Glenn J Rapsinski, University of Pittsburgh Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. How does a COVID-19 vaccine work in the body? – Wixy, age 12, New York The COVID-19 pandemic, causedRead More →
Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) or “immune enhancement” of viral entry has been observed for many viruses and is a major concern for vaccine development and antibody-based drug therapies. ADE occurs when antibodies from a previous infection or vaccination facilitate viral entry into host cells and enhance viral infection in these cells.Read More →
182 genes identified that regulate the interaction between cancer and immune T cells and which could he harnessed for immunotherapy Toronto scientists have mapped the genes allowing cancer cells to avoid getting killed by the immune system in a finding that paves the way for the development of immunotherapies thatRead More →
The first study comparing the immune responses of adults and children with COVID-19 has detected key differences that may contribute to understanding why children usually have milder disease than adults. The findings also have important implications for vaccines and drugs being developed to curb COVID-19. The study was published todayRead More →
Salk and Yale study of influenza could inform vaccines for COVID-19 and other lung diseases A significant site of damage during COVID-19 infection is the lungs. Understanding how the lungs’ immune cells are responding to viral infections could help scientists develop a vaccine. Now, a team of researchers led byRead More →
CNIC’s study suggests that it may be possible to regulate the number and activity of these macrophages with drugs that modulate the nuclear receptor RXR A team at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), working in partnership with researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, has discovered aRead More →
The first detailed cell atlas of the immune cells and gut bacteria within the human colon has been created by researchers. The study from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and collaborators revealed different immune niches, showing changes in the bacterial microbiome and immune cells throughout the colon. As part of theRead More →
Were you born in an H1N1 year or an H3N2 year? The first type of influenza virus we are exposed to in early childhood dictates our ability to fight the flu for the rest of our lives, according to a new study from a team of infectious disease researchers atRead More →
Most people living with HIV control the virus thanks to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Although this medication is highly effective, the presence of latent viral reservoirs in their bodies means they require lifelong therapy. Studies have demonstrated that immunotherapy combining two anti-HIV antibodies can also suppress HIV, similar to ART. NowRead More →
Certain bacteria can override a defence mechanism of the immune system, so-called programmed cell death, through inhibition of death effector molecules by their outer membranes components. Shigella bacteria, which cause diarrhoea, use lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on their surface to block the effector caspases. Lipopolysaccharides are a component of the bacterial outerRead More →
