The last stand - Plant stem cells put up a fight against viruses

17-Oct-2023 - Viruses are a threat to all organisms, including plants. A small group of plant stem cells, however, successfully defends itself from infection. Marco Incarbone, now at MPIMP Golm, Gabriele Bradamante and their co-authors at the Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology (GMI) uncovered ...

One coronavirus vaccine may protect against other coronaviruses

Study is the first to demonstrate cross-protective immunity by vaccines

20-Oct-2021 - Northwestern Medicine scientists have shown for the first time thatcoronavirus vaccines and prior coronavirus infections can provide broad immunity against other, similar coronaviruses. The findings build a rationale for universal coronavirus vaccines that couldprove useful in the face of ...

When immune cells aren’t in their senses

A key regulato rof the actin cytoskeleton ensures signal perception and prevents autoimmunity

14-Jul-2020 - One of the human immune system’s most importantand impressive features is its ability to reliably distinguish self from non-self. Invading pathogens, infected or malignant cells have to be eliminated while protecting healthy cells. To date, many aspects of this fine-tuned regulation have remained ...

A toxic bullet involved in bacterial competition

23-Nov-2018 - A bacterial toxin that allows an infectious strain of bacteria to defeat its competitors has been discovered by Imperial College London scientists. The finding provides a better understanding of the mechanisms behind bacterial warfare, which is the first step for the design of improved treatments ...

Repeated interferon stimulation creates innate immune memory

29-Oct-2018 - The innate immune system may be able to be trained to react to viral infections more efficiently by repeated exposure to anti-viral signaling molecules. Mammalian cells seem to be able to memorize anti-viral stimulation at the level of DNA-packaging molecules, enabling faster and greater ...

Newly discovered enzyme is 'firing pin' for plant immunity

19-Sep-2018 - Just like humans, plants have an immune system that helps them fight off infections. Plant immunity has some important differences: they don't make antibodies and can't fight off the same bug more quickly months or years later. However, plant cells can identify pathogens and react to them, often ...

Gene discovery unlocks mysteries to our immunity

02-Jul-2018 - Australia's national science agency CSIRO has identified a new gene that plays a critical role in regulating the body's immune response to infection and disease. The discovery could lead to the development of new treatments for influenza, arthritis and even cancer. The gene, called C6orf106 or ...

Discovery of novel Malaria parasite behaviour offers new target for treatment

28-May-2018 - Researchers have demonstrated novel parasite behaviour which offers a potential new target for malaria diagnosis and intervention. Malaria, a blood borne disease caused by single cell parasites, remains a major global public health issue with millions of cases, and nearly half a million deaths ...

Dengue 'hot spots' provide map to chikungunya and Zika outbreaks

15-May-2018 - Identifying dengue fever "hot spots" can provide a predictive map for outbreaks of chikungunya and Zika -- two other viral diseases that, along with dengue, are spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The findings show the first confirmation of the spatial-temporal overlap for outbreaks of the ...

Opening a new door to immunity

14-May-2018 - A new study could have major implications for our understanding of disease processes for conditions such as autoimmunity, atherosclerosis and heart failure, potentially leading to better prevention and treatment. Dr. Edward T.H. Yeh, chairman of the Department of Medicine and director of the ...