Immune System News and Research

RSS

Humidity created inside facemasks may help combat COVID-19, study finds

A new study, published in the journal Biophysical Journal by researchers at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), showed that face masks increase the humidity in the air that the mask-wearers inhale. The level of moisture in inhaled air could be linked to lower levels of COVID-19 severity.

16 Feb 2021

Genetic variant inherited from Neanderthals associated with protection against severe COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, impacts people in different ways after infection. Some experience only mild or no symptoms at all while others become sick enough to require hospitalization and may develop respiratory failure and die.

16 Feb 2021

Mice study suggests novel approach to treat a type of common glioma

Gliomas are common brain tumors that comprise about one third of all cancers of the nervous system. In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, researchers tested a novel combination treatment approach on mice with tumors with characteristics similar to human astrocytomas--a type of slow-growing glioma--and found tumor regression in 60 percent of the mice treated.

16 Feb 2021

Study aims to identify proteomic determinants of treatment response in malignant pleural mesothelioma

The National Cancer Institute has granted a $2.5 million, five-year R37 MERIT Award to Dr. Bryan Burt, associate professor of surgery and chief of the Division of General Thoracic Surgery, for his research project titled, "Proteomic Determinants of Response to Checkpoint Blockade in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma."

16 Feb 2021

Asthma may influence the evolution of influenza virus, study shows

A subtype of asthma in adults may cause higher susceptibility to influenza and could result in dangerous flu mutations.

16 Feb 2021

What are the changes in the physical phenotype of blood cells in COVID-19?

While primarily a respiratory illness, there are distinctive alterations in the type and number of blood cells in COVID-19. A new study by a team of researchers in Germany describes the nature of these changes.

16 Feb 2021

Elevated Activin A and FLRG levels correlate with worst outcomes in severe COVID-19

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection causes a "cytokine storm" in hospitalized and ICU patients. Studies have shown that the blockade of cytokine signaling and steroid treatment helps achieve positive outcomes in patients.

15 Feb 2021

Nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine stimulates robust and long lasting immunity in primates

In the study, published on the preprint server bioRxiv, the team evaluated the ability of AS03, CpG 1018 formulated in Alum, the TLR-7 agonist adsorbed to Alum (AS37), the squalene-in-water emulsion (O/W), and Alum to boost protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2.

15 Feb 2021

Study suggests a new way to personalize anti-CTLA-4 therapy for cancers

A Ludwig Cancer Research study has identified a novel mechanism by which a type of cancer immunotherapy known as CTLA-4 blockade can disable suppressive immune cells to aid the destruction of certain tumors.

15 Feb 2021

Research shows how chemicals in the tumor microenvironment enable cancer to evade attack

A paper published today in Nature shows how chemicals in the areas surrounding tumors--known as the tumor microenvironment--subvert the immune system and enable cancer to evade attack. These findings suggest that an existing drug could boost cancer immunotherapy.

15 Feb 2021

Pitt scientists develop fast, efficient technique for discovering tiny antibody fragments

By capitalizing on a convergence of chemical, biological and artificial intelligence advances, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists have developed an unusually fast and efficient method for discovering tiny antibody fragments with big potential for development into therapeutics against deadly diseases.

15 Feb 2021

Scientists discover new immunotherapy target for malignant brain tumors

Scientists say they have discovered a potential new target for immunotherapy of malignant brain tumors, which so far have resisted the ground-breaking cancer treatment based on harnessing the body's immune system.

15 Feb 2021

RIG-1-like receptors may play dominant role in suppressing SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new study by researchers at the University of Connecticut Health Center, USA, reports the crucial nature of the pathogen pattern recognition receptor (PRRs), especially the two RLRs, retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) and melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5), in triggering host cell immune responses within the cell. The RLRs are viral RNA sensors.

15 Feb 2021

A machine learning approach to identify drugs that could be repurposed to fight COVID-19

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, doctors and researchers rushed to find effective treatments. There was little time to spare.

15 Feb 2021

Immunomodulatory drugs improve the success rate of cancer therapies

Immunomodulatory drugs, including the Contergan derivatives lenalidomide and pomalidomide, have significantly improved the therapy of hematologic malignancies such as multiple myeloma.

15 Feb 2021

Humidity created inside the face masks may help combat COVID-19

Masks help protect the people wearing them from getting or spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, but now researchers from the National Institutes of Health have added evidence for yet another potential benefit for wearers: The humidity created inside the mask may help combat respiratory diseases such as COVID-19.

14 Feb 2021

Naïve B cells can neutralize SARS-CoV-2 via RBD recognition

A new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv server demonstrates the potential of using the pre-existing protective responses to produce a broad-spectrum neutralizing response against not just SARS-CoV-2 but other future pathogens.

14 Feb 2021

Vaccine candidate containing tetanus toxoid potentially protective against SARS-CoV-2

Researchers from Cuba, China, and France have demonstrated the potential of coupling a viral antigen with the tetanus toxoid protein as a vaccination approach to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

14 Feb 2021

Scientists identify genes involved in autoimmune Addison's disease

Novel genetic associations could pave the way for early interventions and personalized treatment of an incurable condition.

13 Feb 2021

LMU researchers study T cell exhaustion

T lymphocytes, or T cells, are an important component of our immune system. They can recognize foreign proteins, so-called antigens, as peptide fragments - for instance, those derived from viruses or cancer cells.

13 Feb 2021

Immune System News and Research

Humidity created inside facemasks may help combat COVID-19, study finds

Genetic variant inherited from Neanderthals associated with protection against severe COVID-19

Mice study suggests novel approach to treat a type of common glioma

Study aims to identify proteomic determinants of treatment response in malignant pleural mesothelioma

Asthma may influence the evolution of influenza virus, study shows

What are the changes in the physical phenotype of blood cells in COVID-19?

Elevated Activin A and FLRG levels correlate with worst outcomes in severe COVID-19

Nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine stimulates robust and long lasting immunity in primates

Study suggests a new way to personalize anti-CTLA-4 therapy for cancers

Research shows how chemicals in the tumor microenvironment enable cancer to evade attack

Pitt scientists develop fast, efficient technique for discovering tiny antibody fragments

Scientists discover new immunotherapy target for malignant brain tumors

RIG-1-like receptors may play dominant role in suppressing SARS-CoV-2 infection

A machine learning approach to identify drugs that could be repurposed to fight COVID-19

Immunomodulatory drugs improve the success rate of cancer therapies

Humidity created inside the face masks may help combat COVID-19

Naïve B cells can neutralize SARS-CoV-2 via RBD recognition

Vaccine candidate containing tetanus toxoid potentially protective against SARS-CoV-2

Scientists identify genes involved in autoimmune Addison's disease

LMU researchers study T cell exhaustion

Immunology eBook

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

Applications Engineer

Latest News