Researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) in Melbourne, Australia, have developed a new vaccination approach that uses antimalarial drug compounds to transform mosquito bites from a source of deadly infection into natural immune boosters, according to a study published in Science. Targeting the Late Liver Stage to Build Durable Immunity The preclinical … Read more
According to a recent review published in the journal npj Viruses, researchers have discovered that mosquito-borne orthoflaviviruses drive distinct cellular damage in human hosts while establishing lifelong, non-lethal infections in mosquito vectors. This divergence stems from how these viruses manipulate host mitochondrial dynamics, offering new avenues for targeted antiviral strategies against pathogens like dengue, Zika, … Read more
According to researchers at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen (LMU), a newly discovered signaling pathway in mice reveals how dietary shifts during weaning directly instruct the developing immune system to tolerate harmless environmental substances. Published in Nature Communications, the study shows that transitioning to solid food triggers an interferon-gamma-mediated circuit that activates specialized dendritic cells in the … Read more
According to a study published in BMC Biology, researchers at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and Howard University have discovered that modern human immune responses bear genetic marks of ancient battles with infectious diseases, while also identifying rare variants linked to severe COVID-19. The findings bridge human evolution and infectious disease. … Read more
According to a narrative review published in the journal Nutrients by researchers at the University of Guelph and ImmunoCeutica Inc., iodine intake follows a narrow U-shaped relationship that dictates how the micronutrient influences immune defenses across humans and domesticated mammals. While adequate intake supports leukocyte metabolism and thyroid-driven immunity, both chronic deficiency and sustained excess … Read more
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Unique Pharmaceutical Laboratories is recalling nationwide lots of 5-mg cetirizine hydrochloride tablets—an over-the-counter antihistamine commonly sold as a generic version of Zyrtec—due to cross-contamination with ranitidine, a medication formerly marketed as Zantac used for heartburn and indigestion. The mix-up poses life-threatening anaphylaxis risks for individuals with … Read more
Primary biliary cholangitis is a rare autoimmune disease affecting small bile ducts within the liver, causing bile to build up and trigger progressive liver damage that can eventually lead to cirrhosis, according to recent medical studies. Because the immune system attacks these vital ducts, roughly 40% of patients fail to respond adequately or cannot tolerate … Read more
Epigenetic clocks—tools designed to measure biological age through DNA methylation—capture distinct, non-overlapping biological processes rather than a single universal aging mechanism. According to a study published in npj Aging, researchers have developed Transcriptomic Aging Gene Scores (TAGS) to better interpret these clocks, showing that gene expression patterns often predict health outcomes like mortality and frailty … Read more
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have identified a molecular switch, the ion channel protein KCNMB1, that regulates cancer cell stiffness. By activating this pathway, scientists can make metastatic cells more rigid, rendering them vulnerable to destruction by the immune system, according to a study published in the journal Developmental Cell. The Physics of … Read more
New research published in the journal Cell reveals that severe COVID-19 cases are often linked to a pre-existing immune defect where the body produces autoantibodies that neutralize type I interferons. According to findings from an international team of scientists, these autoantibodies are the result of a mature B-cell response that disables the body’s primary antiviral … Read more