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Could the type of fiber children eat matter for their developing gut microbiome?

A recent study found that different dietary fibers can shape the composition and activity of the gut microbiome during early childhood, with xyloglucan, arabinoxylan, and pectin increasing short-chain fatty acid production in laboratory fermentation experiments. Some fibers also supported gut barrier measures and altered inflammatory responses, while observational data linked higher pectin intake with greater microbial diversity in young children.

31 Aug 2026

Newly discovered lung immune cells could transform future flu vaccine design

Influenza continues to cause major illness each year in the United States, leading to more than 35,000 deaths annually. Children, older adults, pregnant individuals, people with weakened immune systems, and those with chronic conditions such as heart disease, metabolic disorders, and cancer are especially vulnerable.

31 Aug 2026

Researchers traced lifelong obesity resistance in mice back to an early microbial encounter

Natural wild-derived microbiota protected mice against diet-induced obesity across sexes, genetic backgrounds, and age by increasing energy expenditure and promoting a thermogenic program in brown adipose tissue. The effect depended on the immune system’s initial encounter with the microbiota and required CCR2-associated myeloid activity, revealing a long-lasting microbiota-immune-brown fat pathway.

25 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

Mitochondrial DNA mutations link to cardiometabolic parameters in metabolic syndrome

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variability, especially heteroplasmy, is believed to affect cellular immunobiogenesis, particularly in monocytes in metabolic syndrome (MetS).

14 Jul 2026

Maternal diet may subtly shape breast milk immune signals

Research indicates that maternal dietary patterns can subtly affect the immune composition of breast milk, with implications for infant immune development.

9 Jul 2026

Gut-friendly diet linked to lower mortality risk in coronary heart disease

Using NHANES 2005-2018 data, researchers found that adults with coronary heart disease who had higher Dietary Index for Gut Microbiota scores had lower all-cause mortality risk. The association was nonlinear, strongest when scores reached 5 or higher, and remained observational rather than causal.

9 Jul 2026

Can ibuprofen improve drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment?

While ibuprofen reduced inflammatory markers in drug-resistant TB patients, it did not enhance treatment outcomes, indicating the need for further research.

3 Jul 2026

New method generates renewable supply of progenitor immune cells

In a paper published in Cell, a USC Stem Cell-led team reports a new way of generating a renewable and expandable supply of the progenitor cells that give rise to macrophages.

19 Jun 2026

Popular supplement creatine supercharges critical immune cells fighting cancer

Creatine, the organic acid that is popularly taken as a supplement by athletes and bodybuilders, supercharges a critical class of immune cells that activate and prepare the body's key cancer-fighters, according to new UCLA research.

5 Jun 2026

Researchers uncover immune mechanisms behind polycystic kidney disease progression

A new review has illuminated a critical but often overlooked dimension of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD)—its immune microenvironment.

24 May 2026

New imaging technique maps 38000 liver cells to solve fibrosis

The liver is often called a "silent organ," as it can sustain significant damage without obvious symptoms. But when injury is prolonged, whether from alcohol, poor diet, or chronic hepatitis virus infection, it triggers fibrosis: a progressive hardening and scarring of liver tissue.

14 May 2026

Cellular aging in immune cells signals early onset of cognitive depression

Blood tests measuring the aging of certain white blood cells can predict cognitive and mood-related symptoms of depression, rather than physical symptoms.

4 May 2026

Diatron introduces advanced RUO indices on its Aquila, Aquarius 3, Abacus 5 analyzers

Diatron, a STRATEC brand specializing in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of hematology and clinical chemistry analyzers and related reagents for human and veterinary use, expands the capabilities of its Aquila, Aquarius 3, and Abacus 5 hematology analyzers with six advanced hematological indices.

From Diatron 29 Apr 2026

Study reveals immune changes in HIV and HCV coinfected patients

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection leads to severe systemic inflammation, increasing non-AIDS morbidity and mortality risk. CD39 ectoenzyme on T-cells, which catalyzes the conversion of pro-inflammatory purines to immunosuppressive adenosine, plays an important role in inflammation control.

28 Mar 2026

Heavily processed foods may raise heart disease risk beyond poor nutrition alone

A 2026 review in Cardiology in Review reports that higher intake of ultra-processed foods is consistently associated with greater risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cardiovascular mortality across cohort studies and meta-analyses. The paper also highlights plausible mechanisms involving gut dysbiosis, oxidative stress, and NF-κB-driven inflammation, with additives such as emulsifiers, preservatives, dyes, and sweeteners discussed as potential contributors.

26 Mar 2026

Are socially isolated people more likely to develop cancer? Study of 350,000 adults explores the risk

A large UK Biobank study of more than 350,000 adults found that social isolation, but not loneliness alone, was associated with a modest increase in overall cancer risk during over 11 years of follow-up. The association was stronger in women and appeared partly linked to socioeconomic disadvantage, unhealthy behaviors, and inflammatory processes.

3 Mar 2026