Immune Response News and Research

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Study sheds light on how interferon-gamma drives response to immunotherapy in melanoma

A new study by researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center sheds light on how interferon-gamma (IFN-y), an immune response-stimulating signaling molecule that helps activate immune cells, guides the treatment response in people with advanced melanoma who are treated with one of the leading immunotherapies - immune checkpoint blockade.

10 Sep 2020

Study shows role of pathogens in shaping human evolution

Every human cell harbors its own defenses against microbial invaders, relying on strategies that date back to some of the earliest events in the history of life, researchers report.

10 Sep 2020

Study reviews recent insights into the pathogenesis of feline leukemia virus infection

Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) is a gammaretrovirus that occurs worldwide in domestic cats, as well as small wild cats. It is associated with various serious, and sometimes fatal, diseases including anaemia, immunosuppression and certain cancers

10 Sep 2020

Sex-differential COVID-19 responses are mediated by kynurenic acid

Now, a new study by a research team from Yale University, USA, Edith Cowan University, Australia, and the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, and published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 shows that kynurenic acid is the underlying factor which is responsible for these differences.

9 Sep 2020

Allergic immune response against bacteria is not pathological but protective

Allergy is one of the most common diseases in Europe, it is estimated that more than 150 million Europeans suffer from recurring allergies and by 2025 this could have increased to half of the entire European population.

9 Sep 2020

Study reveals how B cells react to SARS-CoV-2

In an exciting immunological medRxiv preprint paper, researchers from Germany and Russia analyzed adaptive immune response in severely affected patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). They demonstrated a protracted immune reaction characterized by egress of B lymphocytes into the blood.

9 Sep 2020

Researchers discover a new way to limit inflammation from adjuvants in vaccines

Adjuvants are a key ingredient of many modern vaccines, working to unleash an immune response that helps protect the body from disease. Many scientists believe that adjuvants are they key to developing new kinds of vaccines for hard-to-vaccinate viruses, like HIV.

9 Sep 2020

Scientists shed new light on gene regulatory pathways activated by stress hormone

Scientists have long known that chronic stress experienced early in life, or even chronic prenatal exposure to maternal stress hormones in the womb, can shorten lifespan and contribute to age-related chronic diseases like arthritis, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even mental illness later in life -- long after the source of stress has been removed.

9 Sep 2020

Host gene editing main driving force of SARS-CoV-2 mutations

A new study published on the aRxiv preprint server in September 2020 shows that the host immune response, mediated by two RNA editors, causes the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to adapt and change strain characteristics.

9 Sep 2020

Scientists explain why men are at higher risk from COVID-19

Published in the journal PLOS Biology, the study aimed to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that drive the varying responses of the infected individuals among different patient demographics, including sex and age.

9 Sep 2020

AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine trial paused due to suspected adverse reaction

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is rippling across the globe, with over 27.47 million reported cases. With the vast spread of the virus, scientists are racing to gain the approval of candidate vaccines against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19 disease and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

8 Sep 2020

'Molecular brake' on the immune system could be potential treatment target for severe COVID-19

Older people and people with underlying medical conditions are at particular risk of severe COVID-19. A group of researchers from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have discovered one possible reason for this vulnerability.

8 Sep 2020

Memory B cells indicate durable immunity in COVID-19

Now a new study by researchers at SUNY Upstate Medical University and published recently on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 shows that memory B cells are upregulated in convalescent COVID-19 patients, correlating with a better immune response and shorter symptom duration.

8 Sep 2020

Scientists develop a rapid, reliable and low-cost COVID-19 antibody test

Robust and widespread antibody testing has emerged as a key strategy in the fight against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

8 Sep 2020

Tel Aviv University receives philanthropic grant from 3M for COVID-19 vaccine research

Science-based technology company 3M has awarded a significant philanthropic research grant of $400,000 to the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research at Tel Aviv University to advance scientific knowledge in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

8 Sep 2020

The T cell responses in COVID-19 recovered individuals

A recent study demonstrates that functional CD4+ and CD8+ T cells specifically targeting the entire proteome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remain active in individuals who have recovered from severe or mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Moreover, the magnitude of T cell response is correlated with the antibody response. The study is published in the journal Nature Immunology.

8 Sep 2020

Limited gut inflammation in COVID-19

A new study by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 shows that gut infection with this virus produces primarily mucosal immunity but also a limited inflammatory response.

8 Sep 2020

Study finds strong T cell responses in patients recovered from COVID-19

Oxford University researchers have found that natural infection with COVID-19 produces a robust T cell response, including inducing T cell ‘memory’ to potentially fight future infections.

8 Sep 2020

Scientists describe various dynamic structures of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Early in the pandemic, scientists uncovered the role of the ACE2 receptor in SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors act as a lock and key for cell infection.

7 Sep 2020

Novel RNA vaccine from Arcturus Therapeutics protects mice against SARS-CoV-2

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 reports a novel RNA vaccine platform that shows robust protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in mice and performs much better than a conventional mRNA vaccine. This could allow single-dose immunization, allowing progress towards global vaccination.

6 Sep 2020