https://medicalxpress.com/immunology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Allergy and immunology For patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the timing of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor initiation relative to administration of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) can affect early response and arthritis control, according to a research letter published online July 21 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-jak-shingles-vaccine-administration-affect.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:00:01 EDT news703868997 Despite the best efforts of intensive care unit (ICU) staff and physicians and the most advanced life support, Dr. Bryan Yipp, witnesses many deaths in the ICU attributed to sepsis. "Sepsis is the body's overwhelming immune response to an infection, and sometimes that response can cause death," says Yipp, a critical care physician and clinician-scientist at the Cumming School of Medicine. "While many cases involve people with long-term illnesses, seemingly healthy people can be at work or home one moment and then, within hours, be admitted to the ICU." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-cellular-behavioromics-reveals-immune-cells.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:40:05 EDT news703863796 Researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School have identified why pancreatic cancer is difficult for the immune system to recognize and attack, paving the way for a new approach to improve immunotherapy. The findings were published in Science Immunology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-strategy-immune-pancreatic-cancer.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:20:08 EDT news703859468 A team from the University of Bonn and the Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center (FZB) has discovered a previously unknown mechanism of action for a synthetic peptide that mitigates excessive inflammatory responses in allergic asthma. This mechanism specifically inhibits a key inflammatory switch in the immune system and opens new avenues for treating chronic inflammatory diseases. The findings have been published in the journal Advanced Science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-synthetic-peptide-blocks-key-asthma.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:40:01 EDT news703855981 Chronic, low-grade inflammation in the body—a phenomenon known as "inflammaging" because it increases with age—has been linked to many of today's leading causes of illness and death, including cancer, heart disease, metabolic conditions and neurodegenerative diseases. But scientists have struggled to understand what causes inflammaging or how to reverse its effects. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-thymus-derived-hormone-suppress-age.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 05:00:01 EDT news703756021 Researchers have uncovered a clue to why immune checkpoint inhibitors—cancer therapies that release the immune "brakes" exploited by tumors to evade attack—show limited efficacy in some brain tumors. A KAIST research team found that B-cell and antibody responses initiated in tumor-draining lymph nodes, rather than T cells alone, are critical to the antitumor effects of anti-CTLA-4 therapy, opening a new avenue for treating intractable brain tumors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-uncover-hidden-key-immunotherapy-intractable.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:00:01 EDT news703780786 Macrophages are considered the "scavenger cells" of the immune system, but some pathogens exploit these very cells as hiding places. Researchers from the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg and Philipps-Universität Marburg have discovered a mechanism that helps immune cells balance their response to infection: a long noncoding ribonucleic acid called SAILR that acts as an apoptosis regulator. The findings were published in the journal PNAS. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-coding-rna-emerges-macrophages.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:20:03 EDT news703778402 Although the COVID-19 pandemic has largely subsided, scientists continue to investigate why the virus proved so deadly, causing at least 3 million deaths worldwide, according to the latest estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-reveals-key-antiviral-defenses-severe.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:40:10 EDT news703773640 Interferon alpha is an inflammatory mediator that can cause Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease. This was revealed in a study carried out by University Hospital Bonn together with the University of Bonn, the University of Edinburgh and Newcastle University. Their findings, published in the journal Lancet Rheumatology, could make it easier in the medium term to develop drugs to fight this chronic condition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-interferon-alpha-sjgren-disease-patients.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:40:08 EDT news703760456 Why do some vaccines protect for a lifetime, while threats like tumors and viruses present such an ongoing challenge? The answer lies in the immune system's memory and how invading pathogens hack the system. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-blueprint-immune.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:00:08 EDT news703759381 It has long been suspected that endothelial cells, the specialized cells lining the inner walls of blood vessels, play a key role in determining how the body's immune system responds to tumors. Researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg and the Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University have now identified, in mouse studies, a specialized population of blood vessel lining endothelial cells that enable an effective immune defense against cancer metastases in the liver. The findings could pave the way for novel combination therapies for cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-blood-vessels-immune-cells-metastases.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:00:01 EDT news703505791 Using advanced electron microscopy, researchers in Leiden have captured detailed images showing how, in the rare pregnancy disorder FNAIT, antibodies produced by the mother can cause bleeding in fetuses. The findings, published in Science Advances, could help pave the way for a test that identifies, during pregnancy, which babies are at greatest risk. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-crystal-images-reveal-pregnancy-antibodies.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 09:40:10 EDT news703757641 Wistar scientists have developed a new type of bispecific T cell engager, or BTE, that is effective against ovarian cancer in preclinical studies. It's a major development for this type of immunotherapy, which has been used successfully against blood cancers but has so far been less effective in solid tumors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-scientists-dna-immunotherapy-ovarian-cancer.html Sun, 19 Jul 2026 14:20:03 EDT news703687997 Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that attacks the central nervous system. For years, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been strongly linked to MS, as nearly every person diagnosed with the condition shows evidence of past EBV infection. For example, a 2022 study analyzed millions of U.S. military recruits and found that getting infected with EBV increased a person's risk of developing MS 32-fold. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-epstein-barr-virus-contribute-multiple.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 10:40:02 EDT news703491480 Breastfeeding is widely recognized for its important role in supporting a child's early growth and immune system development. Previous studies have found that exclusive breastfeeding for 4 to 6 months is associated with a lower risk of bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis during early childhood. Recognizing these health benefits, the World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life. Despite its positive effects, its impact on food allergies remains inconclusive. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-associations-breastfeeding-childhood-allergies.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 20:40:01 EDT news703420210 A new Northwestern Medicine study has uncovered how a key immunoregulatory receptor plays an unexpected dual role in promoting T-cell exhaustion during chronic infection and cancer, according to findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research sheds light on why targeted cancer therapies have shown limited efficacy in recent clinical trials for a variety of solid tumors, according to Bin Zhang, MD, Ph.D., the Johanna Dobe Professor of Cancer Immunology and senior author of the study. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-immune-receptor-plays-dual-role.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:40:07 EDT news703427335 Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified the immune cell that acts as the architect and coordinator of powerful immune hubs that form inside tumors and plays a key role in antitumor immunity. This discovery could lead to new strategies for making cancer immunotherapies more effective. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-immune-cell-cancer-hubs-tumors.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:00:21 EDT news703318240 We may age at different rates, but none of us escapes aging. A study in mice and human cells by Stanford Medicine researchers pins much of the blame on a particular type of immune cell's increasing inability, with advancing age, to gobble up another immune cell type. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-breakdown-immune-cells-interaction-key.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:00:04 EDT news703402717 Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer that is often diagnosed at advanced stages and carries a low five-year survival rate. Approximately 10% of cases are associated with hereditary predisposition caused by pathogenic mutations in specific cancer susceptibility genes that are passed down from parent to child. The disease evolves over time from precursor lesions such as pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and intrapapillary mucinous neoplasms. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-experimental-pancreatic-cancer-vaccine-elicits.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:00:10 EDT news703318394 New research from The Kids Research Institute Australia suggests a simple dietary intervention during pregnancy could help protect against the increased risk of food allergies associated with antibiotics taken before birth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-prebiotics-pregnancy-babies-antibiotic-linked.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:20:01 EDT news703410578 A subset of cancers, known as microsatellite instability (MSI) and deficient DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) cancers, are more visible to the immune system than others. Because their DNA repair systems are defective, these tumors are more likely to be recognized and attacked by immune cells and tend to respond better to immunotherapy. But scientists do not fully understand why. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-reveals-colorectal-cancers-immunotherapy.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:00:05 EDT news703325692 Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered a new way in which T cells attack acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells, which may help explain why AML is particularly sensitive to immune-based treatments and could guide the development of future cancer immunotherapies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-immune-cells-previously-unknown-pathway.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:20:06 EDT news703405317 Birds possess a specialized organ called the bursa of Fabricius that mammals do not have. It has long been thought that B cells, part of the immune system, develop exclusively in this organ. However, researchers from Tohoku University have discovered a previously unknown pathway for B-cell development in chickens, overturning the long-standing belief. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-scientists-alternative-cell-pathway-birds.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:40:02 EDT news703403070 Dozens of research teams around the world are working to halt, treat and even prevent Alzheimer's disease, which silently develops in the brain for more than a decade before symptoms appear. Although recent years have brought important advances, researchers continue to search for therapies that can more effectively alter the course of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-immune-therapy-alzheimer-phase-trial.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:20:04 EDT news703403060 Humans cannot fully heal spinal cord injuries. When the spinal cord is damaged, the body's immune system often spirals into chaos. This overwhelming inflammatory response creates permanent scar tissue that stops nerve cells from ever repairing themselves or their connections. Zebrafish, however, have mastered the biological art of managing this cellular chaos to completely heal spinal cord damage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-maestros-good-immune-cells-regenerate.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:20:01 EDT news703346155 A few hours after eating, an infant may suddenly experience a severe reaction that leaves his or her parents searching for answers. Such episodes may be caused by food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES), a condition that is often mistaken for other health problems and frequently goes undiagnosed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-misunderstood-childhood-food-allergy.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:20:11 EDT news703338301 Lincoln researchers are the first to show that metabolites produced by certain gut bacteria can positively affect the body's immune response to cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-link-gut-microbe-cancer-immune.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:00:01 EDT news703329138 Prostate cancer is often resistant to immunotherapy, which harnesses a person's immune system to recognize and destroy tumors. But a new technology that targets RNA in cancer cells gave immunotherapy new life, improving its ability to unleash cancer-killing cells in laboratory studies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-tool-immune-therapy-effective-prostate.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:20:04 EDT news703326374 Neuroimmunology, the study of interactions between the nervous and immune systems, is a rapidly growing field enabling new approaches for monitoring and treating inflammatory diseases. In a study published in Immunity, scientists showed that, in mice, stimulating a nerve in the external ear may help ease inflammation in the lungs. Based on these findings, the researchers are designing a clinical trial to test a novel device for treating asthma. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-ear-nerve-eases-lung-inflammation.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:00:23 EDT news703229086 Allergies can be minor or life-threatening, and current diagnostic blood tests are not always adequate for determining which substances patients need to avoid to prevent a reaction. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-allergy-antibodies-trigger-reactions.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:20:09 EDT news703325984