There is an increasing number of infectious diseases circulating around the world, from influenza to SARS to COVID-19. Your immune system plays a key role in fighting off these infectious diseases. So how does the immune system work to fight viruses and bacteria? What factors affect your immunity? This article will answer all your questions…

An international team of scientists has identified a novel and extremely rare genetic mutation with unprecedented capabilities that may change the world’s understanding of immune deficiencies. The mutation has been named T95R and causes a host of changes to the transcription factor IRF4—a protein that is crucial for the development and function of the immune system. Transcription…

A recent South Korean medical study shows that long-term consumption of Korean red ginseng can slow down the rate that HIV reaches more advanced stages. The study was conducted by a research team led by Professor Cho Young-gul from the Microbiology Department of the University of Ulsan’s Asan Medical Center in Seoul. It followed 146…

Researchers from the University of Western Australia (UWA) and Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute have discovered a new way to improve response to immunotherapies in mice for the treatment of tumours. Co-authors of the study, Associate Professor Fiona Pixley and Jay Steer from UWA’s School of Biomedical Sciences, discovered that isolating a specific molecule present…

A study by Massachusetts General Hospital has identified a previously unknown immune system mechanism underlying breast cancer prevention, creating potential for future immunotherapy. The study found T helper 2 cells (Th2)—a type of regulatory immune cell—can “directly block spontaneous breast carcinogenesis [from becoming cancerous]” by regulating cancers cell to become unable to differentiate, according to…

Researchers from the Murdoch Institute have identified the genetic mechanism behind their peanut allergy remission therapy, with the potential for it to be applicable across other allergies. “What we found was profound differences in network connectivity patterns between children who were allergic and those who were in remission,” said lead researcher Dr. Mimi Tang on…