Immune System News and Research

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WVU researchers set to identify SARS-CoV-2 variants, mitigate strain outbreaks

West Virginia University scientists knew it was coming. When health officials confirmed the first three cases of a COVID-19 variant in West Virginia late Friday (Feb. 19), they were not surprised.

22 Feb 2021

Seropositive individuals show similar antibody levels to a second mRNA vaccine dose

Seropositive individuals —people who received antibodies after COVID-19 infection — may be able to safely delay their second mRNA vaccine dose after all, according to the results of a new study.

22 Feb 2021

Current monoclonal antibodies less potent against SARS-CoV-2 variants

Researchers at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine and Biohaven Pharmaceuticals found that the REGN10933 and REGN10987 combination was 9.1-fold less potent on the B.1.351 variant, which emerged in South Africa, and 16.2-fold less potent on mink cluster 5.

22 Feb 2021

Study finds consistent neuroinflammatory response after intracerebral hemorrhage

Understanding how the immune system responds to acute brain hemorrhage could open doors to identifying treatments for this devastating disease.

22 Feb 2021

FDA issues guidance for medical product developers to address the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued guidances for medical product developers, specifically covering vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics products, to address the emergence and potential future emergence of variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

22 Feb 2021

Children exposed to air pollution may be at higher risk of disease in adulthood

Children exposed to air pollution, such as wildfire smoke and car exhaust, for as little as one day may be doomed to higher rates of heart disease and other ailments in adulthood, according to a new Stanford-led study.

22 Feb 2021

Study could lead to new strategies to prevent various cancers

Chronic inflammation drives the development of various cancers, including those of the skin, colon and pancreas. Investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) who previously demonstrated high expression levels of an immune molecule called interleukin-33 (IL-33) during cancer-promoting inflammation have now uncovered the details behind the molecule's effects.

22 Feb 2021

Could an intranasal adjuvant to vaccines boost immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants?

A research team from the University of Michigan Medical School, USA, developed a supplementary intranasal treatment to improve COVID-19 vaccine response and its effects on long-lasting immunity from other variants, such as the B.1.351 variant first found in South Africa.

22 Feb 2021

Study identifies immune profile of people with severe COVID-19

A team of researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center, USA, investigated how SARS-CoV-2 affects the immune system’s response during and after infection and contributes to the severity of COVID-19.

22 Feb 2021

High fructose diets might prevent proper functioning of peoples' immune system

New research by Swansea scientists in collaboration with researchers at the University of Bristol and the Francis Crick Institute in London has indicated that consuming a diet high in sugar fructose might prevent the proper functioning of peoples' immune systems in ways that have, until now, largely been unknown.

22 Feb 2021

Disinfectants could be helping bacteria to become resistant

News-Medical speaks to Professor Robert Bragg about disinfectants and how they could be helping bacteria to become resistant.

22 Feb 2021

New rodent model helps identify pregnant women whose prior kidney injury also affects babies

Young pregnant women, who appear to have fully recovered from an acute injury that reduced their kidney function, have higher rates of significant problems like preeclampsia and low birthweight babies, problems which indicate their kidneys have not actually fully recovered.

22 Feb 2021

Polyphenols may provide protective effect against COVID-19 disease

In the study published in the journal Integrative Physiology, the researchers found that a high intake of polyphenols may have a protective effect on patients with COVID-19 and prevent disease progression.

22 Feb 2021

Novel SARS-CoV-2 vaccine utilizes recombinant spike protein with PIKA adjuvant

The primary aim of any vaccine is to stimulate immune functions and confer long-lasting protection. A paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Tong et al. (17th Feb 2021) describes a novel vaccine utilizing PIKA adjuvant and recombinant spike proteins against COVID-19 disease that promises the generation of potent neutralization antibodies, which potentially support immune responses for years.

21 Feb 2021

Experts advocate for increased diversity in vaccine clinical trials

A team of scientific experts from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico are advocating for increased diversity in vaccine trials after publishing a new report that highlights a decade's worth of disparities.

20 Feb 2021

Researchers use zebrafish to study cancer-immune interactions

Cancer researcher Rita Fior uses zebrafish to study human cancer. Though this may seem like an unlikely match, her work shows great promise with forthcoming applications in personalized medicine.

19 Feb 2021

Study: First influenza infection does not make people immune to future flu viruses

A child's first influenza infection shapes their immunity to future airborne flu viruses - including emerging pandemic strains.

19 Feb 2021

Levels of IgG antibodies may influence COVID-19 outcomes

COVID-19, the source of the current pandemic, may be caused by a single virus, but it has a variety of presentations that make treatment difficult. Children, for example, almost exclusively experience mild or asymptomatic COVID-19, while adults can develop severe or even fatal COVID-19.

19 Feb 2021

Trispecific antibody targets cancer cells, natural killer cells

Several treatments for cancer have been devised by science, but unfortunately none of them are completely efficient or foolproof.

19 Feb 2021

Immune response to SARS-CoV-2 may be limited by a set of genes

Neutralizing antibodies develop within two weeks of a SARS-CoV-2 infection, but their durability and intensity can vary by individual, prompting concerns about the prospects of long-lasting immunity and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.

18 Feb 2021