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Study reveals mechanisms underlying inflammatory response in the brain associated with fever

Researchers from Kanazawa University report in Journal of Neuroscience performed a microdialysis study on mice to determine mechanisms underlying the inflammatory response in the brain associated with fever that might be used to develop new strategies for treatment.

31 Aug 2018

Newly discovered target may prevent progression of liver injury to cancer

Problems like obesity and alcoholism appear to chronically trigger in the liver a receptor known to amplify inflammation in response to invaders like bacteria, scientists report.

27 Aug 2018

Study provides new insights into how the human immune system protects against Ebola infections

Two types of human antibodies that target different parts of the Ebola virus synergize their antiviral effects by inhibiting different steps of infection, according to a study published August 23 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Philipp Ilinykh and colleagues from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Vanderbilt University, and Ragon Institute.

24 Aug 2018

Doxorubicin drug causes heart toxicity by disrupting the immune system

Doxorubicin is a chemotherapy drug widely used in ovarian, bladder, lung, thyroid and stomach cancers, but it carries a harmful side effect. The drug causes a dose-dependent heart toxicity that can lead to congestive heart failure.

7 Aug 2018

New TSPO-targeted PET imaging more fully evaluates extent of rheumatoid arthritis

A new positron emission tomography imaging method more fully evaluates the extent of rheumatoid arthritis by targeting translocator protein expression in the synovium (joint lining tissue).

10 Jul 2018

Nanofiber-based wound dressings loaded with vitamin D spur production of antimicrobial peptide

Nanofiber-based wound dressings loaded with vitamin D spur the production of an antimicrobial peptide, a key step forward in the battle against surgical site infections, or SSIs.

6 Jul 2018

Seeing the Unexpected: Regulatory T Cells and Basophils

Dr. Jagadeesh Bayry from INSERM discusses his recent research in the field of immunology, and how T regulatory cells activate, rather than suppress, basophils.

4 Jul 2018

New test can identify ICU patients at greatest risk of secondary infections

Patients in intensive care units are at significant risk of potentially life-threatening secondary infections, including from antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as MRSA and C. difficile.

13 Jun 2018

Researchers identify culprit that spurs damaging inflammation following heart attack

Scientists have zeroed in on a culprit that spurs damaging inflammation in the heart following a heart attack. The guilty party is a type of immune cell that tries to heal the injured heart but instead triggers inflammation that leads to even more damage.

8 Jun 2018

Study finds link between inflammatory signals in heart muscle cells and atrial fibrillation

Interfering with inflammatory signals produced by heart muscle cells might someday provide novel therapeutic strategies for atrial fibrillation, according to an international team of researchers who have published their findings in the journal Circulation.

5 Jun 2018

Immune cells promote lung cancer metastases by forming clots in tumors, study finds

University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have found that by helping to form clots within tumors, immune cells that flock to a particular type of lung cancer are actually building a foundation for the tumor to spread within the body.

25 May 2018

Researchers uncover clues to early lung transplant failure

Among organ transplant patients, those receiving new lungs face a higher rate of organ failure and death compared with people undergoing heart, kidney and liver transplants. One of the culprits is inflammation that damages the newly transplanted lung.

22 May 2018

Stimulant use may negatively affect health of HIV-positive persons

A researcher at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has found that the use of stimulants, such as methamphetamine, can negatively affect the health of HIV-positive persons even when they are adhering to medical treatment.

4 May 2018

Key metabolites shed by gut bacteria can help protect from inflammation, study finds

Researchers at Tufts University have elucidated a mechanism by which the "good" bacteria that reside in our gastrointestinal tract can help protect us from inflammation, and how their disruption (dysbiosis) can increase the susceptibility of the liver to more harmful forms of disease.

4 May 2018

New combination therapy could improve survival in children with high-risk neuroblastoma

Investigators at the Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at Children's Hospital Los Angeles provide preclinical evidence that the presence of tumor-associated macrophages--a type of immune cell--can negatively affect the response to chemotherapy against neuroblastoma.

25 Apr 2018

Novel disease model for ALS and MS can be used to develop new immunotherapies

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a new disease model for neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and MS that can be used to develop new immunotherapies. The model is described in a publication in the scientific journal Nature Immunology.

16 Apr 2018

Researcher explores how children develop immunity to malaria as they grow older

Across the world, over 200 million cases of malaria and nearly 500,000 deaths from the disease occur annually--more than 90 percent of which happen in Africa. Children in Africa can be diagnosed with malaria two or three times a year, a rate that decreases as they become older and develop immunity. But the way children generate and maintain this immunity remains a mystery.

11 Apr 2018

Researchers identify macrophage populations involved in development of atherosclerosis

Stroke and heart attack are the leading cause of death in the Western world. Würzburg scientists have used a special technique to get a clearer picture of the cells involved and their activity.

5 Apr 2018

Research reveals role of colon signaling pathway in development of IBD

The intestine encounters more foreign substances, and potential toxins, than other parts of the body, so it is not surprising that a healthy gut is maintained by the tight control of immune responses.

30 Mar 2018

Single high-fat meal can set the stage for cardiovascular disease

A single high-fat milkshake, with a fat and calorie content similar to some enticing restaurant fare, can quickly transform our healthy red blood cells into small, spiky cells that wreak havoc inside our blood vessels and help set the perfect stage for cardiovascular disease, scientists report.

29 Mar 2018