Hepatitis D: When the immune system gets out of control

Researchers have identified a marker on natural killer cells that is influenced by the anti-inflammatory effectiveness of the drug bulevirtide

10-Feb-2025 - Hepatitis D viruses (HDV) cause the most severe form of chronic, virus-related hepatitis. The active ingredient bulevirtide has been on the European market since mid-2023 as the only approved treatment option to date. The drug attaches to the binding site that blocks the docking point for the ...

How the body’s natural killer cells could fight leukemia

Research into new therapies

20-Dec-2024 - Every year, some 13,000 people in Germany are diagnosed with leukemia. Despite intensive chemotherapy, around one in two of them die. Making matters worse is the fact that the therapies currently available have severe side effects and inhibit the formation of new healthy blood cells in ...

Possible tumour marker found for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma

Cancer cells leave an "imprint" on natural killer cells

19-Mar-2024 - A research team at the MHH is comparing changes in natural killer cells of the innate immune defence system in chronic hepatitis C sufferers as a risk factor for the later development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant liver tumour that develops from ...

Scientists Find an Unusual Weapon Against Virus

Boosting Weak Immune System

19-Oct-2023 - Infections with cytomegalovirus (CMV) are extremely common and often pose no major threat to the vast majority of people. They can however be deadly for people whose immune system is weakened, e.g., after bone marrow transplantation. Current treatments against CMV infections are very limited and ...

UK start-up aims to advance pioneering NK cell therapy

NK:IO raises £1.2M, bringing total Seed funding to £5.1M

02-Aug-2023 - NK:IO, a start-up company in natural killer (NK) cell biology applied to the development of exceptionally potent, off-the-shelf cell therapies targeting solid tumours, has raised £1.2M. This brings total equity financing to £3.2M and will enable the company to reach key milestones in progressing ...

Killer cells get better with age

The T cells of older patients could be of particular value in cancer immunotherapy

23-Sep-2022 - The human immune system is a thing of wonder. Up until now it had been widely assumed that the ability of killer T cells to destroy tumour cells and pathogens would deteriorate with age. It turns out, however, that the opposite is true – they become better killers, the older they get. This ...

Distinct cellular receptor mutations influence the COVID-19 disease severity

This affects around 15% of the population

16-May-2022 - Distinct genetic variants significantly influence an individual's immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and may influence the COVID-19 disease severity. A research group led by MedUni Vienna was able to demonstrate that distinct genetic variants of the CD16a antibody receptor are associated ...

Persistent dysfunction in natural killer cells has been implicated in severe COVID-19 progressions

14-Sep-2021 - Based on previous studies of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is known that a specific form of white immune cells, natural killer (NK) cells, make an important contribution to the early antiviral immune response against SARS-CoV-2. An international team led by the University of Bonn has now found that ...

Natural killer cells have surprising function

They manage wound healing in the skin

10-Sep-2021 - Natural killer cells do not just kill cancer cells or cells infected with viruses, they also mediate a trade-off between wound healing and bacterial defense in skin wounds. If the healing process is accelerated, the immune defense is weakened, researchers at the University of Zurich have now ...

Hobit Turns Immune Cells Into Killers

Can killer ILCs be made therapeutically useful?

01-Sep-2021 - Against infections, tumours and inflammations, immune cells are locally positioned as rapid reaction forces in the organs of the body. On site, they specialise and take on various tasks. When pathogens invade the human body, a rapid response is required. At the forefront of the immune response ...