Immune Response News and Research

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ACE2 and pattern recognition receptor genes increase with age

A recent study by researchers in California and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020 shows that advancing age is associated with increased expression of pattern recognition receptor (PRR) genes and ACE2 receptors, possibly accounting in part for the increased severity of the disease in older adults.

17 Jun 2020

Two clinical trials use low-dose X-rays to treat COVID-19 pneumonia

Previous studies have shown that low-dose, whole lung radiation in the form of X-rays can effectively treat severe pneumonia, with minimal side effects.

17 Jun 2020

Nanosponges could attack and neutralize SARS-COV-2 virus

Nanoparticles cloaked in human lung cell membranes and human immune cell membranes can attract and neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus in cell culture, causing the virus to lose its ability to hijack host cells and reproduce.

17 Jun 2020

Canadian coalition prepares to share research that could help against COVID-19

A Canadian group of companies is sharing their results with the scientific community in the hopes of accelerating the development of tests for COVID-19.

From SignalChem Biotech Inc. 17 Jun 2020

Hepatitis C virus co-opts an immune protein to evade antiviral defenses

By discovering a trick the hepatitis C virus uses to evade the immune system, scientists have identified a new antiviral defense system that could be used to treat many virus infections, according to new research published today in eLife.

16 Jun 2020

Researchers develop a simple tool for making mouse models of COVID-19

Until there are effective treatments or vaccines, the COVID-19 pandemic will remain a significant threat to public health and economies around the world. A major hurdle to developing and testing new anti-viral therapies and vaccines for COVID-19 is the lack of good, widely available animal models of the disease.

16 Jun 2020

Research team generates comprehensive developmental map of human T-cells

Chintan Parekh, MD, of The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles, has led a team of investigators that generated a comprehensive roadmap for how T-cells develop in the human thymus.

16 Jun 2020

Researchers receive federal funding to rapidly repurpose FDA-approved drugs for COVID-19

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine will be partnering on an agreement funded by the federal government's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to rapidly test hundreds of drugs, approved and marketed for other conditions, to see whether any can be repurposed to prevent or treat COVID-19.

16 Jun 2020

Relaxation time of T cells crucial to immune response

Like finding that needle in the haystack every time, your T cells manage what seems like an improbable task: quickly finding a few invaders among the many imposters in your body to trigger its immune response.

16 Jun 2020

New discovery could open door to next generation malaria vaccine

In an unprecedented first, scientists at Seattle Children's Research Institute have developed a genetically attenuated parasite (GAP) that arrests late in the liver stage of human malaria.

16 Jun 2020

UCLA receives nearly $14 million NIH grant to investigate immunotherapy to destroy HIV

UCLA researchers and colleagues have received a $13.65 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate and further develop an immunotherapy known as CAR T, which uses genetically modified stem cells to target and destroy HIV.

16 Jun 2020

Combination of antibodies and internal radiation can help fight cervical cancer

The sugar coating on cancer cells helps them thrive, and a new study indicates patients with cervical cancer who make antibodies to those sugars appear to do better when they also receive internal radiation therapy.

16 Jun 2020

Researchers analyze immune properties of ancient human DNA

Could remnants of DNA from a now-extinct human subspecies known as the Denisovans help boost the immune functions of modern humans?

16 Jun 2020

Tracing coronavirus habitats with genomics

Now, a new study by researchers at the University of Ottawa and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports the differences in genomes of viruses that are exposed to antiviral proteins vs. those that are not. This host-derived pressure on the virus to adapt may help devise newer ways to build an effective vaccine.

15 Jun 2020

Inhaled steroids reduce ACE2 expression in COPD lungs

A new study by scientists at Imperial College London, University of Newcastle and Prokarium, and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020 examines the role played by inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in the risk of acquisition of COVID-19 infection by COPD patients.

15 Jun 2020

Genetic marker may predispose African Americans to cardiac complications from COVID-19

Nearly one out of every 10 African Americans has a genetic variant that puts them inherently at an increased risk for ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

15 Jun 2020

BCG vaccination strengthens the immune system

A tuberculosis vaccine developed 100 years ago also makes vaccinated persons less susceptible to other infections. While this effect has been recognized for a long time, it is not known what causes it.

15 Jun 2020

Tumor-resident T cell levels underlie improved survival in throat cancer patients

Research led by the Centenary Institute has discovered that immune cells accumulating within the tumor environment, called tumour-resident T cells, are a critical determinant in survival rates of patients suffering from throat cancer.

15 Jun 2020

Tuberculosis and polio vaccines may offer temporary protection against SARS-CoV-2

As the world grapples with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, scientists race to develop an effective vaccine to protect against the deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus. While potential vaccines are still being developed and tested, researchers propose that existing vaccines could give the immune system a temporary boost to ward off infection.

14 Jun 2020

An entire trimeric S-protein of SARS-CoV-2 is necessary for protective immune response

Researchers from Seattle Children's Research Institute and the University of Washington described a high-throughput and rapid technique to quantify circulating levels of functional antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), suggesting that the entire viral spike protein should be used to characterize the immune response. Their paper is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

14 Jun 2020