immune system

by Hannah Schulze figures by Sean Wilson If you’ve ever felt lonely, know that you’re not alone. According to a study from the British Red Cross, over nine million adults in the U.K. feel the same way—that’s about 1/5 of the country’s population!…

Ever wonder why we make snot? Mucus lines our respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, acting as a sticky glue that traps unwanted substances before they can get into the body. However, research from Jeremy Barr’s lab in Melbourne, Australia has shown…

by Cathy Gutierrez figures by Lillian Horin “The history of cancer vaccines is a history of failure.” This is the leading sentence of a 2005 article that summarized the history of cancer vaccines. Cancer vaccines have long been the Holy Grail of cancer…

by Giulia Notarangelo figures by Abagail Burrus A drug that might significantly reduce the risk of heart attack and lung cancer is being hailed by researchers as the biggest breakthrough in the treatment of cardiovascular disease since the introduction…

High-resolution microscope image of a lymphocyte, the part of the immune system that interacts with Keytruda [‘T Lymphocyte’ from NIAID] Results from a small clinical trial comprising 86 cancer patients have prompted scientists to rethink how…

High-resolution microscope image of the Ebola virus, falsely colored for clarity [‘Ebola virus’ from CDC Global]2016 was a tumultuous year in many respects, but it ended with a major victory against Ebola hemorrhagic fever.  Ebola’s most…

Computer representation of an antibody (purple Y) binding to its target. [Image: ‘B0007277 Monoclonal antibodies’ from Wellcome Images]What can our immune system tell us about brain health?  Research from Rowan University suggests that the…