All Immunology articles
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NewsResearch uncovers how bacteria fight viruses, opening the door to better virus-based antibiotics
New research has revealed that bacteria detect viruses when a viral enzyme cuts an important sensor molecule in the bacterium, kicking off the immune response. The discovery paves the way for development of better phage therapies that can evade the bacterial immune system.
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NewsSugar amplifies damage done to gut health by antibiotics
Eating sweets while taking antibiotics may worsen the harm done by the drugs to the normal community of bacteria in the gut, a new study has found. The study of hospitalized cancer patients found an additional 21% reduction in the variety of helpful bacterial species present for every 100 grams of sugar consumed in the 48 hours before treatment.
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NewsViral infections can accelerate the progression of ALS, researchers find
A new study suggests that common viral infections — like influenza or COVID-19 — may accelerate the onset and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The findings suggest that it is the immune response triggered by these infections that accelerates the onset and progression of ALS.
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NewsPneumonia can reveal undiagnosed blood cancer
Severe pneumococcal disease requiring hospitalization, most commonly pneumonia, can be a sign of previously undiagnosed blood cancer and immunodeficiency in adult patients, according to a study.
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NewsFirm advances measles antibodies toward clinical development
Researchers have identified two potent human monoclonal antibodies that could become the first antibody-based therapy for measles. The antibodies strongly neutralized the virus in laboratory studies and animal models, offering a potential new option for vulnerable people who cannot safely receive or fully benefit from vaccination.
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NewsResearch advances understanding of tick-borne Powassan virus
Researchers characterized changes in brain microRNAs during Powassan virus infection. MicroRNAs are tiny, natural molecules that help regulate how cells function by controlling protein production. The researchers found that these important regulators were widely disrupted as the infection progressed.
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NewsResearchers identify new vaccine target in malaria parasite
Researchers identified a previously uncharacterized site on the parasite’s major surface protein that antibodies can target to block liver infection, potentially preventing the dormant forms responsible for malaria relapses.
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NewsDrug helps bladder cells to clear urinary infections
Researchers have identified a way to strengthen the bladder cells’ ability to eliminate urinary tract infection bacteria sheltered in the cells of the epiithelium. The drug OM-89, marketed as Uro-Vaxom®, activates cellular degradation pathways in bladder epithelial cells while also increasing the amount of antibiotic that enters them.
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NewsCan this biotech innovation halt the destructive march of a cereal killer?
Researchers explored a recently discovered class of plant defence receptors, showing at molecular level how they function to limit blast pathogen attacks and how they might be bioengineered to introduce broader more durable immunity into wheat, barley, and rice.
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NewsResearchers use computational design to engineer immune cells to fight cancer and viruses
Researchers have used advanced computational design methods to enhance the ability of genetically engineered immune cells to recognize and attack cancer and viral targets.
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NewsTarget identified in treatment of neuroHIV
NeuroHIV occurs when HIV infection affects the function and structural integrity of the brain and, to some extent, the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system. New research has identified a brain protein driving this damage, pointing toward a possible treatment.
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NewsGut microbiome development may help predict type 1 diabetes in children at high risk
A new prospective study found that children at high genetic risk of type 1 diabetes whose gut microbiome development plateaued early had about three times the risk of developing the disease compared with children whose microbiomes continued to mature.
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NewsHow a single viral protein hijacks immune cells to supercharge COVID-19 infection
A new discovery reveals how a SARS-CoV-2 protein reprograms immune cells to accelerate viral spread—and points to a new strategy for therapeutic intervention.
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NewsBoosted BCG vaccine strategy significantly reduces tuberculosis relapse
A new study reveals that combining an immunotherapy with the traditional Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine drastically lowers the risk of TB relapse in preclinical models.
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NewsA tiny bacterium with a huge impact
Researchers have discovered that gut bacteria and the compounds they produce trigger biological processes that the human body on its own can only activate with difficulty. They help suppress inflammation and may also have beneficial effects on fatty liver disease.
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NewsVaccination: why don’t we all experience the same side effects?
Researchers have found that, even before vaccination, some people’s innate immune systems are more reactive than others, showing a heightened response to interferons. The stronger this response, the more likely individuals are to experience these transient symptoms.
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NewsNew sepsis guidelines seek to reduce infection’s deadly toll
Experts have developed important new guidelines to improve care for patients who develop sepsis, a dangerous full-body infection that kills at least 350,000 Americans every year.
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NewsLong-acting antibodies may work with the immune system to control HIV and help reduce the reservoir
Results from a clinical trial have offered a new HIV strategy, suggesting that just one or two doses of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) can suppress the virus long-term, keeping it at undetectable levels for months and even years.
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NewsResearchers discover how Epstein-Barr Virus triggers multiple sclerosis attacks
In a study of blood samples from more than 100 participants with MS, researchers detected increased EBV lytic activity in immune cells up to three months before MS relapse and discovered that these cells also showed elevated expression of genes linked to MS risk.
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NewsBeyond the gut: Necrotizing enterocolitis drives neurodevelopmental impairment through gut-derived inflammation
A severe gut disease in premature infants, known as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), does far more than damage the intestines—it fundamentally alters brain development, leaving up to 40% of survivors with lasting cognitive, motor, and behavioral impairments.