https://medicalxpress.com/immunology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Allergy and immunology Scientists have identified targets on the malaria-causing parasite that could be key to developing a universal vaccine against one of humankind's oldest and deadliest diseases. Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University and collaborators across the globe identified telltale fragments of a malaria-causing parasite that could be targeted by a vaccine designed using T cells, a type of white blood cell. The work is published in the journal Nature. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-malaria-vaccine-quest-narrows-parasite.html Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:40:03 EDT news702128216 T cells are an elite fighting force of the immune system, seeking out and destroying diseased cells. But in a prolonged campaign against a chronic condition—like a viral infection or cancer—the body needs a steady supply of these killer troops. Where and how these killer troops are generated has been a mystery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-rare-stem-cells-key-chronic.html Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:20:03 EDT news702128161 COVID-19 vaccine boosters not only protect against SARS-CoV-2—the virus behind the most recent pandemic—but may also help protect against some future coronaviruses that risk spreading from animals to humans, Cambridge researchers have shown. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-covid-vaccine-boosters-future-animal.html Wed, 01 Jul 2026 05:00:02 EDT news701953864 There are unmet informational needs among individuals with seasonal allergies, according to a study published June 1 in Frontiers in Allergy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-real-pollen-valuable-seasonal-allergies.html Tue, 30 Jun 2026 22:00:01 EDT news702053740 Maternal cesarean section (CS) and maternal history of allergic diseases (MHAD) are independent and synergistic risk factors for allergic rhinitis (AR) in offspring, according to a study published online June 20 in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-section-maternal-history-allergic-diseases.html Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:40:22 EDT news702053728 Summertime can bring a host of triggers for those with allergies and asthma. People often focus on spring and fall allergies, but summer allergies can take a toll on those affected. By learning more about seasonal allergies, you can better recognize them and know what to do to help yourself and your family enjoy the warm weather and sunshine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-dont-summer-allergies-cloud-sunny.html Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:20:01 EDT news702045242 Lyme disease can be easiest to treat in its earliest stages, but current tests often miss infections during that critical window and cannot tell whether bacteria are still present or were cleared years ago. New research led by Tufts University School of Medicine suggests that a group of immune molecules called anti-lipid antibodies may address these shortcomings. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-newfound-biomarkers-clinicians-possibly-lyme.html Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:00:04 EDT news701949661 Griffith University researchers have identified a key immune cell dysfunction in people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), offering new clues about the condition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-chain-reaction-cells-energy-mecfs.html Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:00:04 EDT news702014042 Genetically predicted lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) seems to increase susceptibility to allergic rhinitis (AR), according to a study published online May 29 in Tobacco Induced Diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-genetically-systolic-bp-linked-allergic.html Mon, 29 Jun 2026 19:40:06 EDT news701963124 For a vaccine to be effective, it must do two things. First, it must trigger an immune response. Second, the vaccine must train the body to remember the response so it can fight that same disease in the future. Now, new research shows that the only vaccine being tested to prevent and treat schistosomiasis can do both, and the researcher who made it possible is Afzal Siddiqui, Ph.D., from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-experimental-vaccine-neglected-disease-hundreds.html Mon, 29 Jun 2026 19:40:01 EDT news701970361 Scientists at the University of Oklahoma have identified a previously unrecognized immune system pathway that helps explain how cigarette smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The findings, published in Circulation Research, show that cigarette smoke activates immune cells that trigger widespread inflammation throughout the body, accelerating the buildup of plaque in arteries. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-triggers-neutrophil-response-link-lungs.html Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:20:03 EDT news701969701 More children are getting diseases such as celiac disease, type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than before, research shows. IBD is a term for conditions like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. These are all autoimmune diseases, which are the most common chronic diseases in children. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-children-diseases-celiac-disease-diabetes.html Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:40:03 EDT news701955450 Flu season is no longer just flu season. Since 2022, the health care community has faced what's known as a "tripledemic" of seasonal influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). That may mean the flu shot needs to become more than a flu shot. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-vaccine-tripledemic.html Mon, 29 Jun 2026 13:20:02 EDT news701955181 Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have uncovered a critical link between the immune system in early life and its function in adulthood. The study, published in Science Immunology, identifies a new role for specialized skin immune cells, called Langerhans cells, in shaping the development of lymphatic vessels—an essential part of the body's immune network. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-reveals-early-life-cellular-lifelong.html Mon, 29 Jun 2026 13:00:07 EDT news701952242 The technology that gave the world mRNA COVID vaccines is being tested in a variety of new ways, and emerging research reveals that a crucial T-cell population can be reprogrammed in animal models by reimagining the science that was introduced to the public at the height of the pandemic. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-emerging-mrna-vaccine-strategies-cancer.html Mon, 29 Jun 2026 08:00:01 EDT news701664916 You've likely heard it since childhood: Don't scratch that bug bite or rash, you'll make it worse. But why would something that feels so good be bad? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-bug-good-science-bad-idea.html Sat, 27 Jun 2026 15:28:31 EDT news701792886 Researchers at National Jewish Health have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that helps drive inflammation in allergic asthma, offering new insight into how the disease develops and potentially revealing new targets for future therapies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-driver-asthma-inflammation.html Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:40:06 EDT news701688361 Scientists at UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio, have found a link between a bacterium in the gut microbiome (ecosystem) and lupus that could lead to more effective treatment of the disease, described in a study published in Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-potential-probiotic-treatment-lupus.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 18:00:03 EDT news701626442 A new study has uncovered a key mechanism that helps one of the deadliest brain cancers evade the immune system, according to the study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-immune-pathways-aggressive-brain-cancers.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 17:40:07 EDT news701609086 For the immune system to effectively combat pathogens, antibody responses must be precisely controlled. So-called follicular regulatory T cells (Tfr cells) play a key role in this process by limiting excessive immune responses and helping to maintain immune tolerance. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have now developed a robust laboratory method that allows Tfr cells to be generated from precursor cells and studied in a targeted manner. The results were recently published in the journal Cellular & Molecular Immunology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-tfr-cell-uncovers-molecular-restrain.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 16:00:05 EDT news701618006 Chronic psychological stress can help tumors evade immune attack through a chain of molecular events involving gut bacteria and viruses within those bacteria, according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The findings unveil a new layer of cancer biology, along with potential therapeutic opportunities. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-stress-linked-gut-viruses-tumors.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:40:06 EDT news701609165 Leading CAR T cell therapy researchers have developed a human-in-the-loop artificial intelligence (AI) framework that centers scientists' expertise to find viable target antigens for CAR T cell therapy. The work was led by experts from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn's Abramson Cancer Center and has been published in Cell. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ai-framework-car-cell-therapy.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:00:06 EDT news701604277 Researchers at Mayo Clinic have uncovered a previously hidden step in how the immune system prepares to fight cancer, a discovery that could help scientists develop more effective and longer-lasting cancer immunotherapies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-hidden-thymus-prime-cancer-cells.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 11:40:02 EDT news701603256 "Peacemaker" immune cells could help treat diseases ranging from type 1 diabetes to neurodegeneration by restoring immune tolerance, according to a new paper in Frontiers in Science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-peacemakers-immune-term-disease-remission.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 05:00:01 EDT news701519221 New research, published in The Journal of Immunology, identifies biomarkers of a distinct immune profile that could be used to identify patients at risk for chronic critical illness (CCI) on admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) after traumatic injury. Identifying which patients are at increased risk for CCI could allow doctors to intervene earlier, leading to shorter ICU stays and improved patient outcomes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-biomarkers-icu-patients-chronic-critical.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:10:01 EDT news701519461 The immune system depends on molecular alarms that detect danger inside cells. One of these alarms is STING, short for "stimulator of interferon genes." STING helps cells respond to infections, damaged DNA and cancer. When it activates at the right time, it helps protect the body. When it activates too easily, or fails to activate, it can contribute to disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-hidden-key-immune-sensor.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 19:40:03 EDT news701539441 In autoimmune disorders, immune cells targeting "self" proteins are mistakenly activated, resulting in abnormal expansion and responsiveness. These disorders are known to reduce patients' quality of life over a prolonged period. This can be attributed to CD4+ T cells, which play a key role in inducing persistent inflammation, recruiting other immune cells, including antibody-producing B cells, and inflicting tissue damage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-immune-cellfibroblast-crosstalk-key-trigger.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:40:02 EDT news701536083 As the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis worldwide, norovirus is an all too familiar ailment. Its telltale digestive upset—not to mention its reputation for being notoriously contagious—has earned it the nicknames "winter vomiting bug" and "stomach flu." Yet despite millions of dollars spent on research, there are still no vaccines or anti-viral drugs for norovirus. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-gut-homing-antibodies-norovirus-paving.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 16:00:01 EDT news701531872 Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have identified a specialized population of immune cells that plays a central role in driving abnormal tissue growth in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), offering new insight into disease progression and potential treatment strategies. The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, reveals that a subset of immune cells known as SPP1ʰⁱ macrophages works in tandem with structural cells and protein scaffolds to promote excessive tissue expansion in the joints of patients with RA. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-hidden-mechanism-joint-tissue-growth.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:20:01 EDT news701531835 Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common form of lupus, is an autoimmune disorder that occurs more frequently in women. Having multiple X chromosomes has been associated with an increased risk of developing lupus; however, the reason for this link is still not fully understood and may involve how X chromosomes are regulated in female immune cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-silenced-chromosome-autoimmunity.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 13:40:01 EDT news701524621