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Researchers use genetically manipulated virus to combat prostate cancer

Researchers at the São Paulo State Cancer Institute in Brazil have succeeded in using a genetically manipulated virus to destroy tumor cells upon injection into mice with prostate cancer.

27 Jun 2019

New therapeutic strategy treats viral infection and boosts immunity against cancer

A potential therapeutic strategy to treat viral infection and boost immunity against cancer is reported in the May 30 online issue of the journal Cell.

31 May 2019

Host-cell enzymes vital for inhibiting mutant forms of coronavirus, study finds

Host-cell enzymes called PARP12 and PARP14 are important for inhibiting mutant forms of a coronavirus, according to a study published May 16 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Stanley Perlman of the University of Iowa, Anthony Fehr of the University of Kansas, and colleagues.

21 May 2019

Low humidity could be flu virus' best friend

Yale researchers have pinpointed a key reason why people are more likely to get sick and even die from flu during winter months: low humidity.

14 May 2019

Researchers develop fast diagnostic tool that shows MS patients in relapse

Dr. Horea Rus is an expert in diagnosing and treating patients with multiple sclerosis, and his research laboratory at the University of Maryland is producing new tools for treating the disease that attacks the central nervous system.

8 May 2019

Early molecular signs of high-risk pregnancy revealed

Women who have healthy pregnancies tend to show distinct changes in the activities of immune genes starting early in pregnancy, while women who have complicated pregnancies tend to show clear departures from that pattern, according to a new study from a team led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Hospital for Special Surgery.

9 Apr 2019

Study compares use of breast milk to formula in children who underwent bone marrow transplant

A new pilot study compared the use of human breast milk to formula in children less than 5 years of age who underwent bone marrow transplant (BMT), measuring the levels of inflammatory and pro-inflammatory biomarkers in the stool and blood to assess inflammatory injury to the intestinal microbiome.

5 Apr 2019

Study offers new insights for vaccine development to prevent RSV disease

In healthy adults, RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, feels like the common cold with a runny nose, chest congestion and cough.

27 Mar 2019

Lupus Research Alliance announces research awards to accelerate development of new therapies

Can "borrowed" drugs for treating other diseases protect the skin in patients with lupus? Can researchers coax the body to weed out harmful immune cells that drive tissue destruction in lupus? Those are just two of the innovative approaches for lupus therapies recognized by the Lupus Research Alliance with the latest round of its Target Identification in Lupus grants.

11 Jan 2019

Boosting our defenses to fight Klebsiella infections

Although a relatively common infection, some bacteria that causes pneumonia can be particularly deadly. As a case in point, take Klebsiella pneumoniae, which has been included on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) list of infections that desperately need new treatments.

6 Dec 2018

Antimicrobial signaling molecule has lower activity against hepatitis C virus in most humans

An antimicrobial signaling molecule called IFNλ4 has lower activity against the hepatitis C virus in the vast majority of humans compared with chimpanzees and African hunter-gatherer Pygmies, according to a study published October 11 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by John McLauchlan’s research team at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research in the UK, and colleagues.

12 Oct 2018

Scripps Research scientists discover role of immune system double agent

Scientists at Scripps Research have discovered the role of an immune system double agent. This molecule, called USP18, can help curtail immune responses, but it can also open the door to bacterial infections, such as harmful listeria and staph infections.

5 Oct 2018

Research uncovers how the immune system detects DNA damage

Our immune system is working every day to protect us from bacteria, viruses, and parasites, but it can also detect when our own cells are damaged.

6 Sep 2018

Study adds more evidence to underlying autoimmune mechanisms in type 1 diabetes

Immune reactions are usually a good thing - the body's way of eliminating harmful bacteria and other pathogens. But people also rely on molecular "brakes," or checkpoints, to keep immune systems from attacking their own cells and organs and causing so-called autoimmune disease.

29 Aug 2018

Drug used to treat amoebic dysentery may block journey of rabies virus in nerves

To successfully infect its host, the rabies virus must move from the nerve ending to the nerve cell body where it can replicate.

24 Aug 2018

Study uncovers mechanism that affects multiplication of dengue virus lineage

A lineage of type 1 dengue virus found in Brazil is able to prevail over another even though it multiplies less in vector mosquitoes and infected human cells.

15 Aug 2018

Nucleic acid nanoparticles found to have varying immune responses

An extensive experiment testing the immune effects of a broad group of lab-designed nucleic acid nanoparticles did not find a strong, uniform immune response, as had been predicted.

27 Jul 2018

Researchers decipher key component behind rising epidemic of pathogens in West Africa

A research team from several institutions being led by the University of California San Diego has deciphered a key component behind a rising epidemic of pathogens that the World Health Organization (WHO) recently added to its list of critical emerging diseases.

13 Jul 2018

Scientists discover secret to success of antiviral gene

It's been known for years that humans and other mammals possess an antiviral gene called RSAD2 that prevents a remarkable range of viruses from multiplying.

25 Jun 2018

Innovative drugs and new European treatment guidelines refine, improve MS therapy

MS is the most common neurological disease in young adults. There are about 2.3 million people worldwide who face a high risk of ever worsening disabilities from this disease.

18 Jun 2018