Immune System News and Research

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Scientists link poor sleep to decreased chemotherapy response via the gut

Sleep deprivation has long been known to weaken the immune system. Now UF Health Cancer Institute researchers have made a startling discovery: The gut microbiota drives changes to the immune system caused by chronic sleep loss. These changes promote cancer progression, disrupt circadian rhythm and weaken the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

17 Apr 2026

How the immune system may influence Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and related diseases

This review argues that neurodegeneration is shaped not only by toxic protein buildup but also by immune signaling, with microglia and T cells able to either protect the brain or worsen damage depending on context. It also highlights aging, head injury, and viral infection as major forces that reshape CNS immunity and may influence disease progression and future treatment strategies.

16 Apr 2026

Scientists discover how the immune system signals the brain to avoid germs

Researchers from the University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn uncover vital mechanism for survival

16 Apr 2026

New research reveals how bacteria "selflessly" share DNA through GTAs

Research has shed important new light on the enemies-turned-allies that allow bacteria to exchange genes, including those linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

16 Apr 2026

Researchers discover how stress signals weaken the aging immune system

As we age, our ability to maintain healthy blood and a strong immune system gradually declines, largely because hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the cells responsible for producing all blood cell types, begin to lose their effectiveness. Normally, HSCs can both self-renew and generate a balanced mix of blood cells, but over time they produce fewer new cells, favor certain cells such as myeloid cells over lymphoid cells, and struggle to support a robust immune response.

16 Apr 2026

New flu vaccine approach targets multiple virus strains

Doctors recommend getting your flu shot annually, since the specific influenza strain it targets varies from year to year. But what if the shot could be more effective while protecting against more strains?

15 Apr 2026

Mitochondrial activity keeps dendritic cells ready to fight disease

Researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) show that active mitochondria maintain dendritic cells, the immune system's sentinels, in a "ready-to-respond" state, linking cellular metabolism to gene regulation and T-cell activation.

15 Apr 2026

Experimental drug shows survival benefit in pancreatic cancer trial

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers and among the hardest to treat, with most patients surviving less than a year after diagnosis.

14 Apr 2026

Study finds long COVID leaves a distinct immune signature in the blood

Researchers identified a small panel of inflammatory and neurology-related blood proteins that may help distinguish long COVID from recovery or no prior infection, while also showing that booster vaccination did not appear to worsen these protein responses in this cohort. The study also found that immune responses after reinfection differed from those seen after the first SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting altered long-term immune behavior in some previously infected individuals.

14 Apr 2026

Study explains why vaccines underperform in people living with obesity

New findings reveal that obesity significantly impaired the quality and longevity of antibody responses to a Pseudomonas aeruginosa vaccine in a mouse model.

13 Apr 2026

Researchers identify molecular link between autoimmune disease and lymphoma risk

Patients with autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk of developing lymphoma, a form of blood cancer that affects the lymphatic system.

13 Apr 2026

NTU Singapore and partners develop new inhaled treatment for severe lung infections

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) is working with China's Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and Swedish biotechnology company Lipigon Pharmaceuticals AB to develop a new inhaled treatment aimed at helping patients recover faster from severe lung infections.

13 Apr 2026