Stem cells contained within the human body can differentiate into many different types of cells, in some cases regenerating or repairing tissue. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), commonly known as blood … Continue Reading A newly discovered memory in our bones: Blood stem cells boost immunity by keeping a record of previous infections.
Sepsis is the overreaction of the body’s immune system to infection capable of causing tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Sepsis-causing bacteria secrete toxic molecules known as endotoxins which trigger immune … Continue Reading Engineered macrophage nanosponges could keep sepsis in check.
Acute HIV-1 infection is the phase of HIV-1 disease immediately after infection that is characterized by an initial burst of viremia; although anti-HIV-1 antibodies are undetectable, HIV-1 RNA or p24 … Continue Reading Study captures HIV study early to successfully characterise the elusive acute infection period.
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus which causes HIV infection and over time AIDS. Developing effective prevention measures for HIV is hindered by incomplete knowledge of the phenotype … Continue Reading New technology lights up location of first cells to be infected in female HIV transmission.
The earliest events that occur following mucosal HIV-1 exposure remain poorly understood, largely because the eclipse period of infection prior to the detectable disease is very difficult to study in … Continue Reading Earliest ever events following HIV infection mapped for the first time.
Envelope glycoprotein GP120 is a glycoprotein exposed on the surface of the HIV envelope (ENV). The envelope glycoprotein trimer is essential for HIV entry into cells as it plays a … Continue Reading New breakthrough imaging shows HIV structure in unprecedented detail.
How HIV-1 overcomes the person’s defenses and infects their cells has been studied intensively for over 30 years. While much has been learned, there remain events in the viral life … Continue Reading Researchers reveal and image new phase of HIV infection for the first time.
Malaria infection starts when the sporozoite stage of the Plasmodium parasite is injected into the skin by a mosquito. Sporozoites are known to traverse host cells before finally invading a … Continue Reading Previously unknown interaction between malaria parasites and liver cells identified.
The mucus barrier protects foreign materials and bacteria from entering and/or infecting lungs. In healthy lungs, inhaled matter is typically trapped in airway mucus and subsequently swept away from the … Continue Reading Researchers successfully bypass the mucus barrier in lungs for the first time.
On the hunt for better cancer screening tests, Johns Hopkins researchers led a proof of principle study that successfully identified tumour DNA shed into the blood and saliva of 93 … Continue Reading DNA shed from human head and neck tumours detected in blood and saliva for the first time.
An important function of the human placenta is to protect the fetus from detrimental substances in maternal blood, such as glucocorticoids or toxins. Placental membrane-bound transporter proteins, known as multidrug … Continue Reading Study identifies transporter proteins responsible for human’s placenta protective ability during pregnancy.
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers have for the first time revealed how dying cells are hidden from the immune ‘police’ that patrol the body. The research answers a decades-old … Continue Reading Decades-old mystery about the death of cells uncovered by scientists.
Researchers from the UCLA have shown that two genes not previously known to be involved with the immune system play a crucial role in how progenitor stem cells are activated … Continue Reading Researchers identify two new genes involved in the immune system.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated in a release that human sperm can carry the Ebola virus for at least 82 days, urging men recovering from the disease to use condoms … Continue Reading Four studies find Ebola virus in semen of men who have recovered from the disease.
A new study from Karolinska Institutet presents a previously unknown immunological mechanism that protects humans against bacterial infections in the lungs. The study shows that healthy lungs contain Interleukin-26, a … Continue Reading Scientists discover new bacterial defence mechanism in the lungs.