“Such neutralizing antibodies have previously been described mostly in the context of viral infections”

28-Jun-2022

University of Basel researchers have discovered neutralizing antibodies which prevent bacterial infection or bring them to a halt. Only changes in the antibody docking sites on the bacterial cell surface enables the pathogen to evade this effective immune defense. Bartonella are bacteria that are ...

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Intestinal flora influences the psyche

13-Jun-2022

Intestinal flora plays an important role in health – including mental health. Researchers from the University of Basel and the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel (UPK) have shown that probiotics can support the effect of antidepressants and help to alleviate depression. When he was visited by ...

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CHF 46 million for a University of Basel start-up

20-Apr-2022

Cell therapies are the new hope when it comes to tackling diseases such as leukemia or multiple sclerosis, but they require an intensive and strenuous course of pretreatment. Researchers from the University of Basel and the University Hospital of Basel have developed an approach to make both this ...

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To date, there is no treatment for this life-threatening genetic disease

02-Mar-2022

Prof. Markus Rüegg and Dr. Judith Reinhard from the Biozentrum of the University of Basel have founded the start-up SEAL Therapeutics AG together with Dr. Thomas Meier, former CEO of Santhera Pharmaceuticals. Their goal is to treat congenital muscular dystrophy using gene therapy and to bring ...

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Damage to this biological security system is detrimental to cells, and has been associated with cancer and neurodegenerative diseases

02-Feb-2022

The nucleus is guarded by a highly secure door, the so-called nuclear pore, that controls the transport of substances from the cytoplasm to the cell nucleus and back. A research group at the University of Basel has now shown that different shuttle proteins occupy the nuclear pore to prevent ...

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It could also detect other diseases and different coronavirus variants

26-Jan-2022

Researchers from the University of Basel and the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have developed a rapid test for Covid-19 with a novel functional principle. Although it requires further testing and improvements, the initial results are promising: As well as determining whether a Covid-19 infection is ...

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T cells need a sufficient quantity of magnesium in order to operate efficiently

21-Jan-2022

The level of magnesium in the blood is an important factor in the immune system’s ability to tackle pathogens and cancer cells. Writing in the journal Cell, researchers from the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel have reported that T cells need a sufficient quantity of magnesium in ...

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Researchers reveal unrecognized pathway essential for T cell viability

29-Dec-2021

They are at the forefront in the fight against viruses, bacteria, and malignant cells: the T cells of our immune system. But the older we get, the fewer of them our body produces. Thus, how long we remain healthy also depends on how long the T cells survive. Researchers at the University of Basel ...

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Hidden in the Police Headquarter: Why some bacteria can survive antibiotic therapy

15-Dec-2021

Antibiotics cure many bacterial infections. However, some patients suffer a relapse. A research group at the University of Basel has now discovered why some bacteria can survive antibiotic therapy. The team uncovered where the bacteria hide in the body and how the body's own immune system also ...

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Memory T helper cells prevent panic reaction

12-Nov-2021

Viruses such as HIV or the pathogen that causes hepatitis C can overwhelm the immune system. One approach to developing vaccines for these chronic infections has until now been aimed exclusively at what are known as the memory B cells, a specific type of immune cells. Researchers at the ...

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