancer Could Lead to Improved Immunotherapy Outcomes

Fresh discoveries about a type of immune cells could give lung cancer patients a more accurate prognosis and better identify who will benefit from immunotherapies.

31 Aug 2023

Scientists Uncover New Mechanism for Degrading Short-Lived Proteins

Short-lived proteins control gene expression in cells to carry out a number of vital tasks, from helping the brain form connections to helping the body mount an immune defense. These proteins are made in the nucleus and are quickly destroyed once they've done their job.

25 Aug 2023