https://medicalxpress.com/immunology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Allergy and immunology For generations, scientists have looked to the genetics inside immune cells for ways to improve how the body fights disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-method-explores-mitochondrial-trna-reshape.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 16:20:06 EDT news708702625 When it comes to priorities in life, oxygen tops the list. Humans can go weeks without food and days without water. Take away the ability to breathe, however, and the clock starts ticking within minutes as the brain begins shutting down. But the life-giving gas does even more heavy lifting than you might think. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-experimental-cancer-vaccine-oxygen-cells.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:00:03 EDT news708687122 Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have demonstrated an innovative approach for targeted breast cancer therapy using pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs). The NUS team successfully reprogrammed tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), a corrupted class of immune cells that typically promote cancer growth, into an active anti-tumor state that attacks and destroys cancer cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-magnetic-pulses-reprogram-immune-cells.html Mon, 14 Sep 2026 16:00:10 EDT news708617402 A research team led by Professor Zhou Xuyu from the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with researchers from Beijing Ditan Hospital and Capital Medical University, has identified ANKRD11 as a key regulator that reduces the activity of CD8+ T cells during chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and cancer. The researchers found that ANKRD11 suppresses the AP-1 signaling pathway, which usually helps CD8+ T cells mount effective responses against infections and tumors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-blocking-gene-boosts-cell-chronic.html Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:40:06 EDT news708607382 A scientific team has developed a laboratory model that reveals how antibody-producing plasma cells migrate, mature and survive within human bone marrow, a main location of long-lived antibody-producing plasma cells. The platform combines a lymph node-mimicking organoid with a tissue chip that mimics bone marrow, allowing scientists to observe key stages of plasma cell development that have been difficult to study in humans. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-miniaturized-bone-marrow-chip-tracks.html Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:00:12 EDT news708606421 The brain and spinal cord are highly protected treasures of the central nervous system, wrapped under three protective layers of meninges. The outermost layer, the dura mater, has leaky windows through which bacteria or parasites circulating in the blood can reach the central nervous system. As a line of defense against these sneaky attacks, the dura layer houses multiple populations of immune cells. Does that mean events like infections and inflammation that challenge the immune system in the gut can train and alter immune cells in the brain's outer protective layer? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-gut-infection-immune-sentries-brain.html Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:40:06 EDT news708602561 Inflammation associated with asthma and other allergic airway diseases can be significantly worsened by exposure to both house dust mite allergens and crystalline silica, according to a new study published in the journal Allergy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-mites-silica-trigger-pathway-steroid.html Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:20:10 EDT news708600121 Adelaide University researchers have developed a new way to use mRNA technology to reprogram tumor-supporting immune cells and strengthen the body's anticancer immune response. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-smart-nanoparticles-immune-tumors.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 14:00:10 EDT news708270241 Why do genetic variants that increase the risk of autoimmune disease remain so common in the population? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-antiviral-defense-gained-autoimmunity.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:20:01 EDT news708343982 A cross-campus team of McMaster University researchers has identified why some patients develop dangerous blood clots after exposure to a common blood thinner—and a potential way to prevent them. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-mechanism-dangerous-blood-clotting-disorder.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 05:00:01 EDT news708270781 Cancer biology—and, in turn, cancer treatment—have come a long way in the last few decades. Most people recognize this progress in breakthroughs like immunotherapy, a treatment strategy first deployed in 2011 that leverages the body's own immune cells to fight cancer. It has revolutionized the treatment landscape. However, progress doesn't mean all the questions have been answered. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-mitochondrial-rna-chronic-immune-tumors.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:00:10 EDT news708164882 Nephrotic syndrome is caused when the filtering system in the kidneys is damaged, allowing large amounts of protein to leak into the urine. It is usually treated with steroids, but in some cases, steroids alone are insufficient, and long-term steroid use has serious side effects. Some patients develop a difficult-to-treat form of the disease that returns when the steroid dose is reduced. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-cells-rituximab-response-reveal-kidney.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 09:40:08 EDT news708251341 Seven years ago, Johns Hopkins researchers and their collaborators announced they had found the X cell, a novel immune cell that plays a key role in the development of type 1 diabetes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-preclinical-antibody-approach-aims-diabetes.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:40:05 EDT news708177571 When an infection strikes, the immune system produces antibodies to help fight it off. Some antibody responses can protect us for years, while others fade much sooner. Using a mouse model, a team of researchers led by The University of Osaka, uncovered several ways cells that produce IgG1, a subclass of IgG antibody commonly associated with long-lasting immune responses, might help establish lasting immune protection. The study is published in the journal Science Immunology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-immunity-haul-antibodies-built.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:40:01 EDT news708162421 A national clinical trial led by researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine—Tucson found that treating young children with an oral bacterial extract did not reduce the risk of severe wheezing and respiratory illnesses that can precede asthma. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-bacterial-trial-early-asthma.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 08:40:09 EDT news708161582 T-cell receptor, or TCR, therapy is a cancer treatment that genetically reprograms immune cells, called T cells, to hunt down cancer with precision. It's similar to another treatment, CAR T-cell therapy, but with one key difference: CAR T-cell therapy can only spot proteins that naturally appear outside a cancer cell. TCR therapy, however, can also catch small protein fragments from inside the cell that are carried to the surface and displayed like little name tags. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-scientists-ready-cancer-cells-solid.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 17:00:01 EDT news708096997 Immunotherapies strengthen the body's own anticancer defenses in a highly targeted manner. In therapies using so-called CAR T cells (chimeric antigen receptor T cells), a patient's immune cells are genetically engineered and directed against individual cancer cells. Until now, it has remained unclear why even very low CAR T-cell doses are effective in some patients while others do not benefit from the treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-specific-car-cell-subgroup-dose.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 15:00:02 EDT news708093121 University of Manchester scientists have uncovered a hidden role for immune cells in the womb, opening the door to new treatments for infertility, miscarriage and other reproductive conditions that affect millions of women worldwide. The findings are a breakthrough in our understanding of women's reproductive biology, one of the most underresearched areas of medicine, despite infertility and pregnancy complications affecting millions of families. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-hidden-immune-cells-key-tackling.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 11:00:01 EDT news708081166 Immune cells can become exhausted after prolonged exposure to cancer, gradually losing their ability to attack tumor cells. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in aggressive brain tumors and can severely limit the effectiveness of immunotherapy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-vitamin-metabolite-immune-cells-recurrent.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:20:04 EDT news708080102 In autoimmune diseases, the immune system turns against the body through pathogenic high-affinity B cells or T cells, leading to severe organ damage. Multiple sclerosis (nervous system paralysis), type 1 diabetes (a strong risk factor for atherosclerosis requiring lifelong treatment) and rheumatoid arthritis (debilitating, excruciating joint deformities) are examples of clinically important autoimmune diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-atherosclerosis-key-criteria-autoimmune-disease.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 14:20:06 EDT news708005461 Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare autoimmune disease of the central nervous system in which the immune system attacks structures in the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve. It mostly affects astrocytes, glial cells that have important support and supply functions in nerve tissue. As early as 2005, the majority of patients with NMOSD were shown to have an antibody in their serum that attacks the astrocyte protein aquaporin-4. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-mlc1-antibody-trigger-rare-neurological.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 13:40:08 EDT news708005281 CAR T-cell therapy is an immune-reprogramming procedure that turns a patient's own immune cells into cancer-fighting specialists. The entire process is complex, but researchers have now found a faster way to achieve similar effects using a single intravenous (IV) drip of a harmless engineered virus. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-iv-treatment-retrains-immune-cells.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:35:07 EDT news707992462 Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have uncovered a critical biological mechanism that helps explain how inflammation is triggered and sustained in a wide range of diseases—highlighting a promising avenue for future therapeutic development. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-key-driver-inflammation-door-potential.html Sat, 05 Sep 2026 11:40:01 EDT news707809555 Past studies suggest that a mother-to-be's heightened immune responses during pregnancy are linked to a higher risk of conditions affecting their offspring's brain development. While this association is well documented, the processes through which immune responses might alter the developing brain remain unclear. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-cerebroid-hints-maternal-inflammation-fetal.html Sat, 05 Sep 2026 09:00:01 EDT news707736525 Autoimmune diseases arise when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. Researchers have long known that these diseases tend to run in families, but the genetic relationships between different autoimmune diseases have remained unclear. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-sibling-reveal-genetic-clusters-autoimmune.html Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:00:08 EDT news707747581 Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most aggressive malignancies, with a particularly poor prognosis even when diagnosed at a localized stage. In a paper published in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, researchers from GIGA and Liège University Hospital, together with colleagues from Gustave Roussy (Paris, France) and Fox Chase Cancer Center (Philadelphia, U.S.), propose a new therapeutic perspective: viewing radiotherapy not merely as a treatment that destroys cancer cells but as a tool capable of stimulating the immune system and enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-rethinking-radiotherapy-boost-immunotherapy-pancreatic.html Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:40:01 EDT news707746081 Bone and joint infections cause significant health problems for patients and lead to millions of dollars in added health costs per year, but clinicians lack reliable tools to predict which patients will develop severe or persistent disease. And when standard-of-care antibiotics fall short, there are no immunotherapies available to help patients mount a stronger defense against infections. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-cell-protein-treatment-joint-complication.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:20:03 EDT news707652362 Researchers at the University of Liverpool helped uncover how the body adapts its immune defenses during periods of increased demand, such as infection, inflammation and recovery following stem cell transplantation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-mechanism-immune-cells-fine-tune.html Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:20:06 EDT news707571905