New mRNA vaccine is more scalable and adaptable to continuously evolving viruses

A new type of mRNA vaccine is more scalable and adaptable to continuously evolving viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and H5N1, according to a study by researchers at University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and the Pennsylvania State University. The study was published today in npj Vaccines. Though highly effective at inducing an immune response, … Read more

Immune microRNAs drive new frontiers in cardiovascular disease research

  Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to dominate global mortality statistics, with immune dysregulation emerging as a central feature in their pathogenesis. This review by Gareev et al. focuses on immune-derived microRNAs (immuno-miRs) as pivotal modulators of immune responses in cardiovascular settings, highlighting their roles in pathophysiology, diagnostic potential, and therapeutic promise. Introduction … Read more

Researchers identify key cells behind peanut allergy prevention

A decade ago, a clinical trial in the U.K. famously showed that children who were exposed to peanuts in the early months of life had reduced risk of developing a peanut allergy compared with children who avoided peanuts. Now, researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) have a likely answer as to why that’s the case: … Read more

Scientists use AI to build mutation-proof antibodies for SARS-CoV-2

Scientists harnessed AI to create mutation-resistant antibodies that outperformed conventional drug design, offering a powerful new tool against fast-evolving viruses like SARS-CoV-2. Study: AI designed, mutation resistant broad neutralizing antibodies against multiple SARS-CoV-2 strains. Image Credit: Lightspring / Shutterstock In a recent study in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers tested and leveraged several cutting-edge technologies, including machine … Read more

Discovery of special dendritic cells sheds light on food allergy prevention

The immune system must be able to quickly attack invaders like viruses, while also ignoring harmless stimuli, or allergies can result. Immune cells are known to ignore or “tolerate” molecules found on the body’s own healthy cells, for instance, as well as nonthreatening substances from outside the body like food. How the system achieves the … Read more

Whole blood transfusion saves lives but women still get less of it

Traumatically injured women are considerably less likely to receive whole blood transfusions within the first four hours of injury compared to men, despite whole blood being associated with reduced mortality in both women and men, according to new research led by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists. The findings were published in advance of … Read more

EchoBack CAR T-cells could be a game changer in cancer immunotherapy

Imagine a super-charged immune cell that can launch a focused attack on stubborn solid tumors – a smart fighter that destroys cancer cells for days without tiring. USC biomedical engineers have made this concept a reality, crafting what they have named the “EchoBack CAR T-cell,” which could soon be a game changer in the field … Read more

New hepatitis B vaccine outperforms standard boosters in health care workers

Background and goal: Health care workers are at higher risk of hepatitis B infection due to occupational exposure to blood and body fluids. They are considered protected if they have a hepatitis B surface antigen antibody (anti-HBs) titer of ≥10 mIU/mL after completing a full vaccination series. This study compared the effectiveness of Heplisav-B, a … Read more

LJI scientists discover a potential new target for treating Parkinson’s disease

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have found a potential new target for treating Parkinson’s disease. Their new research reveals how a protein in brain cells may drive Parkinson’s onset-and offers a possible explanation for why Parkinson’s is much more common in men.  In recent years, LJI scientists have found increasing evidence that … Read more

Study finds variations in prostate cancer detection across GP practices

A largescale study has found huge variation between GP practices on whether they are likely to pick up prostate cancer using a blood test. The University of Exeter led a study which aimed to investigate the proportion of patients whose prostate cancer was identified by using a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test when patients had no … Read more