immunity News and Research

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Unhealthy diet makes the body's defenses more aggressive in the long term

The immune system reacts similarly to a high fat and high-calorie diet as to a bacterial infection. This is shown by a recent study led by the University of Bonn.

11 Jan 2018

Gas detecting electronic pill for diagnosis of gastrointestinal ailments

Scientists from the RMIT University, Melbourne, have made an electronic pill that can detect special gases in the gut and help doctors diagnose gastrointestinal ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome.

9 Jan 2018

Dumfries and Galloway reassures people over number of “Aussie flu” cases

NHS Dumfries and Galloway has reassured the public over the number of “Aussie flu” cases seen in the region, saying that the H3N2 flu strain is a standard one that has previously been commonplace in Scotland.

9 Jan 2018

Cedars-Sinai expert discusses ways to keep healthy as flu activity surges

Jonathan Grein, MD, Cedars-Sinai medical director of Hospital Epidemiology, is available to discuss ways to keep healthy as flu activity surges dramatically.

8 Jan 2018

Specific bacteria in the intestines can improve response rate to cancer immunotherapy

In the Jan. 5, 2018 issue of Science, researchers from the University of Chicago Medicine show that specific strains of commensal bacteria – the swarms of microorganisms naturally dwelling in the intestines – can improve the response rate to immunotherapy for patients being treated for advanced melanoma.

5 Jan 2018

New research hub set up to help stop future outbreaks of killer diseases

A ground-breaking new research hub has been set up to help halt future outbreaks of killer diseases like Ebola and Zika.

3 Jan 2018

Gene therapy with CAR T-cells could create long-term immunity from HIV

Through gene therapy, researchers engineered blood-forming stem cells (hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, or HSPCs) to carry chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) genes to make cells that can detect and destroy HIV-infected cells.

29 Dec 2017

UCLA expert suggests measures for reducing risk of getting sick during holiday travel

It's that time of year when families jet off to all parts of the country – and the globe - to share some holiday cheer. Unfortunately, all that travel forces people into often-crowded airplanes, automobiles and airports. And there's the sharing of hugs and kisses with loved ones upon arrival at their destination.

28 Dec 2017

International researchers find valuable clues for developing robust therapeutic agents against IBDs

Our immune system protects our bodies from numerous pathogenic microbes and toxins in the environment. The system comprises innate (non-specific) and adaptive (acquired) immunity.

26 Dec 2017

Zika pandemic remains formidable challenge to medicine and public health, say experts

Since 2016, when Zika was declared by the World Health Organization as a public health emergency of international concern, the virus has become established in more than 80 countries, infected millions of people, and left many babies with birth defects (collectively called congenital Zika syndrome).

22 Dec 2017

Probiotics may offer protection against depression linked to unhealthy lifestyle

New research suggests that the micro-organisms known as probiotics, which are normally providing health benefits in the intestines, also have an affect on the brain, or as an actual study at Aarhus University has shown; protect against depression.

22 Dec 2017

Research explores benefits of gut health from several angles

Gut health is a key area of modern health research, with intensive examination of communication between our gut and our brain deemed pivotal to solving complex health and wellbeing issues.

21 Dec 2017

Dysfunctional gene may be cause of Crohn's disease in some patients

This holiday season, millions of people will gather at airports ready to board planes for destinations around the world. Depending on the environment at their destination, their suitcases may be filled with sunscreen and bathing suits, or heavy parkas and mittens.

19 Dec 2017

“Man flu” actually a thing and not to be ridiculed, says science

“Man flu” refers to a common cold or flu which when occurring in men is usually presented with exaggerated symptoms and the severity of those symptoms. It has long been ridiculed in society. Science now explores if men truly suffer more when they are down with a cold.

17 Dec 2017

Research uncovers mechanism implicated in defective function of tumor-associated dendritic cells

A new study from The Wistar Institute revealed the mechanism implicated in the defective function of tumor-associated dendritic cells (DCs), a specialized type of immune cells that expose the antigens on their surface to activate the T cells.

15 Dec 2017

Scientists unravel mystery of how immune cells remember infections decades later

A perplexing question in immunology has been, how do immune cells remember an infection or a vaccination so that they can spring into action decades later? Research led by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with investigators at Emory University, has found an answer: A small pool of the same immune cells that responded to the original invasion remain alive for years, developing unique features that keep them primed and waiting for the same microbe to re-invade the body.

14 Dec 2017

Chagas disease presents real public health problem to Canadians

Believe it or not, a tropical blood parasite native to Latin America could be harmful to Canadians. Infectious diseases like malaria or Zika may have dominated recent headlines but Chagas - the "Kissing Bug" disease - is in the spotlight following the publication of a new case study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

13 Dec 2017

Lactic acid bacteria can offer protection against subtypes of influenza A virus

Lactic acid bacteria, commonly used as probiotics to improve digestive health, can offer protection against different subtypes of influenza A virus, resulting in reduced weight loss after virus infection and lower amounts of virus replication in the lungs, according to a study led by Georgia State University.

13 Dec 2017

Study reveals how the body clock and time of day may influence autoimmune conditions

Insights into how the body clock and time of day influence immune responses are revealed today in a study published in leading international journal Nature Communications.

12 Dec 2017

Combination of chemotherapy and targeted drug improves response in younger CLL patients

Among younger patients newly diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), treatment with a combination of chemotherapy and a molecularly targeted drug significantly improves response over what is typically seen with chemotherapy alone, according to an investigator-initiated multi-center phase II clinical trial.

11 Dec 2017