Immune System News and Research

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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

Naked Mole Rat Gene Boosts Mouse Health and Longevity

University of Rochester scientists have successfully transmitted a longevity gene from naked mole rats to mice, resulting in better health and an extension of the mouse’s lifespan.

24 Aug 2023

Bioengineered Enzyme-Based Scissors can Selectively Remove Mucins Off Cancer Cells

Cancer cells can evade the body's immune defenses by exploiting a normally helpful and ubiquitous group of molecules known as mucins.

24 Aug 2023

Study Solves Mystery and Establish the Mechanism Underlying SLC29A3 Disorders

In humans, the SLC29A3 gene regulates the function of lysosomes to control waste recycling in cells such as macrophages (that engulf and destroy foreign bodies).

23 Aug 2023

Analyzing the First Vaccine Against Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Many Older Adults

The first Americans over age 60 just started rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, now that brand-new vaccines have started to arrive at pharmacies and clinics.

23 Aug 2023

Study Highlights Critical Development Window During Which Racial Differences in Gut Microbiome Emerge

Early social and environmental exposures can have large and lasting effects on child development and adult health.

18 Aug 2023

From Neanderthals to New Drugs: Unlocking Ancient Proteins

We need to think big in antibiotics research.

17 Aug 2023

Study Links Adenovirus Infection With a Rare Blood Clotting Disorder

Platelets, or thrombocytes, are specialized cellular fragments that form blood clots when we get scrapes and traumatic injuries. Viral infections, autoimmune disease, and other conditions can cause platelet levels to drop throughout the body, termed thrombocytopenia.

11 Aug 2023

Researchers Elucidate STING Protein's New Role in Immune Defense

A signaling protein known as STING is a critical player in the human immune system, detecting signs of danger within cells and then activating a variety of defense mechanisms.

7 Aug 2023

New Insights Into How T Cells Become Exhausted in Cancer

Immune system T cells that should be able to kill cancer cells become dysfunctional or "exhausted" within hours of encountering a tumor, according to a study reported Aug. 3 in Nature Immunology.

7 Aug 2023

Environmental Factors Linked With AD Children Aged Between 15 – 35 Months Living in Rural Areas

Children raised in rural environments who spend a lot of time outdoors with some exposure to animals grow to have better regulated immune systems than children living in urban environments, a new study has found.

4 Aug 2023

Gut Hormone Plays a Vital Role in Maintaining the Balance of Fungi in the Digestive System of Mammals

Peptide YY (PYY), a hormone produced by gut endocrine cells that was already known to control appetite, also plays an important role in maintaining the balance of fungi in the digestive system of mammals, according to new research from the University of Chicago.

4 Aug 2023

Major Progress in Next-Gen Probiotic Development

One of the beneficial gut bacteria found in the human gut that ordinarily cannot thrive in an oxygen-rich environment can now be made oxygen-tolerant. This is an important result in the development of future probiotic treatments to enhance glucose management in people with prediabetes.

3 Aug 2023

The Peptoid Approach to Antiviral Resistance

Antiviral therapies are difficult to develop because viruses can rapidly mutate to become drug resistant.

3 Aug 2023

Alternate Fuel ‘Cells’ Redefines Function of Nutrition in the Immune System

A metabolic by-product that is more prominent during fasting can improve immune cells’ ability to fight off infection and disease, according to a preliminary study conducted by researchers at the Van Andel Institute and its partners.

31 Jul 2023

New Proof-of-Concept Model for Delivering Gene Editing Tools to Treat Blood Disorders

In a step forward in the development of genetic medicines, researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a proof-of-concept model for delivering gene editing tools to treat blood disorders, allowing for the modification of diseased blood cells directly within the body.

28 Jul 2023