The Immune System – News and Features

A pilot study comparing people with and without long COVID symptoms found differences in brain inflammation and recovery signals. People with long COVID had more fatigue and anxiety, lower nerve growth factor and signs of ongoing immune activity.

Researchers have created a groundbreaking 3D-printed artificial tumor tissue capable of replicating the in vivo conditions of patient-derived cancer cells, which can be used to predict prognosis.

The researchers found that FGF21 activates a signaling pathway in the brain that triggers changes in nerve activity directed to the liver. This feedback loop reduces liver fat accumulation and reverses fibrosis.

To make it easier for children to receive all of their vaccines, MIT researchers are working to develop microparticles that can release their payload weeks or months after being injected.

A 10-week indoor exercise program during winter helped overweight adults maintain vitamin D levels, which supports bone and immune health. The effect occurred without weight loss or supplementation.

Embryonic macrophages – specialized phagocytes of the immune system – influence the formation of blood stem cells and thus the lifelong production of blood cells.

Taurine, a non-essential amino acid, has been identified as a key regulator of myeloid cancers like leukemia, driving their growth.

Study provides new insights into how the immune system responds to a highly effective viral vaccine. The findings could support the development of new vaccines that offer rapid protection, for example, in the context of an emerging epidemic.

Researchers have identified that the balance between two proteins – STAT3 and STAT5 – is important for making tumors vulnerable to immune checkpoint therapy and targeting STAT3 degradation is a potential novel cancer immunotherapy strategy.

Liquid biopsies offer a less invasive, yet highly informative, alternative to traditional diagnostic methods. This article examines how liquid biopsies are aiding cancer drug development and guiding treatment strategies.