Inflammasome News and Research

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SARS-CoV-2 viroporin triggers NLRP3 inflammasome causing a severe inflammatory response

Now, a team of researchers at the University of Florida report that the SARS-CoV-2 viroporin triggers the NLR Family Pyrin Domain Containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, which is responsible for the inflammatory pathology in severely ill COVID-19 patients.

30 Oct 2020

Inflammasome may play a key role in triggering immune response to cancer

The inflammasome — a protein signaling network that is activated to rid the body of virus or bacteria-infected cells — may play an important role in triggering an immune response to cancer and causing an existing class of drugs to work better against cancers.

27 Oct 2020

Researchers report the discovery of innate immune signaling pathway in fibroblasts

Vanderbilt University researchers have reported the counterintuitive discovery that certain chemotherapeutic agents used to treat tumors can have the opposite effect of tissue overgrowth in normal, intact mammary glands, epidermis and hair follicles.

16 Oct 2020

Macrophage subgroups may play pivotal role in COVID-19 lethality

Many researchers are attempting to identify risk factors for severe or critical COVID-19. A recent paper in the journal Medical Hypotheses in September 2020 suggests that macrophage class activation is one of the factors that determine the clinical phenotype of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

5 Oct 2020

Drugs used to treat HIV and hepatitis B could be repurposed to prevent type 2 diabetes

A group of drugs used to treat HIV and hepatitis B could be repurposed to prevent type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.

23 Sep 2020

Keto diet could be beneficial for elderly COVID-19 patients

A recent study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine, New York University Langone Health and Washington University School of Medicine, claims that the ketogenic diet (high fat, low carbohydrate diet) is capable of mitigating clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in elderly people by improving immune-metabolic functions and reducing inflammation. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

14 Sep 2020

Congenital disorder of fat metabolism can cause chronic hyperreaction of the immune system

Scientists at the University of Bonn identify previously unknown disease mechanism. A congenital disorder of the fat metabolism can apparently cause chronic hyperreaction of the immune system.

24 Aug 2020

Researchers identify new therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are advancing understanding of a potential Alzheimer's disease treatment.

18 Aug 2020

Varying immune system responses can predict severe COVID-19 outcomes

The differing immune system responses of patients with COVID-19 can help predict who will experience moderate and severe consequences of disease, according to a new study by Yale researchers published July 27 in the journal Nature.

27 Jul 2020

Tobacco smoking and vaping nicotine may exacerbate COVID-19 inflammation

Researchers in San Diego have conducted a study showing that both smoking and the use of e-cigarettes containing nicotine and flavorings may critically exacerbate inflammation in cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and significantly worsen clinical outcomes.

14 Jul 2020

People with accelerated biological age at increased risk of COVID-19 symptom severity and mortality

Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in July 2020 discusses the explanation in terms of the biological aging markers in patients with severe disease, rather than the chronological age.

13 Jul 2020

Long-studied protein can be used as biomarker for traumatic brain injury

Scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute for Research have recently demonstrated that cathepsin B, a well-studied protein important to brain development and function, can be used as biomarker, or indicator of severity, for traumatic brain injury.

13 Jul 2020

Exercise can slow or prevent macular degeneration

Exercise can slow or prevent the development of macular degeneration and may benefit other common causes of vision loss, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, new research suggests.

1 Jul 2020

Repurposing immunosuppressants to manage COVID-19

It might seem paradoxical to suggest immunosuppression could play a role in managing COVID-19. The seemingly logical therapeutic option for this disease would be an antiviral.

18 Jun 2020

Platelets can intensify inflammatory processes, study shows

Platelets not only play a key role in blood clotting, but can also significantly intensify inflammatory processes.

12 May 2020

Study shows how interactions between microbiome and the immune system contribute to liver disease

A new study by researchers in the Quadram Institute has provided insights into how interactions between gut microbes and cells of the immune system contribute to cholestatic liver disease.

20 Apr 2020

Improper cellular cleanup during neurodevelopment may cause lifelong behavioral issues

Improper removal of faulty brain cells during neurodevelopment may cause lifelong behavioral issues, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine suggests.

9 Apr 2020

Cancer-causing mutation also promotes inflammation

Analyses of cell signals provide insight into the origin of severe inflammatory symptoms that appear in various types of blood cancer and point to possible therapeutic approaches: In around one-fourth of patients suffering from juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, there is evidence of mutations in the so-called KRAS gene in the leukemia cells.

8 Apr 2020

Visceral fat gives signal to the brain that damages cognition

Excessive weight around our middle gives our brain's resident immune cells heavy exposure to a signal that turns them against us, setting in motion a crescendo of inflammation that damages cognition, scientists say.

3 Mar 2020

Study sheds light on mechanisms that underlie a rare genetic condition

A team of researchers at CHU Sainte-Justine and Université de Montréal has shed light on the mechanisms that underlie a rare genetic condition by creating the first cellular model of the disease.

22 Jan 2020