immune cells
Stimulating the brain’s immune response may provide treatment for Alzheimer’s disease
A new target for the prevention of adverse immune responses identified as factors in the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been discovered by researchers at the University of South Florida’s Department of Psychiatry and the Center of Exce…
MIT researchers study the danger of toxoplasma parasites
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — About one-third of the human population is infected with a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, but most of them don’t know it. Though Toxoplasma causes no symptoms in most people, it can be harmful to individuals with suppressed …
UCSF team finds new source of immune cells during pregnancy
UCSF researchers have shown for the first time that the human fetal immune system arises from an entirely different source than the adult immune system, and is more likely to tolerate than fight foreign substances in its environment.
The fin…
Scripps Research scientists redefine the role of plasma cells in the immune system
La Jolla, CA — November 29, 2010 – For Immediate Release — A team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have uncovered a previously unknown regulatory mechanism in the body’s response to eliminate pathogens, such as bacteria and viru…
Human umbilical cord blood cells aid lab animal brain cell survival after simulated stroke
Human umbilical cord blood cells (HUCB) used to treat cultured rat brain cells (astrocytes) deprived of oxygen appear to protect astrocytes from cell death after stroke-like damage, reports a team of researchers from the University of South Florida …
Searching for life may boost immune system
Pursuing goals related to living a meaningful life may boost the activity of certain cells in the immune system, according to a small study of women who lost a relative to breast cancer. Women who placed more importance on these goals at the beginning of the study had higher levels of activity among their ?natural killer? immune cells. In addition, women who elevated the importance of these goals over a one-month period showed increases in natural killer cell activity, compared to women who said that the importance of these goals had decreased for them.
Immune cells may help deliver cancer vaccines for children
In a finding that could lay the groundwork for future cancer vaccines for children, cancer researchers working in cell culture have shown that modified immune cells can efficiently deliver genetic material to stimulate a desirable immune response.
Researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania manipulated immune cells called CD40-activated B cells to carry RNA produced by tumors and viruses. The RNA, which carries genetic codes from DNA, was obtained either from tumor or viral proteins. The researchers adapted an approach used in research on adults to one more appropriate for children.
Novel molecule may contribute to intestinal health
New data suggests that a novel molecule appears to be involved in the intestine’s response to infection. The study was a collaboration between researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Institut Curie in Paris. “This is the first identified function for this molecule,” says co-senior author Susan Gilfillan, Ph.D., research instructor in pathology and immunology at the School of Medicine. “Our findings suggest that this molecule may play a fundamental role in gut immunology.”
Scientists Discover How to Grow Cells That Suppress Immune Responses
Researchers have discovered how to grow a little-understood type of human immune cell. The cells, known as T-regulatory cells type 1 (Tr1), are thought to turn off unnecessary immune reactions and to block the action of immune cells that otherwise would attack the body and cause dangerous inflammation. The findings are reported in the Jan. 23 issue of the journal Nature.
Herpes Virus Trashes Detection Mechanism to Hide from Immune System
Herpes viruses are notorious for their ability to hide from the immune system and establish lifelong infections. Researchers have now discovered how one mouse herpes virus escapes detection. “These findings not only provide a better understanding of viral infections,” says study leader Ted H. Hansen, Ph.D., professor of genetics, “they also offer novel insights into basic cellular processes in the immune system.”