Immune System News and Research

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Spleen-driven immune tolerance may protect transplanted organs

New research from the University of Minnesota Medical School offers a new view of how the immune system responds to organ transplants.

7 Jan 2026

Breast milk bacteria help shape infant gut microbiome development

Most conversations about breast milk tend to focus on topics like nutrients, antibodies and bonding time rather than bacteria.

7 Jan 2026

New antibody mechanisms disrupt bacterial adhesion in urinary tract infections

Pathogens can create sticky situations. When microbes invade the body to cause an infection, often one of their first lines of attack is to cling tenaciously to the surfaces of targeted human cells.

7 Jan 2026

Injectable nanomaterial reduces secondary brain injury after ischemic stroke

When a person suffers a stroke, physicians must restore blood flow to the brain as quickly as possible to save their life.

7 Jan 2026

Cornell-developed nanoparticles improve cancer immunotherapy effectiveness

A class of ultrasmall fluorescent core-shell silica nanoparticles developed at Cornell is showing an unexpected ability to rally the immune system against melanoma and dramatically improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy, according to a new study led by Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Engineering researchers.

7 Jan 2026

Pain-sensing neurons in the gut spark inflammatory immune responses

Pain sensing neurons in the gut kindle inflammatory immune responses that cause allergies and asthma, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine.

7 Jan 2026

CRISPR Cas12a3: A precise tool to halt viral protein production

Across all domains of life, immune defenses foil invading viruses by making it impossible for the viruses to replicate. Most known CRISPR systems target invading pathogens' DNA and chop it up to disable and modify genes, heading off infections at the (cellular) pass.

7 Jan 2026

New insight into how our bodies keep brain parasite Toxoplasma gondii in check

The parasite that may already live in your brain can infect the very immune cells trying to destroy it, but new UVA Health research reveals how our bodies keep it under control.

7 Jan 2026

Gut-microbe-derived molecules may play a key role in shaping the developing immune system

An international research team has uncovered compelling evidence that gut-microbe-derived molecules may play an important role in shaping the developing immune system during early childhood.

7 Jan 2026

Newly discovered molecules accelerate the removal of immune-modulating enzyme

Cells have a remarkable housekeeping system: proteins that are no longer needed, defective, or potentially harmful are labeled with a molecular "tag" and dismantled in the cellular recycling machinery.

7 Jan 2026

The gut is not just digestive and new evidence shows it actively controls brain function

This comprehensive review synthesizes a decade of human and animal research to explain how the gut and brain communicate through hormonal, neural, immune, and microbial pathways. It highlights how disruptions in these pathways contribute to gastrointestinal, metabolic, and neurological disorders, and how modern therapies are beginning to exploit gut–brain signaling for clinical benefit.

6 Jan 2026

New database targets hidden causes of chronic urinary tract infections in children

A new database targeting chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs) – a long-overlooked condition that may begin in childhood – is set to help researchers uncover why millions of women and girls worldwide suffer from infections that defy treatment and stump microbiologists.

6 Jan 2026

UH pharmacology professor wins $900,000 grant to develop a dual-function nanodrug for cancer

Accelerating advancements in cancer prevention and cures, Wei Gao, assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy, has received a $900,000 grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to develop stronger and more targeted anti-tumor therapy for pancreatic and lung cancer.

6 Jan 2026

Understanding the impact of pregnancy stressors on neuroimmune landscape of the fetal brain

The maternal microbiome and immune system have both independent and synergistic effects on fetal brain health - changes in the mother's immune system have been linked to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children.

6 Jan 2026

Vitamin A derivative suppresses immune response and cancer vaccine efficacy

Scientists at the Princeton University Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research have identified novel mechanisms by which a metabolic derivative of vitamin A-all-trans retinoic acid-compromises both the body's normal anti-cancer immune response and, in a different context, the efficacy of a promising type of cancer vaccine.

5 Jan 2026

Inhalable nanotherapy can activate the immune system against checkpoint-resistant melanoma

Immune checkpoint molecules play a crucial role in keeping the immune system in balance and preventing an attack on the body's own cells.

5 Jan 2026

Elevated bacteria levels in tumors weaken immune response, studies show

Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered that bacteria inside cancerous tumors may be key to understanding why immunotherapy works for some patients but not others.

2 Jan 2026

Silica nanomatrix enhances immunotherapy for solid tumors

Cancer has long remained a leading cause of death worldwide and in Hong Kong, accounting for 30% of all disease-related deaths in the city in 2025. While chemotherapy remains a major treatment modality, its side effects and the risk of relapse challenges for patients.

30 Dec 2025

Immune cell energy metabolism shapes the progression of atherosclerosis

Two complementary studies reveal how an insufficient supply of energy in macrophages, key immune cells in artery walls, drives the progression of atherosclerosis - and how this knowledge could lead to better diagnostics and future therapies.

30 Dec 2025

Reduced peanut OIT dose offers safer, accessible treatment for children

Children with peanut allergies may not need large doses of peanut oral immunotherapy (OIT) to build protection to peanut, finds a new study led by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and Montreal Children's Hospital. Researchers found that a small dose can help children with their peanut allergy and reduce the risk of severe reactions from accidental exposures, with less side effects than the current standard treatment.

30 Dec 2025