Phagocytes News and Research

RSS

Microplastics impair liver function and increase fat in mice

Microplastics appear capable of significantly impairing the function of phagocytes in the liver, at least in mice. In turn, this disrupts the metabolism of this vital organ and increases the build-up of fat inside it.

29 Sep 2026

Malaria infection causes permanent damage to the spleen immune cells

Macrophages formed in the bone marrow can only assume the function of embryonal phagocytes, or "scavenger cells," to a certain degree according to a study by the University of Bonn and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne.

4 Aug 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

Lipid nanoparticles enhance immune response against lung cancer

Researchers at the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy have developed a new strategy that helps the immune system recognize and attack lung cancer tumors more effectively.

25 Jun 2026

Efferocytosis plays central role in wound healing and tissue repair

A new review shines a spotlight on efferocytosis, a critical biological process responsible for the removal of dead cells, as a central force in promoting efficient wound repair and maintaining tissue balance.

24 May 2026

Scientists identify specialized cells that trigger bone marrow cavity growth

Bone marrow is the spongy tissue located within the hollow center of bones, serving as the primary site for the continuous production of red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells.

28 Apr 2026

Engineered Listeria boosts innate immunity against cancer

After nearly 40 years of research on how Listeria bacteria manipulate our cells and battle our immune system to cause listeriosis, Daniel Portnoy and his colleagues have discovered a way to turn the bacteria into a potent booster of the immune system - and a potential weapon against cancer.

13 Feb 2026

Tattoo ink alters immune cells and weakens some vaccine responses

New research shows tattoo pigments migrate to lymph nodes, causing inflammation and altering immune responses to vaccines, with potential health risks.

27 Nov 2025

MIT researchers identify new vaccine targets to fight tuberculosis

A large-scale screen of tuberculosis proteins has revealed several possible antigens that could be developed as a new vaccine for TB, the world's deadliest infectious disease.

5 Nov 2025

New protein-based therapeutic tool could change the way we treat diseases

A team of scientists at Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) has created a protein-based therapeutic tool that could change the way we treat diseases caused by harmful or unnecessary cells.

3 Sep 2025

How lymphoid tissues protect against viral infections

Researchers explore the cellular and molecular adaptations associated with human secondary lymphoid tissue in adults during viral infection.

7 Feb 2025

Berry-flavored vapes impair lung immune response

Alterations in AM function following the exposure to berry-flavored e-cigarettes that lead to poor immune responses to pathogens and reduced host survival.

7 Nov 2024

Researchers uncover immune mechanism behind myocarditis from cancer immunotherapy

Some patients being treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, a type of cancer immunotherapy, develop a dangerous form of heart inflammation called myocarditis.

6 Nov 2024

Rare genetic mutation tied to increased risk of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a confounding scourge. It's the leading cause of death from infectious disease in the world, and yet it's estimated that those deaths represent perhaps 5% of infections with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb).

30 Aug 2024

Hair follicles use unique sensor system to clean up dead cells

Billions of our cells die every day to make way for the growth of new ones. Most of these goners are cleaned up by phagocytes - mobile immune cells that migrate where needed to engulf problematic substances.

21 Aug 2024

Novel anti-tuberculosis compound targets bacterial membrane protein

Researchers from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) have together succeeded in identifying and synthesizing a group of molecules that can act against the cause of tuberculosis in a new way. In the scientific journal Cell Chemical Biology, they describe that the so-called callyaerins act against the infectious disease by employing a fundamentally different mechanism compared to antibiotic agents used to date.

1 Aug 2024

Exploring the versatile roles of tissue macrophages beyond immune defense

The role of resident tissue macrophages (RTMs) in homeostasis and disease.

17 Apr 2024

Link between gut dysbiosis and chronic diseases explored in new study

Study explores the ecological causes of gut dysbiosis and its link to human diseases, revealing how imbalances in gut microbiota composition, influenced by host-derived factors like oxygen and nitrate, contribute to various chronic conditions.

5 Dec 2023

Parasites that cause visceral leishmaniasis can infect non-immune cells, study finds

The organisms that cause visceral leishmaniasis, a potentially deadly version of the parasitic disease that most often affects the skin to cause disfiguring disease, appear to have a secret weapon, new research suggests: They can infect non-immune cells and persist in those uncommon environments.

29 Sep 2023

New insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of SLC29A3 disorders

In humans, the SLC29A3 gene regulates the function of lysosomes to control waste recycling in cells such as macrophages (that engulf and destroy foreign bodies).

22 Aug 2023