immunity News and Research

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Nanodisc-delivered cancer treatment helps eliminate tumors

In the wrestling match with cancer, chemoimmunotherapy is the new strong arm, and it is building muscle with a nanodisc disguised as "good cholesterol."

18 Apr 2018

NYC mice carry deadly bacteria and viruses

Almost all types of housing and living facilities house mice. Researchers have found in their year-long study on New York City mice that many of these carry on them deadly bacteria and viruses. These bacteria could be resistant to antibiotics and thus they may cause life threatening infections in humans.

18 Apr 2018

Children with autism have gastrointestinal and immune system deregulation, research finds

Researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute have found that children with autism spectrum disorder have reduced immune system regulation, as well as shifts in their gut microbiota.

17 Apr 2018

Deficiency of innate immune adaptor TRIF shortens survival time of ALS mice

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease damaging motor neurons in brain and spinal cords. ALS patients show progressive muscle weakness and atrophy, leading to a fatal respiratory muscle paralysis. There are no effective therapies for ALS.

16 Apr 2018

Anti-PD-1 treatment reduces tumor size and post-surgical relapse of lung cancer

A drug given to early stage lung cancer patients before they undergo surgery showed major tumor responses in the removed tumor and an increase in anti-tumor T-cells that remained after the tumor was removed, which resulted in fewer relapse cases in the patients.

16 Apr 2018

New tool developed to protect women from HIV infection

Scientists at the University of Waterloo have developed a new tool to protect women from HIV infection.

16 Apr 2018

New 'lymphoma micro-reactor' device targets chemo-resistant tumors

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that is diagnosed in the U.S. more than 70,000 times annually, arises from overly proliferating immune cells within the body's lymph nodes, which are connected to a network of lymph vessels through which lymphatic fluid flows.

12 Apr 2018

Researcher explores how children develop immunity to malaria as they grow older

Across the world, over 200 million cases of malaria and nearly 500,000 deaths from the disease occur annually--more than 90 percent of which happen in Africa. Children in Africa can be diagnosed with malaria two or three times a year, a rate that decreases as they become older and develop immunity. But the way children generate and maintain this immunity remains a mystery.

11 Apr 2018

New cancer vaccine yields promising results in clinical study

A new type of cancer vaccine has yielded promising results in an initial clinical trial conducted at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

11 Apr 2018

TSRI research could lead to new approach for better flu prevention and treatment

This year's flu vaccine has been less effective in protecting people from the most common strain of the virus, compared with recent years. And once people become infected with the flu, there are few good ways to treat it.

3 Apr 2018

UGA study reveals cause for resurgence of pertussis

A team of researchers including scientists from the University of Georgia has found that the resurgence of pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, in the U.S. is a predictable consequence of incomplete coverage with a highly effective vaccine.

3 Apr 2018

'Molecular scissors' could play pivotal role in fighting diseases including HIV infection

One way to fight diseases including HIV infection and autoimmune disorders could involve changing how a naturally occurring enzyme called SAMHD1 works to influence the immune system, new research suggests.

3 Apr 2018

Researchers create new compound that appears to activate cancer-fighting T cells

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are powerful weapons our body's immune systems count on to fight infection and combat diseases like cancer, multiple sclerosis, and lupus. Finding ways to spark these potent cells into action could lead to more effective cancer treatments and vaccines.

2 Apr 2018

Study depicts natural dynamics of P. falciparum infections in adults with no symptoms

Asymptomatic malaria occurs when parasites are present in an individual's blood but do not cause fever or other symptoms. These "afebrile" infections can be detected either by classical diagnosis tests (if there are enough parasites in blood) or by molecular amplification techniques (if there are very few).

30 Mar 2018

New test detects Zika antibodies with high specificity

A test that detects antibodies against Zika virus in samples of blood serum with high specificity - and hence a low risk of cross-reaction with related microorganisms such as dengue virus - is set to come on to the Brazilian market before 2018 is out.

28 Mar 2018

Rubber ducks can be full of nasty bugs at bath time

Researchers have found that the cute little rubber ducks that float around in bath tubs and come in contact with potable water are homes to millions of bacteria and harmful microbes. They found that these toys contain water that’s seeped into them and when squeezed, they release this dirty water into the bath water. The water is rich in microbes that could be potentially “pathogenic” or disease causing especially among children, they write.

28 Mar 2018

Antibiotic use linked to higher risk of severe viral disease in mice

People infected with West Nile virus can show a wide range of disease. Some develop life-threatening brain infections. Others show no signs of infection at all. One reason for the different outcomes may lie in the community of microbes that populate their intestinal tracts.

27 Mar 2018

Adults skipping vaccines may miss out on effective new shingles shot

Federal officials have recommended a new vaccine that is more effective than an earlier version at protecting older adults against the painful rash called shingles. But persuading many adults to get this and other recommended vaccines continues to be an uphill battle, physicians and vaccine experts say.

20 Mar 2018

American Gene Technologies receives second immuno-oncology patent

American Gene Technologies International Inc., a leading gene and cell therapy company, today announced receipt of a second immuno-oncology patent on the stimulation of gamma delta T cells for treating solid tumors in epithelial cancers.

20 Mar 2018

New study shows connection between coffee and cannabis

It's well known that a morning cup of joe jolts you awake. But scientists have discovered coffee affects your metabolism in dozens of other ways, including your metabolism of steroids and the neurotransmitters typically linked to cannabis, reports a new study from Northwestern Medicine.

15 Mar 2018