The engineering of specific virus-targeting receptors onto a patient’s own immune cells is now being explored by scientists as a potential therapy for controlling infectious diseases, including the COVID-19-causing virus, SARS-CoV-2.
Antibodies could provide new treatment for OCD
Mental health conditions such as obsessive compulsive disorder could be treated in a new way using drugs that target the immune system, research suggests.
Researchers repurpose classic chemotherapy drug to overcome cancer therapy resistance
Drug resistance is a major obstacle in cancer treatment — leading to relapse for many patients. In a new study, researchers report on a promising new strategy to overcome drug resistance in leukemia, using targeted doses of the widely-used chemotherap…
Male-female cardiac repair differences in heart failure survival after heart attack
A new study investigated the molecular and cellular processes underlying cardiac repair in male and female mice after a severe heart attack. The researchers discovered that heart repair happened faster in the female mice than the males after heart atta…
Autoimmunity plays a role in Parkinson’s disease, study suggests
A new study adds increasing evidence that Parkinson’s disease is partly an autoimmune disease. In fact, the researchers report that signs of autoimmunity can appear in Parkinson’s disease patients years before their official diagnosis.
Mysterious tuft cells found to play role in pancreatitis
Scientists have uncovered the formation of tuft cells during pancreatitis and the surprising role of these cells in immunity, using mouse models of pancreatitis. The findings could lead to the development of new biomarkers to test for pancreatitis and …
Cancer drug resistance study raises immune red flags
Once a cancer patient’s tumors develop resistance to chemotherapy, the prognosis can be poor. However, inhibiting a key gene involved in multidrug resistance, MDR1, has not improved outcomes. A new study offers a reason, revealing unintended downstream…
Proteins may halt the severe cytokine storms seen in COVID-19 patients
A team of researchers has developed specialized antibody-like receptor proteins that they believe could soak up the excess cytokines produced during a cytokine storm. This excessive immune response, sometimes seen in Covid-19 patients, can be fatal.
New universal Ebola vaccine may fight all four virus species that infect humans
Infectious disease scientists report early development of a potential universal vaccine for Ebola viruses that preclinical tests show might neutralize all four species of these deadly viruses infecting people in recent outbreaks, mainly in Africa. Alth…
Bile metabolite of gut microbes boosts immune cells
A new study has discovered a novel means by which bacterial colonies in the small intestine support the generation of regulatory T cells–immune cells that suppress autoimmune reactions and inflammation.