A vaccine additive known as an adjuvant can enhance responses to a vaccine containing the exotic avian flu virus H5N1, so that both rookie and veteran elements of the immune response are strengthened, according to results from an Emory Vaccine Center study. The findings have implications for the effort to develop vaccines against multiple strains […]
Whenever a germ gets into the human body, the immune system usually responds immediately to fight off the enemy attacker. One of our defense system’s most important strategies involves B lymphocytes, also known as B cells, which produce antibodies that target and neutralize pathogens. B cells play a central role in adaptive immunity and, together […]
Experimental coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer triggered levels of antibodies up to THREE TIMES greater than those seen in recovered patients, early data shows Researchers randomly gave 45 healthy volunteers either a low dose, a medium dose or a high dose of a coronavirus vaccine, or a placebo Those who received the vaccine were given two shots, except […]
A method known as CAR-T therapy has been used successfully in patients with blood cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia. It modifies a patient’s own T-cells by adding a piece of an antibody that recognizes unique features on the surface of cancer cells. In a new study, researchers report that they have dramatically broadened the […]
In a December 2019 study, a team of Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers demonstrated in mice that repair of bone fractures requires the generation, growth and spread of nerve cells, or neurons, throughout the injured area. This, they showed, partly relies on a protein known as nerve growth factor (NGF). Now, the researchers have dug deeper […]
The world is full of house dust mites. Do some cleaning, and you’ll probably stir some up. While everyone has immune cells capable of reacting to common allergens like house dust mites, most of us have no allergic symptoms. Still, many people do react with the typical allergic symptoms: sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy, […]
A research team led by the University of Adelaide has found that revegetation of green spaces within cities can improve soil microbiota diversity towards a more natural, biodiverse state, which has been linked to human health benefits. In the study, published in the journal Restoration Ecology, researchers compared the composition of a variety of urban […]
White blood cells are known to circulate through the entire body through blood vessels, acting as a surveillance system. However, a specialized group of these cells are permanently present in tissues like the skin, intestine and lungs, protecting against external invaders such as microbes. But it is largely unknown how these cells are generated. A […]
As we continue our collective battle against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), you may have come across various claims of foods or supplements that supposedly increase your immunity against the disease. Here, we break down some basic facts about how nutrition plays into having a healthy immune system. “Boosting” the Immune System First, there are no […]
The new coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, may be using part of the human body’s own immune response against us, a new study suggests. The novel coronavirus is known to use a keyhole called the ACE2 receptor to “unlock” a cell and get inside, where it replicates and wreaks havoc. Now, researchers have found that the […]
