Medical research

New compound helps activate cancer-fighting T cells

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are powerful weapons our body's immune systems count on to fight infection and combat diseases like cancer, multiple sclerosis, and lupus. Finding ways to spark these potent cells into ...

Immunology

MyD88—villain of allergies and asthma

Even if you don't have allergies yourself, I guarantee you can list at least three people you know who have allergies. Asthma, a respiratory disorder commonly associated with allergies, afflicts over 300 million individuals ...

Immunology

Monocytes have many faces

When the immune system mobilizes its troops, antigen-presenting cells play an important role. They emerge from white blood cells (monocytes) that circulate in the blood. An international research team under the leadership ...

Immunology

Cellular self-digestion process triggers autoimmune disease

Autophagy refers to a fundamental recycling process of cells that occurs in yeast, fungi, plants, as well as animals and humans. This process allows cells to degrade their own components and thus activate energy resources ...

Medical research

Video imaging reveals how immune cells sense danger

How do T cells, the beat cops of the immune system, detect signs of disease without the benefit of eyes? Like most cells, they explore their surroundings through direct physical contact, but how T cells feel out intruders ...

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