Immunity

Protein MIIP suppresses colorectal cancer by regulating immune cell signaling

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Colorectal cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, largely due to metastasis and limited responses to immunotherapy in most patients. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors have transformed treatment for certain tumor subtypes, the majority of colorectal cancers remain “immune-cold,” meaning they fail to trigger effective anti-tumor immunity. Increasing evidence suggests that tumor-associated … Read more

Targeting two influenza proteins may reduce viral transmission

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A long-running debate in vaccine design revolves around whether a vaccine should be optimized to prevent the virus from replicating inside an infected host or prevent the virus from transmitting to others. New research led by Penn State scientists suggests there may not have to be a tradeoff. The study in animal models, published today … Read more

New insights highlight multifaceted roles of CD4+ T cells in tumor immunity

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For decades, cancer immunotherapy has focused primarily on CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes as the main executors of tumor cell killing. However, growing clinical and single-cell sequencing evidence shows that CD4+ T cells are far more than immune “helpers.” Within tumors, CD4+ T cell subsets exhibit remarkable heterogeneity, ranging from cytotoxic CD4+ CTLs to immunosuppressive regulatory … Read more

Maternal antibodies protect newborns from severe E. coli infections, study finds

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A multi-center study led by researchers at Cincinnati Children’s sheds surprising new light on why some newborns become severely ill from Escherichia coli infection, but others do not. Turns out that most babies are immune because of germ-fighting antibodies they receive from their moms. The study, published March 11, 2026, in the prestigious journal Nature, … Read more

Disrupting protein production in tumors triggers potent immune responses

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A new study led by Pierre Close’s team (GIGA, Laboratory of Cancer Signaling, and WELRI Investigator) reveals how subtly disrupting the way tumors produce their proteins can trigger a potent antitumor immune response. Researchers from the University of Liège and international collaborators have discovered an unexpected way to to stimulate the immune system against cancer: … Read more

DNA origami vaccine platform shows promise against multiple infectious viruses

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The COVID-19 pandemic brought messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines to the forefront of global health care. After their clinical trial stages, the first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine was administered on 8 December 2020 and mathematical models suggest that mRNA vaccines prevented at least 14.4 million deaths from COVID-19 in the first year alone. Their extraordinary effectiveness in having … Read more

Sleep and diet emerge as key drivers of immunome variation

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Immunome (immune cells and functions) variations are closely related to human health. Various exposures, including the external environment and personal lifestyles, are important factors affecting the immune system. Recent advances in research have focused on immune system variation mainly from a genome perspective. This population-based study (N=1,001 from The Human Phenome Atlas (THPA) cohort) investigated … Read more

Dietary fat ratios impact the strength of immune cells and ability to fight disease

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The types of fats we consume directly impacts the survival and strength of the body’s immune cells and ability to fight disease, researchers have found. A University of Queensland team led an international collaboration that found diet could change the fat composition inside T cells – the immune cells that help protect a person from … Read more

Study reveals cellular and metabolic landscape of lymph node metastasis in breast cancer

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A recent integrative analysis of single-cell sequencing and single-cell spatial mapping of lymph node metastasis in breast cancer reveals novel mechanisms of the metabolic-immune interaction that drive the spread of breast cancer. The findings from the study in The American Journal of Pathology, published by Elsevier, offer novel insights into the characteristics of the metastatic … Read more