Researchers find an increase in inflammatory molecules in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of C90RF72 patients, informing future anti-inflammatory therapies.
Two COVID-19 vaccines show safety, strong immunity in infant model
Pre-clinical research offers evidence that vaccinating young children could help prevent the spread of COVID-19, limit disease severity, and achieve herd immunity.
New treatment stops progression of Alzheimer’s disease in monkey brains
A new therapy prompts immune defense cells to swallow misshapen proteins, amyloid beta plaques and tau tangles, whose buildup is known to kill nearby brain cells as part of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study shows.
AI predicts how patients with viral infections, including COVID-19, will fare
Gene expression patterns associated with pandemic viral infections provide a map to help define patients’ immune responses, measure disease severity, predict outcomes and test therapies — for current and future pandemics.
Astronomy meets pathology to identify predictive biomarkers for cancer immunotherapy
Pairing sky-mapping algorithms with advanced immunofluorescence imaging of cancer biopsies, researchers developed a robust platform to guide immunotherapy by predicting which cancers will respond to specific therapies targeting the immune system.
‘Bad fat’ suppresses killer T cells from attacking cancer
Researchers have identified how tumors cause immune cells to lose their ability to fight cancer, by producing harmful fats the energy-hungry immune cells ingest, impairing their functionality. The understanding opens new avenues for novel immunotherapi…
SARS-CoV-2 protease cuts human proteins; Possible link to COVID-19 symptoms
The SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro) plays an essential role in processing viral proteins needed for replication. In addition, the enzyme can cut and inactivate some human proteins important for an immune response. Now, researchers have found ot…
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines safe for IBD patients
Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) do not appear to have increased risk of side effects from the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, according to a recent study. In fact, those being treated with advanced immune-modifying therapies may ex…
Cholesterol metabolite induces production of cancer-promoting vesicles
Scientists studying the link between cholesterol and breast cancer report that a byproduct of cholesterol metabolism causes some cells to send out cancer-promoting signals to other cells. These signals are packaged in membrane-bound compartments called…
Clever biomolecular labelling enables identification of immune cells
Biomolecules regulate the biological functions inside every living cell. If scientists can understand the molecular mechanisms, then it is possible to detect severe dysfunction. At a molecular level, this can be achieved with fluorescent markers that a…