Sleep problems as a child may be associated with psychosis in young adults
Children who experience chronic lack of sleep from infancy may be at increased risk of developing psychosis in early adulthood, new research shows.
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Children who experience chronic lack of sleep from infancy may be at increased risk of developing psychosis in early adulthood, new research shows.
46 minutes ago
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Each one of us has around 600 lymph nodes (LNs)—small, bean-shaped organs that house various types of blood cells and filter lymph fluid—scattered throughout our bodies. Many of us have also experienced some of our LNs ...
May 6, 2024
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A drug that targets a protein known as phosphatidylserine boosted the response rate for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving immunotherapy without compromising their safety, according to results of a phase two ...
May 3, 2024
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Findings from a new study, led by researchers at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine and published in Nature Immunology, have uncovered key functional differences in macrophages—a type of white blood cell that plays a ...
May 2, 2024
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Duke researchers have opened a new avenue in the attack against influenza viruses by creating a vaccine that encourages the immune system to target a portion of the virus surface that is less variable.
May 1, 2024
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The brain can direct the immune system to an unexpected degree, capable of detecting, ramping up and tamping down inflammation, shows a new study in mice from researchers at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute.
May 1, 2024
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The health benefits of exercise are well known but new research shows that the body's response to exercise is more complex and far-reaching than previously thought. In a study on rats, a team of scientists from across the ...
May 1, 2024
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Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) all have a unique and diverse set of antibodies that are involved in the development of the disease. Researchers at Utrecht University unveiled the complexity of these antibodies using ...
May 1, 2024
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Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of blood cancer that forms in the soft marrow of the bones, typically attacking cells that would otherwise form the key component of the body's immunodefense system, white blood cells.
May 3, 2024
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Researchers at Bar-Ilan University have unveiled a technology that promises to improve cancer treatment decisions based on a patient's biopsy. The pioneering biological research and development measures changes in immune ...
May 6, 2024
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An immune system is a collection of biological processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumour cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own healthy cells and tissues in order to function properly. Detection is complicated as pathogens can evolve rapidly, producing adaptations that avoid the immune system and allow the pathogens to successfully infect their hosts.
To survive this challenge, multiple mechanisms evolved that recognize and neutralize pathogens. Even simple unicellular organisms such as bacteria possess enzyme systems that protect against viral infections. Other basic immune mechanisms evolved in ancient eukaryotes and remain in their modern descendants, such as plants, fish, reptiles, and insects. These mechanisms include antimicrobial peptides called defensins, phagocytosis, and the complement system. Vertebrates such as humans have even more sophisticated defense mechanisms. The immune systems of vertebrates consist of many types of proteins, cells, organs, and tissues, which interact in an elaborate and dynamic network. As part of this more complex immune response, the human immune system adapts over time to recognise specific pathogens more efficiently. This adaptation process is referred to as "adaptive immunity" or "acquired immunity" and creates immunological memory. Immunological memory created from a primary response to a specific pathogen, provides an enhanced response to secondary encounters with that same, specific pathogen. This process of acquired immunity is the basis of vaccination.
Disorders in the immune system can result in disease. Immunodeficiency occurs when the immune system is less active than normal, resulting in recurring and life-threatening infections. Immunodeficiency can either be the result of a genetic disease, such as severe combined immunodeficiency, or be produced by pharmaceuticals or an infection, such as the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) that is caused by the retrovirus HIV. In contrast, autoimmune diseases result from a hyperactive immune system attacking normal tissues as if they were foreign organisms. Common autoimmune diseases include Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus type 1 and lupus erythematosus. Immunology covers the study of all aspects of the immune system which has significant relevance to human health and diseases. Further investigation in this field is expected to play a serious role in promotion of health and treatment of diseases.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA