Immune System News and Research

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Thymus health in adults linked to longer life and disease risk

Two new studies from investigators at Mass General Brigham challenge a decades-old assumption that the thymus, an organ best known for its role in establishing immune function in childhood, becomes irrelevant in adulthood.

18 Mar 2026

Protein targeted by cancer drugs may help the body fight influenza

A protein already targeted by FDA-approved cancer drugs may also help the body fight influenza, according to new research from The Jackson Laboratory (JAX).

18 Mar 2026

Muscle-repairing macrophages trigger heterotopic ossification in mice

We have identified a macrophage population "Mrep" that plays an essential role in muscle repair. However, in Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), Mrep functions as a pathogenic cell that triggers heterotopic ossification.

18 Mar 2026

Combination therapy shows promise for leptomeningeal metastasis in breast cancer

Patients with leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) have historically had few treatment options. Now, researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have found a combination of targeted therapies, tucatinib and trastuzumab, plus the chemotherapy drug, capecitabine, may improve symptoms and extend survival in some breast cancer patients with LM.

18 Mar 2026

New nanoparticle therapy overcomes T cell exhaustion in solid tumors

Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a new type of lipid nanoparticle (LNP) that could one day serve as a universal immunotherapy for cancers that form solid tumors, including common variants such as cancers of the breast, liver and colon.

18 Mar 2026

Modified lipid nanoparticles boost mRNA vaccines while reducing side effects

The most common side effects of mRNA vaccines like the COVID-19 shot are well known: soreness, mild fever and general malaise.

17 Mar 2026

Implantable device boosts immune cells to fight cancer effectively

Immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment by harnessing the body's own immune system to fight disease.

17 Mar 2026

Blocking fructose metabolism may improve brain tumor immunotherapy response

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered that specialized immune cells within the glioblastoma tumor metabolize fructose to suppress immune responses and promote tumor growth, reports a study published on March 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

17 Mar 2026

Belly fat linked to heart failure risk through inflammation

New research suggests that measures of excess weight around the waist (central obesity or visceral fat) may increase the risk of heart failure primarily due to inflammation, according to findings presented at the American Heart Association's EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026.

17 Mar 2026

Researchers show how smartwatches can help identify insulin resistance

Researchers developed a scalable framework that predicts insulin resistance using wearable-device signals, routine blood biomarkers, and demographic data, with stronger performance when these data streams were combined. The study also introduced an AI agent to explain insulin resistance risk, interpret results, and support earlier metabolic risk screening.

17 Mar 2026

New CAR-T cell therapy shows promise for treating osteosarcoma

Finding an effective treatment for osteosarcoma, the most common type of bone cancer in children and young adults, has puzzled medical researchers for 40 years.

17 Mar 2026

Swedish study reveals COVID-19 may increase glandular fever risk

Even individuals who did not become seriously ill with COVID-19 may have developed a weakened immune system that could lead to serious illnesses in the future.

17 Mar 2026

Researchers identify CD99L2 gene as a cause of spastic ataxia

Despite modern high-throughput sequencing, the genetic cause of most rare movement disorders remains unclear.

17 Mar 2026

New CAR-NKT cell therapy shows promise against aggressive endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States and is one of the few cancers in which survival rates have steadily declined over the last few decades.

16 Mar 2026

Exercise during chemotherapy supports physical and cognitive health

Researchers recommended a tailored, scientifically validated exercise program to individuals receiving chemotherapy for cancer, and those who were on a two-week chemotherapy schedule and followed the exercise prescription were able to maintain their walking-step goals, use resistance bands, and stay mentally sharper compared to patients who did not exercise.

13 Mar 2026

Gene mutation that aids high-altitude survival could repair myelin sheath damage

A genetic mutation that helps animals like yaks and Tibetan antelopes survive at high altitudes may hold the key to repairing nerve damage in conditions such as cerebral paralysis and multiple sclerosis (MS).

13 Mar 2026

Predicting cancer behavior through splicing fingerprints

Cancer is caused by faulty genes, but what also shapes a cancer cell's behaviour is how a gene's instructions are trimmed and rearranged before they are turned into the proteins that keep a cell alive.

13 Mar 2026

Kyoto University unveils noninvasive assessment for diabetes

In type 1 diabetes, the immune system starts to destroy insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Progressive loss of these cells destabilizes the body's glucose levels and drives the course of the disease, so preserving or restoring beta cell mass is a central treatment goal.

13 Mar 2026

Study finds cockroach allergy often driven by shared proteins across arthropods

Researchers analyzed molecular sensitization patterns in Polish patients with perennial allergic rhinitis who tested positive for cockroach allergens. They found that most apparent cockroach allergies were driven by cross-reactive proteins shared with mites, seafood, and other arthropods rather than true cockroach-specific allergens.

13 Mar 2026

Gut microbes may drive memory decline during aging by disrupting vagal brain signaling

Researchers identified in mice a microbiome–gut–brain pathway in which age-associated changes in gut microbes increase medium-chain fatty acids that impair vagal sensory signaling and hippocampal activity. These interoceptive disruptions weaken memory formation, revealing a microbial mechanism that contributes to cognitive decline during aging.

12 Mar 2026