immunity News and Research

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CRISPR directs layered immune response against invading bacteriophages

The main function of CRISPR-Cas systems, the revolutionary tool scientists now employ to edit genes, is to defend bacteria against threats such as viruses called bacteriophages.

24 Jul 2026

Study links household drinking water to long-term lithium exposure

Lithium in drinking water is a widespread and persistent source of human exposure across Tribal communities in the Western United States, according to a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

24 Jul 2026

Scientists create programmable immune receptors for disease-resistant crops

Crop production faces threats from plant pathogens. Traditional disease-resistance breeding relies heavily on natural plant resistance genes that encode immune receptors adapted to particular pathogens.

23 Jul 2026

MEK inhibition could limit T cell exhaustion and give a boost to immunotherapy

A major pillar of cancer immunotherapy involves stimulating T cells, the specialized killers of the immune system, to attack tumors.

23 Jul 2026

Study reveals high prevalence of post-pandemic fatigue and sleep disturbances

Disrupted sleep and anxiety may be an ongoing issue for many people after the pandemic, whether due to COVID-19 directly or to the stress and anxiety caused by the global pandemic, and may contribute to the fatigue commonly reported by people with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome (PCS, or 'long COVID').

23 Jul 2026

CRISPR-Cas orchestrates a layered defense network to fight bacterial viruses

All cellular life-from humans to bacteria-possesses two layers of immunity: innate and adaptive. Scientists have long understood how these two types of immunity work together in higher organisms but not in the microbial world.

23 Jul 2026

Thymulin curbs age-related inflammation and slows breast tumors in mice

Thymulin reduced age-associated inflammatory myeloid cells and slowed breast-tumor growth in aged mice by suppressing NF-κB signaling. The peptide also restored anti-PD-L1 responsiveness in aged mouse models, while human cell and tumor data supported an age-linked inflammatory myeloid profile.

23 Jul 2026

Occult hepatitis B mutations drive liver cancer growth via Akt mTOR pathway

Occult hepatitis B virus (OBI) infection presents a significant global health challenge, notoriously flying under the radar of standard viral screening while relentlessly driving the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

22 Jul 2026

Study reveals how p53 mutations cause tumors to resist cancer immunotherapy

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has transformed cancer treatment, but many tumors remain resistant.

22 Jul 2026

UVA researcher wins federal grant to develop tools for studying rare circulating cells

A University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science faculty researcher earned a major new federal grant to develop emerging tools to work with some of the rarest circulating cells in the human body, a step toward better treatments for diseases such as cancer and infection.

21 Jul 2026

Thymus hormone identified as key player in reversing age-related inflammation

Chronic, low-grade inflammation in the body-a phenomenon known as "inflammaging" because it increases with age-has been linked to many of today's leading causes of illness and death, including cancer, heart disease, metabolic conditions and neurodegenerative diseases.

21 Jul 2026

Exercise oncology could unlock new therapeutic pathways against cancer

Regular exercise is associated with improved outcomes for many patients with cancer, yet those with advanced disease may be unable to participate in exercise-based interventions.

20 Jul 2026

Specialized blood vessels enable effective immune defense against cancer metastases

It has long been suspected that endothelial cells, the specialized cells lining the inner walls of blood vessels, play a key role in determining how the body’s immune system responds to tumors.

20 Jul 2026

Study reveals mechanism underlying HBV-induced liver inflammation

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major cause of global liver morbidity, leading to progressive necroinflammation that often culminates in cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

17 Jul 2026

New battery-powered device detects Bundibugyo Ebola virus in thirty minutes

Professor Yasutoshi Kido of the Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU), in collaboration with K.K. DNAFORM and the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is developing a portable rapid diagnostic system for Ebola virus disease (EVD) caused by Bundibugyo virus (BDBV).

17 Jul 2026

Targeting ZBP1 may overcome cancer immunotherapy resistance

A new Review published in the open-access journal Ferroptosis and Oxidative Stress highlights Z-nucleic acid-binding protein 1 (ZBP1) as an emerging innate immune sensor that converts genomic stress into potent antitumor immunity.

16 Jul 2026

Specialized dendritic cells found to coordinate antitumor immunity

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified the immune cell that acts as the architect and coordinator of powerful immune hubs that form inside tumors and plays a key role in antitumor immunity.

16 Jul 2026

Fractional COVID booster doses provide strong long-lasting immunity

Smaller doses of COVID-19 booster vaccines can provide long-lasting immunity, helping to reduce costs and improve access to vaccination, according to new research. And the findings could also inform vaccine dosing and options during future pandemics.

16 Jul 2026

Tick-borne viruses show concerning potential for future pandemics

A study led by a University of California, Riverside biomedical scientist shows how a family of tick-borne viruses known as orthonairoviruses can evade immune defenses, offering important insights into emerging infectious disease threats and the potential pandemic risk posed by these viruses.

14 Jul 2026

Study links gut microbes to stronger cancer immunotherapy responses

A new study from a team including University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers is the first to show metabolites produced by certain bacteria in the gut can positively impact the body's immune response to cancer.

14 Jul 2026