Macrophage News and Research

RSS

A macrophage is a type of white blood cell that surrounds and kills microorganisms, removes dead cells, and stimulates the action of other immune system cells.

Scientists discover how novel pathogens promote colorectal cancer development

Do BMMFs, the novel infectious agents found in dairy products and bovine sera, play a role in the development of colorectal cancer? Scientists led by Harald zur Hausen detected the pathogens in colorectal cancer patients in close proximity to tumors.

15 Mar 2021

The role of nanotechnology in the fight against COVID-19

Appearing in the journal Nanomedicine, the review summarized all the exciting advances made using diverse nanomaterials (polymeric, inorganic self-assembling materials and peptide-based) towards COVID-19 prevention, diagnosis and therapy.

15 Mar 2021

Research looks at inflammatory nature of lipid nanoparticle component in mRNA vaccines

In a recent bioRxiv preprint research paper, Botond Z. Igyártó and colleagues from Thomas Jefferson University demonstrated the inflammatory nature of the lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).

15 Mar 2021

Researchers discover new protein that may play a key role in atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is the underlying condition that causes heart attacks and strokes. Researchers at Radboudumc in the Netherlands have discovered a protein that appears to play an important role in atherosclerosis.

11 Mar 2021

Studies reveal how kidney tumors' microenvironments change in response to immunotherapy

In the last two decades, immunotherapy has emerged as a leading treatment for advanced renal carcinoma cancer (more commonly known as kidney cancer).

11 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 can infect blood monocytes and trigger inflammation, finds study

Researchers found about 10% of blood monocytes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients are infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). These monocytes then die, leading to the release of cytokines – a feature associated with severe and critical COVID-19.

11 Mar 2021

Study shows macrophages cause excess scarring after surgery

The body is amazing at healing itself. However, sometimes it can overdo it. Excess scarring after abdominal and pelvic surgery within the peritoneal cavity can lead to serious complications and sometimes death.

8 Mar 2021

Researchers discover how adhesions form in the abdomen

Adhesions are scars in the abdomen, which can occur after surgery, often have serious consequences. Now, researchers from the University of Bern and Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, in collaboration with Canadian researchers, have discovered how such adhesions form.

5 Mar 2021

Discovery offers a precise route to treat inflammation associated with neuropathic pain

One of the hallmarks of chronic pain is inflammation, and scientists at the UNC School of Medicine have discovered that anti-inflammatory cells called MRC1+ macrophages are dysfunctional in an animal model of neuropathic pain.

5 Mar 2021

Cell surface marker CD47 may allow early diagnosis of severe COVID-19

A new study reports the potential of the cell surface marker, CD47, as a biomarker for hyperinflammation, a characteristic feature of severe COVID-19.

4 Mar 2021

Novel host-viral-microbiome interactions during COVID-19 may determine outcome

A new preprint on the medRxiv* server discusses how the underlying disease mechanisms are regulated such that the local or mucosal immune response is distinct from the systemic response.

4 Mar 2021

COVID-19 disrupts heart muscle contraction, may lead to heart failure

Since early in the pandemic, COVID-19 has been associated with heart problems, including reduced ability to pump blood and abnormal heart rhythms.

3 Mar 2021

Early antibody response predicts COVID-19 outcome

To address this gap, researchers from the U.S. evaluated the timing of antibody production against SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized patients. They used a highly sensitive multiplexed bead-based immunoassay that allows for early detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The study is published on the preprint server medRxiv.

2 Mar 2021

ACGT awards $500,000 to advance immunotherapy approach for treating solid tumors

A scientific team led by Brian Brown, PhD, Professor of Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Associate Director of the Precision Immunology Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, New York), has been awarded $500,000 from Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy to advance a promising immunotherapy approach to fight lung cancer and other solid tumor cancers.

1 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 modulates host cell central carbon metabolism for reproduction

A team of scientists from Sweden and India has recently characterized the host cell metabolic alterations associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Their findings reveal that SARS-CoV-2 modulates the host cell's central carbon metabolism to facilitate replication and infection propagation.

28 Feb 2021

NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors may help treat early COVID-19, says study

A new study by researchers in the U.S. further supports the hypothesis that the unregulated release of inflammatory cytokines is responsible for the local and systemic inflammation that is associated with multi-organ damage and death in severe COVID-19.

26 Feb 2021

Inhalable nanobody shows potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in vivo

Researchers have developed a stable and ultrapotent homotrimeric Pittsburgh inhalable Nanobody 21 (PiN-21) against SARS-CoV-2 infection in Syrian hamsters. They demonstrated the high therapeutic efficacy of this homotrimeric Nb, leveraging both intranasal and aerosol delivery.

26 Feb 2021

Repetitive compression of limbs may improve recovery from the most deadly stroke

Scientists want to know more about how an inexpensive, low-risk treatment may improve recovery from the most deadly type of stroke.

25 Feb 2021

Study offers new insights into "Niemann-Pick type C disease"

In the journal Nature Communications, scientists of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) report new findings on the mechanisms of "Niemann-Pick type C disease" (NPC).

24 Feb 2021

Corticosteroid receptor inhibitor shows anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in vivo

A team of researchers examined PT150, which is an allosteric modulator of androgen and glucocorticoid receptors, to assess whether it had any antiviral activity or immunomodulatory activity to decrease the hyperinflammatory response of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

24 Feb 2021