Artificial immune cells used to destroy tumours

Our immune system is tasked with guarding our body against foreign invaders such as bacteria or viruses. Less commonly known is that immune cells also keep a close eye on the way our body functions. Cells that go haywire are swiftly removed from the tissues and are consequently replaced by healthy cells. However, the immune system does not always recognize those cells that need to be cleared, and in such cases a tumour may arise: cancer cells have found a way to escape detection and can therefore proliferate and endanger our health. Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania have found a way to modify immune cells in such a way that they recognize and destroy tumours.

Loneliness harms our ability to fight off infections

Scientists have found a relationship between being lonely and the performance of the immune system. It was already known that factors such as stress negatively influence the body's ability to keep itself safe from introducing bacteria and viruses, but it is peculiar that a lack of social contact has a similar effect. Nevertheless this may be one of the factors that explains why some people get sick from an infection, while others seem unaffected.

Immune system can 'taste' when our body is invaded

Taste receptors on our tongue are very handy, because they sample our food and process that information, after which it is sent to the brain. We then become aware of what is in our mouth, and that tells us something about whether we should proceed with swallowing or not. However, the taste receptors apparently do more than just discern food choices: scientists found that the immune system uses them to detect presence of foreign invaders, in order to swiftly produce toxins to kill them.

Findings reveal new difficulties for transplantations

There is a great need for more organ donors, because there are not enough replacements, such as heart, kidney or lung, to provide all patients with the organs they require. Because being an organ donor can save lives, in case yours can no longer be saved, getting registered as a donor is something everyone of us should do. However, availability is not the only issue in transplantation. Scientists have had to put in a lot of effort in order to get transplantations to work, because our bodies are not quite prone to accepting organs from others. Due to our increased knowledge, we have gotten transplantation procedures to work, but scientists from the University of California in Berkeley have discovered new difficulties.

Irradiated microbes can help treat deadly diseases

Many different bacteria and viruses try to infect our bodies on a daily basis. Some are more deadly than others, and for various microbes we have found protection mechanisms by means of vaccines. However, we are currently unable to develop protecting vaccines for all infectious diseases, meaning that a lot of people still die from infections. A novel method developed by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences works by using radiation to render microbes harmless, and can be used to make new vaccines. This should help us treat a variety of dangerous diseases.

Gut bacteria help us to fight off virus infections

We have a peculiar relationship with bacteria. Some are out there to kill us, but some of them do not harm us at all, and are in fact quite beneficial. Those that live in our intestines help us with food digestion, and their presence makes sure that gut space cannot be taken up by bad bacteria that constantly try to infect us. New research shows that our small friends in the gut do more than just that: they also help us to get rid of viruses. It was already known that having bacteria in our intestines was needed for our survival, but it appears this is true in more ways than previously assumed.

Error in immune system makes death much more likely

Analysis has revealed that a slight error in the immune system significantly increases the chance to die from a wide variety of diseases. Puzzling enough, what exactly causes the increase in mortality is unknown, but the error results in an increase in the concentration of a molecule known as a free light chain, which is part of the immune system's weapon arsenal. It is peculiar that such a seemingly innocent rise in the concentration of this particular molecule can cause such pronounced health effects.

Combining happiness and cancer therapy

The immune system is our first line of defence when it comes to infections by bacteria, viruses or other unwanted intruders. Not only does it protect against foreign invaders, it also helps keeping the body's own cells in check. When cells go bad, they can become cancerous, and that means they need to be cleared from the body. The immune system succeeds in getting rid of bad cells most of the time, but in some cases, tumours find ways to evade detection. That is when they become dangerous, and it explains why scientists have been looking at artificial ways to enable the immune system to kill the cancerous cells. Attempts have been made with a cancer vaccine, but scientists from the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences used opioid stimulation. It is peculiar that the stuff found in drugs such as heroin and morphine is beneficial for our immune system.

Nanostructures can treat all kinds of brain diseases

Diseases of the brain are often hard to treat, because the tissue is easily damaged, and it is hard for drugs to cross the barriers that prevent molecules from entering brain areas. Patients coping with well-known illnesses such as Alzheimer's, cerebral palsy, stroke, autism and multiple sclerosis all suffer from brain damage that severely impacts their life. It means finding ways to stop these diseases is very important, and a method devised by Wayne State University and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development may be able to treat them all. Scientists made a nanostructure that decreases the inflammation commonly found in the aforementioned illnesses, and has already undergone a few successful tests.

Genetically modified immune system fights HIV

HIV is a particularly dangerous virus because it chooses to infect cells that are part of the immune system. Because of that, our defensive systems break down, leaving us unable to recoup from the viral infection. HIV infects so-called T helper lymphocytes, that function by enabling others to destroy infected cells. Although attempts are being made to boost our immune system, for example by letting other cells take over the role as helpers, or boosting other immune mechanisms, the lack of 'killers' that destroy HIV-infected cells remains a problem. Research conducted by the University of California in Los Angeles has shown that genetically engineering blood stem cells can overcome the lack of HIV destroyers. This should help getting rid of an infection and stop AIDS.

Painkillers can be made more effective

Painkillers are arguably one of the best man-made inventions: even if a patient cannot be treated for his or her disease, it is still possible to ease discomfort by soothing the pain. However, painkillers such as morphine are not perfect, as it is possible to build up a form of resistance, which renders the drug ineffective. In an attempt to improve morphine, scientists from the University of Adelaide set out to find what exactly causes these side-effects and how to prevent the build-up of resistance.

Genetics predict severity of the flu

The influenza virus comes in many forms, and is constantly changing. As a consequence, the world experiences new outbreaks of the flu each year. Our immune system builds up protection against the virus after infection, but because it changes its appearance so rapidly, we become susceptible again. It has been proven difficult to find a vaccine that remains effective in protecting against influenza infection, but our own body may actually hold clues for effective flu protection. Scientists from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have found how the activity of a specific gene correlates to severity of influenza infection. We may use this mechanism in future therapies.

New breed of cells could treat autoimmune diseases

When a patient's immune system attacks its own tissues or cells, he or she suffers from an autoimmune disease. Normally, the immune system only attacks things that are foreign to our body, such as microbes and viruses. However, if something goes wrong during the development phase in early life, it is possible that some immune cells do not recognize tissues as body-own. Such is the case in diabetes type 1, in which insulin-producing cells are destroyed because our defensive systems think the tissues are foreign and need to be destroyed. In these cases, and in other situations where the immune response is too heavy, we need something that calms our defence mechanisms down. Scientists from Cardiff University may have found just the thing we need, and they found it by scraping cells of people's cheeks.

Vaccine promises long-lasting protection against HIV

Scientists are getting closer to developing a vaccine that protects against HIV infection. Despite years of research, full protection against the devastating virus is still not possible. A study performed in primates shows a new vaccine might succeed where others have failed. Naturally, it remains to be seen whether we can reproduce the same results in humans, but it is a promising development.

Parasite helps us to repress allergies

Allergies are caused by an immune system that is overreacting to something that does not pose a real threat. A common form is being allergic to house dust mite, a little bug that creeps around your bedroom and in carpets. There is a reason the immune system normally lies dormant: when it stirs up a war against something foreign, it drains all your energy and leaves you feeling ill. In extreme cases, the immune response can be so heavy that it causes death, which can happen when pathogens enter the bloodstream during sepsis. Luckily, allergies normally aren't that bad. Also, not all bugs or microbes are necessarily bad. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh have found that some bugs actually help us to repress allergies. It appears as if they are training our immune system.

Diabetes patients might produce insulin after all

People suffering from diabetes type 1 have a faulty immune system that attacks the cells responsible for the production of insulin. This hormone is extremely important for our metabolism, as it allows cells to take up glucose and therefore allows storage. This is important because glucose functions as the universal fuel for our body. Without insulin, levels of glucose in the blood reach dangerously high levels and patients die if left untreated. Long was thought that people with diabetes type 1, as opposed to patients with type 2 which simply have become insensitive to the hormone, do not produce insulin. Scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital have discovered this may not be true. They found a pretty strong hint suggesting there is insulin production after all.

DNA injection 'weaponizes' the immune system

Scientists have found a way to make the immune system more effective against malicious cells that need to be cleared away from the body. A group of killer cells that function by helping us to combat cancer or to fight off an HIV infection can be increased in numbers with DNA injections. With this mechanism, we may be able to treat patients with cancer of HIV by enabling them to make better use of their own defence systems.

Two new blood types discovered

In addition to the well-known A, B and O types, there are many other factors influencing blood compatibility. Two factors called Junior and Langereis could be important in certain blood transfusions, researchers from the University of Vermont have discovered. While these factors have already proven to be involved with determining blood characteristics, unravelling the genetic basis of these proteins means we are able to test patients for these factors. In turn this ought to prevent problems arising from blood transfusion in certain patients.

Molecule found that could decrease allergies

Many people suffer from an allergy, which is described as a hypersensitive response of the immune system towards environmental factors that do not require the body to launch a full-scale attack. Various complex and difficult molecular mechanisms are involved with such an extreme immune response. In a recent study, scientists from the University of Nottingham discovered a molecule that plays a role in the allergy process. Because it appears to be involved with toning down the allergic response, it is relevant towards developing anti-allergy strategies.

Mechanism found that protects against HIV infection

One particular protein appears to be effective in preventing HIV to enter a cell. Scientists from New York University studied it, and found out how it works. We can use this knowledge to develop new strategies in order to prevent HIV infection, ultimately preventing AIDS. As this disease is still not curable, studies regarding new treatment options are highly relevant.