After kidney transplantation, natural killer cells of the recipient become active because they miss ‘self’ proteins on donor cells. These cells contribute to organ rejection, in addition to traditional modes of rejection involving T cells and antibodies.
‘Good cholesterol’ may protect liver
The body’s so-called good cholesterol may be even better than we realize. New research suggests that one type of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) has a previously unknown role in protecting the liver from injury. This HDL protects the liver by blocking i…
Cell-analysis technique could combat tuberculosis
Researchers have developed a way to analyze how individual immune cells react to the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. It could pave the way for new vaccine strategies and provide insights into fighting other infectious diseases.
Structural biology provides long-sought solution to innate immunity puzzle
Researchers report the first structural confirmation that endogenous — or self-made — molecules can set off innate immunity in mammals via a pair of immune cell proteins called the TLR4-MD-2 receptor complex. The work has wide-ranging implications fo…
Llama ‘nanobodies’ could hold key to preventing deadly post-transplant infection
Scientists have developed a ‘nanobody’ – a small fragment of a llama antibody – that is capable of chasing out human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) as it hides away from the immune system. This then enables immune cells to seek out and destroy this potentially…
New insights into uncontrolled inflammation in COVID-19 patients
In a new study, scientists discover how the production of protective molecules known as specialized pro-resolving mediators is altered in patients with COVID-19.
Researchers find immune component to rare neurodegenerative disease
Researchers have identified an immune protein tied to the rare neurodegenerative condition known as Niemann-Pick disease type C. The finding, made in mouse models, could offer a powerful new therapeutic target for Niemann-Pick disease type C, a conditi…
Study links vaccine immune response to age
Older people appear to have fewer antibodies against the novel coronavirus, a new laboratory study suggests. With vaccine uptake slowing in Oregon and across United States, researchers say their findings underscore the importance of promoting vaccinati…
Blocking how the malaria parasite suppresses the immune response
The parasites that cause severe malaria are well-known for the sinister ways they infect humans, but new research may lead to drugs that could block one of their most reliable weapons: interference with the immune response.
Unleashing Treg cells may lead to treatments for multiple sclerosis
In a new study, researchers found that a certain protein prevented regulatory T cells (Tregs) from effectively doing their job in controlling the damaging effects of inflammation in a model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a devastating autoimmune disease o…