Opioid receptors play key roles in regulating our senses and emotions. Recently, their discovery outside the nervous system raised several questions about the effects of opioids on the immune system. Now, researchers have shown that KNT-127 — a drug t…
Allergic stimulation activates mast cell precursor cells
Mast cell precursor cells do not just cause an increase in mature mast cells during inflammation, they also play an active role in diseases like asthma, according to a new study.
New nanoparticle developed for intravenous cancer immunotherapy
Cancer immunotherapy seeks to turn ‘cold’ tumors into ‘hot’ tumors — those that respond to immunotherapy — by awakening and enlisting the body’s own immune system.
New treatment uses reverse vaccination to teach immune system not to attack life-saving drugs
Researchers have developed a new treatment that uses reverse vaccination to pre-expose the body to medications and build immune tolerance. The treatment could be applied to a broad range of drug therapies, autoimmune disorders and allergies.
A tool to interrogate a new class of drugs
Reactive electrophilic drugs like Tecfidera, approved for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis, show a lot of potential but are also mystery. Scientists have now used an innovative chemical method to uncover the biological mechanisms of Tecfid…
How sepsis need not be fatal
Researchers have identified molecular biomarkers, pathways and immune cell dynamics associated with sepsis that could be therapeutically targeted to prevent the condition from leading to death.
Glioma subtype may hold the secret to the success of immunotherapies
A common mutation in gliomas sensitizes them to immunotherapy, a finding which researchers believe could have broader therapeutic implications for all glioma patients.
How high-fat diets allow cancer cells to go unnoticed
The immune system relies on cell surface tags to recognize cancer cells. Researchers discovered mice who ate high-fat diets produced less of these tags on their intestinal cells, suppressing the ability of immune cells to identify and eliminate intesti…
Antidepressants inhibit cancer growth in mice
Classic antidepressants could help improve modern cancer treatments. They slowed the growth of pancreatic and colon cancers in mice, and when combined with immunotherapy, they even stopped the cancer growth long-term. In some cases the tumors disappear…
Benefits of early intervention in autoimmune diseases
Complex autoimmune diseases affecting various organ systems remain one of the greatest medical challenges in spite of immense advances in treatment. In particular, the diffuse symptoms at the early stage of complex autoimmune diseases make it hard to d…