immunity News and Research

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Researchers uncover metabolic blockade that impedes cancer treatment response

The immune system is a major target for cancer treatments. Immune checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T cell therapy can dramatically improve outcomes for many cancers. But for about 70% of patients, these therapies don't work.

8 Nov 2024

SARS-CoV-2 hijacks host proteins to escape immune clearance

Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna and the Medical University of Innsbruck discovered that SARS-CoV-2 hijacks three important host proteins that dampen the activity of the complement system, a key component of early antiviral immunity.

8 Nov 2024

Seasonal influenza adapted and evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic

Although travel restrictions and social measures during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a dramatic global drop in seasonal influenza cases, certain influenza lineages in specific regions kept the virus circulating and evolving, according to a new study.

7 Nov 2024

Mpox vaccine allocation targets 9 African countries

The Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM) for mpox has allocated an initial 899 000 vaccine doses for 9 countries across the African region that are hit hard by the current mpox surge.

7 Nov 2024

Understanding gut microbial imbalance in pancreatic cancer development and treatment

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is recognized as one of the most lethal cancers, with an estimated five-year survival rate of approximately 10%.

7 Nov 2024

Research shows how trained immunity links to cardiovascular disease

When thinking about the immune system, most people think about B and T cells and how they can be trained to recognize pathogens, preventing re-infections.

7 Nov 2024

Hexavalent vaccine can reduce spread of whooping cough

Comprehensive coverage of the hexavalent vaccine can protect against whooping cough and polio, averting disease resurgence, writes Esther Nakkazi.

7 Nov 2024

Could vitamin D help COVID-19 patients? Meta-analysis highlights potential ICU reduction

Vitamin D may lower ICU and intubation rates in COVID-19 patients, with significant benefits observed in older and severe cases, according to recent research.

7 Nov 2024

Gaza completes second round of polio vaccination campaign despite conflict barriers

The second round of the polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip was completed yesterday, with an overall 556 774 children under the age of 10 being vaccinated with a second dose of polio vaccine, and 448 425 children between 2- to 10-years-old receiving vitamin A, following the three phases conducted in the last weeks.

6 Nov 2024

Study links nasal autoantibodies to COVID-19 severity prediction

A wide variety of COVID-19 symptoms exist, ranging from mild to severe, and while current strains of the virus generally cause milder symptoms, those with co-morbidities are still at an exponentially greater risk of severe disease.

6 Nov 2024

Advancing vaccine development through green biotechnology

The diseases hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) remain a significant health threat worldwide, causing approximately 1.3 million deaths each year.

6 Nov 2024

New insights into the role of innate immunity in tumor initiation

Along with defending against pathogens, the body's innate immune system helps to protect the stability of our genomes in unexpected ways - ways that have important implications for the development of cancer, researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) are discovering.

5 Nov 2024

Elevated antibody responses to Epstein-Barr virus linked to increased risk of multiple sclerosis

Researchers identified a unique antibody signature against the Epstein-Barr virus protein EBNA1 that correlates with cross-reactive immune responses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This connection provides new insights into how EBV infection may drive MS pathogenesis.

5 Nov 2024

Polio vaccination campaign set to resume amidst challenges in Gaza

A third phase of the polio vaccination campaign is set to begin tomorrow in part of the northern Gaza Strip after being postponed from 23 October 2024 due to lack of access and assured, comprehensive humanitarian pauses, intense bombardment, and mass evacuation orders.

4 Nov 2024

Combination therapy shows promising results in treating stage 3 melanoma

Pre-surgery treatment with the novel drug vidutolimod and the PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab led to tumor control in 55% of patients with stage 3 cutaneous melanoma, according to the results of a single-arm phase 2 clinical trial led by the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

1 Nov 2024

Innovative imaging technique reveals structure of the thymus

The first 3D images of a whole human thymus have been created using a specialized X-ray technique by researchers from UCL and the Francis Crick Institute.

1 Nov 2024

Critical protein linked to spillover potential of animal viruses

Scientists investigating animal viruses with potential to infect humans have identified a critical protein that could enable spillover of a family of organisms called arteriviruses.

1 Nov 2024

Groundbreaking study sheds light on stem cell dynamics post-transplant

For the first time, scientists have tracked what happens to stem cells decades after a transplant, lifting the lid on the procedure that has been a medical mystery for over 50 years.

1 Nov 2024

Weill Cornell Medicine teams receive funding from Starr Cancer Consortium

Three teams led by Weill Cornell Medicine scientists have received awards from the Starr Cancer Consortium in its 17th and final annual grant competition.

30 Oct 2024

Scientists develop color-coded X-rays to detect early disease

Medical imaging is no longer in Kansas, Toto, as a team led by Penn State researchers brings traditional black and white diagnostic images of X-rays and traditional CT scans into technicolor. The researchers developed novel contrast agents that target two proteins implicated in osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease commonly characterized as wear-and-tear arthritis.

30 Oct 2024