The mortality rate of COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation is 30-40%, however, the immunological factors associated with death in critically ill COVID-19 patients are poorly understood. A study published in PLOS Pathogens by Jonathan Youngs at St. George’s University of London, United Kingdom and colleagues suggests an association between systemic inflammation responses and increased mortality […]
Home »
Study finds protein critical to T cell metabolism, anti-tumour immune response
Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that a protein called NF-kappa B-inducing kinase (NIK) is essential for the shift in metabolic activity that occurs with T cell activation, making it a critical factor in regulating the anti-tumour immune response. The preclinical research, published today in Nature Immunology, suggests that […]
Maternal immune activation induces sustained changes in fetal microglia motility
Researchers at the Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine have revealed that alterations in fetal microglia resulting from maternal inflammation could contribute towards the onset of developmental and psychiatric disorders. The research team including Ph.D. student Ozaki Kana and Professor Yamada Hideto from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology observed that infant mice that were […]
‘Patient activation’ may improve quality of life in individuals with kidney disease
Researchers previously demonstrated that online peer mentoring for individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) improves patient activation—or patients’ willingness and ability to take actions to manage their health and care—and quality of life (QOL). Now the investigators have looked at the correlation between QOL and patient activation among patients with CKD who participated in an […]
Strong activation of anti-bacterial T cells linked to severe COVID-19
A type of anti-bacterial T cells, so-called MAIT cells, are strongly activated in people with moderate to severe COVID-19 disease, according to a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden that is published in the journal Science Immunology. The findings contribute to increased understanding about how our immune system responds against COVID-19 infection. “To […]
Coordinated brain activation supports spatial learning and decision-making
Specialized brain activation “replays” the possible routes that rats can take as they navigate a space, helping them keep track of the paths they’ve already taken and choose among the routes that they can take next, according to a National Institutes of Health-funded study published in the journal Neuron. “These findings reveal an internal ‘replay’ […]
New evidence for coordinated hedgehog and Wnt pathway activation in appendage regeneration
Researchers have made a significant new discovery concerning the signaling mechanisms that enable newts to regrow their tails after injury. Specifically, this process is shown to require the coordinated activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) and Wnt pathways. The study is published in Stem Cells and Development. Mary G. Garry, Daniel J. Garry, and colleagues from […]