Patients on immunosuppressive therapy for common skin and rheumatic diseases like psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis are not at increased risk for contracting COVID-19 and should continue taking their medicine as prescribed, according to a new study.
Immune system affects mind and body, study indicates
Researchers have discovered that a molecule produced by the immune system acts on the brain to change the behavior of mice.
Excessive lung release of neutrophil DNA traps may explain severe complications in COVID-19 patients
Researchers have detected significant amounts of DNA traps in distinct compartments of the lungs of patients who died from Covid-19. These traps, called NETs, are released massively into the airways, the lung tissue and the blood vessels. Such excessiv…
New immunotherapy to beat cancer
Scientists have succeeded in neutralizing a molecule that blocks the immune system against cancer. The researchers discovered that this new immunotherapy increases the action of another well-known but not always effective immunotherapy, and that it mak…
Antibiotic molecule enables immune system to kill HIV infected cells
A class of antibiotic molecules called pleicomacrolides inhibit the Nef protein, which HIV uses to evade the body’s immune system.
Safeguarding of key DNA sensor in innate immune system
New research reveals in detail how the nucleosomes inside our cells block cGAS from unintentionally triggering the body’s innate immune response to our own DNA.
Scientists decipher role of a stress response gene
A team of scientists is shedding new light on the gene regulatory pathways activated by cortisol, a hormone secreted in response to stress. Their research helps explain why exposure to chronic stress early in life shortens lifespan and contribute to ag…
Allergic immune responses help fight bacterial infections
Researchers have found that a module of the immune system, best known for causing allergic reactions, plays a key role in acquiring host defense against infections triggered by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. This allergy module, constituted by ma…
Cell-autonomous immunity shaped human evolution
Every human cell harbors its own defenses against microbial invaders, relying on strategies that date back to some of the earliest events in the history of life, researchers report. Because this ‘cell-autonomous immunity’ is so ancient and persistent, …
Delayed immune responses may drive COVID-19 mortality rates among men and the elderly
COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) infections tend to be more severe among older adults and males, yet the mechanisms underlying increased mortality in these two demographics are unknown. A new study suggests that varying immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 due to age a…