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Scalable stem cell method advances off-the-shelf CAR-T therapies

Researchers at the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University (BU) have developed a scalable method for generating CD4+ helper T cells from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), overcoming a longstanding challenge in the development of stem cell-based immunotherapies.

27 Aug 2026

Nigerian COVID-19 response highlights cultural trust in ethnopharmacology

During COVID-19, ethnopharmacology became prominent in Nigeria due to affordability, accessibility, and cultural trust, but evidence for safety and efficacy remains limited.

25 Aug 2026

Disrupted brain-immune signaling may help drive neurodegeneration

A Cell perspective argues that neurodegeneration can emerge from disrupted communication between neural and immune networks, with peripheral immunity, microglia, and gene-regulatory programs all shaping disease processes. The authors propose that restoring immune homeostasis and recalibrating neuroimmune circuits could create new therapeutic and diagnostic opportunities, while emphasizing that many mechanisms remain unresolved in humans.

24 Aug 2026

A striking immune cell pattern emerges around a person’s 100th birthday

Single-cell immune profiling found that CD4 cytotoxic T lymphocytes become more abundant around age 100, showing stepwise differentiation and substantial clonal expansion. Ex vivo experiments also revealed cytokine plasticity within individual clones, supporting the hypothesis that these cells adapt to persistent antigens during healthy aging, although their direct role in longevity remains unproven.

23 Aug 2026

Polydatin reduces ulcerative colitis by regulating intestinal immune cells

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease in which recurrent intestinal inflammation can be difficult to control over the long term.

17 Aug 2026

Study identifies key immune cell changes in the lungs of people with sarcoidosis

Researchers at National Jewish Health and partner institutions discovered specific changes in immune cells in the lungs of people with sarcoidosis.

10 Aug 2026

Severe COVID-19 reactivates dormant viruses and may leave a lasting viral signature

A longitudinal study of 1,154 hospitalized COVID-19 patients found widespread reactivation of chronic Herpesviridae and Anelloviridae, with distinct viral patterns linked to disease severity, inflammation, and clinical outcomes. Anelloviridae also persisted during convalescence and were associated with physical deficits in long COVID, although the study did not establish causation.

7 Aug 2026

Researchers uncover mechanism linking skin inflammation to body-wide allergies

Our bodies experience allergic reactions when the immune system mistakenly overreacts to harmless substances, known as allergens, such as pollen, dust, or certain foods.

6 Aug 2026

Long-acting HIV prevention tools could help close the gap before a vaccine arrives

A review of non-vaccine HIV interventions highlights the strong preventive effects of long-acting PrEP, sustained ART, U=U, vertical transmission programs, and voluntary medical male circumcision. Gene editing and multispecific antibodies may expand future options, but safety, cost, access, adherence, and implementation barriers remain.

5 Aug 2026

Too little or too much iodine may push immunity off balance

This narrative review finds that adequate iodine supports thyroid hormone signaling, leukocyte metabolism, antioxidant defenses, and antimicrobial activity in humans and domesticated mammals. Both deficiency and sustained excess may impair immunity or promote thyroid inflammation, but precise immune-specific intake thresholds remain uncertain.

27 Jul 2026

New cancer vaccine harnesses COVID-19 immune memory to fight tumors

In a discovery that could redefine the future of cancer immunotherapy, scientists from Celloram Inc., University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University have developed a novel cancer vaccine platform that transforms the impact of the largest immunological event in modern history – a synchronized mass immune memory generated through SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination – into a powerful ally against cancer.

27 Jul 2026

Thymulin curbs age-related inflammation and slows breast tumors in mice

Thymulin reduced age-associated inflammatory myeloid cells and slowed breast-tumor growth in aged mice by suppressing NF-κB signaling. The peptide also restored anti-PD-L1 responsiveness in aged mouse models, while human cell and tumor data supported an age-linked inflammatory myeloid profile.

23 Jul 2026

New strategy boosts immune attack against pancreatic cancer

Researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School have identified why pancreatic cancer is difficult for the immune system to recognize and attack, paving the way for a new approach to improve immunotherapy.

20 Jul 2026

KAIST study opens a new avenue for treating intractable brain tumors

Researchers have uncovered a clue to why immune checkpoint inhibitors-cancer therapies that release the immune "brakes" exploited by tumors to evade attack-show limited efficacy in some brain tumors.

19 Jul 2026

Experimental KRAS vaccine safely generates durable immune response against pancreatic cancer

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Skip Viragh Center for Pancreatic Cancer report that an experimental vaccine targeting mutant KRAS, one of the most common genetic drivers of pancreatic cancer, was safe and generated durable immune responses aimed at preventing the cancer in people at high risk.

16 Jul 2026

Scientists uncover immune mechanisms driving rare gastrointestinal disorder

A collaborative team led by Dr. Jingnan Li and Dr. Ji Li at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, together with Associate Professor Xiaohuan Guo at Tsinghua University and Academician Ye-Guang Chen at Tsinghua University School of Life Sciences, published a study in Volume 2, article number 28 of the journal Immunity & Inflammation on June 17, 2026.

26 Jun 2026

New cell culture method allows targeted study of antibody regulation

For the immune system to effectively combat pathogens, antibody responses must be precisely controlled. So-called follicular regulatory T cells (Tfr cells) play a key role in this process by limiting excessive immune responses and helping to maintain immune tolerance.

25 Jun 2026

Microbes trigger cell death to boost cancer immunotherapy effectiveness

Traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy can induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), but their efficacy is often limited by drug resistance, severe off-target toxicity, and immune-related adverse events.

24 Jun 2026

Researchers uncover key mechanism driving chronic Sjögren disease

Sjögren disease, an autoimmune disease characterized by dry mouth and dry eyes, may reduce patients’ quality of life.

24 Jun 2026

New vaccines successfully boost frontline immune cells against HIV

T-cells are the immune system's frontline defenders with a crucial role in controlling HIV. In a milestone clinical trial published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers with the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases (IGHID) at the UNC School of Medicine have demonstrated that new vaccines can significantly boost T cells targeting the most vulnerable, conserved regions of HIV-areas considered key to effective immune control.

22 Jun 2026