Immune system keeps mucosal fungi in check

16-Dec-2025 - The microbiome not only consists of bacteria, but also of fungi. Most of them support human and animal health. However, some fungi also have pathogenic potential. For instance, the yeast Candida albicans can grow in an uncontrolled manner on the oral mucosa, causing oral thrush. In severe cases ...

Checkpoint Inhibitor Promotes Tissue Repair

This finding could help advance the treatment of fibrosis and chronic wounds

20-Oct-2025 - Immune checkpoint inhibitors are well known as a form of cancer treatment. Researchers at UZH have now identified a new, important function of these inhibitors: promotion of tissue healing. This finding could help advance the treatment of fibrosis and chronic wounds. The body employs a protective ...

Largest Diphtheria Outbreak in Western Europe in 70 Years

Study Traces Transmission Routes

06-Jun-2025 - In 2022, Western Europe experienced the largest surge in reported diphtheria infections in 70 years. Clinical and genomic data from the outbreak point toward transmission routes along established migration pathways into Europe. Rapid interventions successfully contained the outbreak, yet strains ...

Autoantibodies Cause Lifelong Risk of Viral Infections

19-Jul-2024 - A new study shows that about two percent of the population develop autoantibodies against type 1 interferons, mostly later in life. This makes individuals more susceptible to viral diseases like COVID-19. The study, conducted by UZH researchers together with a USZ team, is based on an analysis of ...

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 ...

Microscopy Deep Learning Predicts Viral Infections

Automatic detection of virus-infected cells - solely on the fluorescence of the cell nucleus

23-Jun-2021 - When viruses infect cells, changes in the cell nucleus occur, and these can be observed through fluorescence microscopy. Using fluoresence images from live cells, researchers at the University of Zurich have trained an artificial neural network to reliably recognize cells that are infected by ...

Newly Discovered Protein Gives Signal for Virus Infection

19-Dec-2019 - Researchers at the University of Zurich have discovered a protein that enables adenoviruses to infect human cells. The Mib1 protein gives the virus the signal to uncoat the DNA and release it into the nucleus. Blocking this protein could therefore help people with weakened immune systems to fight ...

Innate Reaction of Hematopoietic Stem Cells to Severe Infections

24-Jul-2017 - Researchers at the University of Zurich have shown for the first time that hematopoietic stem cells detect infectious agents themselves and begin to divide – that is, without signals from growth factors. This direct production of defensive cells damages hematopoiesis in the long term, however, ...

Faster detection of pathogens in the lungs

27-Jun-2016 - What used to take several weeks is now possible in two days: Thanks to new molecular-based methods, mycobacterial pathogens that cause pulmonary infections or tuberculosis can now be detected much more quickly. Time-consuming bacteria cultures no longer need to be taken from the patient samples, ...

Immune cell-test on the International Space Station

24-Apr-2014 - The human body is fine-tuned to Earth’s gravity. A team headed by Professor Oliver Ullrich from the University of Zurich’s Institute of Anatomy is now conducting an experiment on the International Space Station (ISS) to study whether this also applies to human cells. On the evening of April 18, ...