Immune System News and Research

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Nasopharyngeal microbiota influences SARS-CoV-2 infection status and severity

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* pre-print server, Canadian researchers investigated how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection altered the microbiota composition of the host’s nasopharyngeal region.

16 Jun 2022

Stanford researcher outlines pollution and climate change threats to children's health

Horror stories of children trapped in hot cars make headlines, but air pollution and impacts from a changing climate are more constant threats.

15 Jun 2022

Fc-effector functions for selecting COVID-19 convalescent plasma

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers demonstrated that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent plasmas (CCPs) with low neutralizing and high fragment crystallizable (Fc)-effector activity result in effective prophylaxis.

15 Jun 2022

Treating anal precancerous growths reduces risk of anal cancer by more than half in HIV patients

A large clinical trial of people living with HIV has found that treating anal precancerous growths known as high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, or HSIL, reduces the chance that anal cancer will develop by more than half.

15 Jun 2022

Cellular "barcoding" in mice unravels the origins of blood

The origins of our blood may not be quite what we thought. Using cellular "barcoding" in mice, a groundbreaking study finds that blood cells originate not from one type of mother cell, but two, with potential implications for blood cancers, bone marrow transplant, and immunology. Fernando Camargo, PhD, of the Stem Cell Program at Boston Children's Hospital led the study, published in Nature on June 15.

15 Jun 2022

Study reveals the dynamics of disease recovery after severe COVID-19

Recovery from severe COVID-19 is characterized by a reduction of certain white blood cells and changes in the molecular regulation of the immune system.

15 Jun 2022

UIC scientists identify a dynamic duo of cells in lung blood vessels

Scientists at the University of Illinois Chicago have analyzed gene expression data from more than 35,000 blood vessel cells from the lungs of mice and identified two subtypes.

14 Jun 2022

New studies examine the causes and effects of COVID-19-related food insecurity

The COVID-19 pandemic affected people at all stages of life from seniors to newborns. New studies presented at NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE examine the causes and effects of COVID-19-related food insecurity, how the pandemic affected breastfeeding practices and more.

14 Jun 2022

Emory researchers identify key immune cell type that drives the transition from early to late COVID-19

Determining how SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, moves from an early stage of infection, when patients are largely asymptomatic, into a later stage when people may experience life-threatening inflammation in the lungs, is a critical step in understanding how to target and treat the disease more efficiently.

14 Jun 2022

Researchers discover specific genetic signals in people who develop severe COVID-19

Researchers from the University of Sheffield and Stanford University in the US have discovered there are specific genetic signals in people who develop severe coronavirus infection.

14 Jun 2022

The severity of COVID-19 compared to seasonal influenza

In a recent study under review at the Archives of Virology journal and currently posted to the Research Square* preprint server, investigators in Israel assessed the disparities and similarities between seasonal influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections.

14 Jun 2022

Infants in industrialized nations have fewer gut bacteria that efficiently digest breast milk

The guts of infants are nearly sterile at birth, but they become a community of trillions of microbial cells, known as the microbiome, by the time they reach adulthood.

13 Jun 2022

RNA exosomes play a key role in B cell development, UTSW study suggests

New research from UT Southwestern suggests that RNA exosomes – the cellular machines that degrade old molecules of RNA – play a key role in the development of B cells, which are critical to the immune system's ability to protect against infection.

13 Jun 2022

Stress accelerates aging of the immune system

Stress - in the form of traumatic events, job strain, everyday stressors and discrimination - accelerates aging of the immune system, potentially increasing a person's risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and illness from infections such as COVID-19, according to a new USC study.

13 Jun 2022