In a study examining the ageing immune system and what makes it less efficient, researchers looked at the effects of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination in older adults. They found that older adults’ weaker immune response can be attributed to their relative deficiency in a specific type of T cells. As we age, the immune system’s efficacy […]
Protein discovered as potential new target for therapies: Autoimmune diseases are complex illnesses, the causes of which are diverse and have not yet been fully explained. A research team at MedUni Vienna has now discovered an immunoregulatory protein that could be linked to the development of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. The identified component […]
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Researchers discover specialised immune cells patrolling the human eye: Researchers have discovered that the sentinels guarding the healthy human cornea from pathogens and inflammation are T cells, and not another type of immune cells called dendritic cells, as previously thought. The discovery, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, redefines current […]
A finger-prick blood test can identify people most at risk of being reinfected with COVID-19. The simple test, developed by a small biotech firm based in Cardiff (ImmunoServ Ltd) in close collaboration with Cardiff University researchers, measures the presence of immune T cells that can recognise SARS-CoV-2. Over 300 volunteers were recruited from across the UK […]
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Hitherto, scientists have not fully understood why ticks are such dangerous disease vectors. A research team led by Johanna Strobl and Georg Stary from MedUni Vienna’s Department of Dermatology shows that tick saliva inhibits the skin’s defence function, thereby increasing the risk of diseases such as tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) or Lyme disease. The study was […]
Memory killer cells at lower frequency: Unvaccinated children mount COVID-19 immune response, but vaccination may be key to strengthening immunity: Unvaccinated children mount a rapid immune response to SARS-CoV-2 which may contribute to less severe symptoms, but which may also limit the development of an immune “memory” response to ward off future infections, a study […]
World-first discovery of cornea T cells protecting eyes from viral infections: The cornea – the transparent protective outer layer of the eye critical to helping us see – produces a delicate and limited immune response to fight infections without damaging our vision, according to a ground-breaking new study from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection […]
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Autoimmune diseases are triggered when the immune system malfunctions and attacks the body’s own structures. Although there is not, as yet, any cure for such diseases, their progression can be slowed down by therapeutic measures. Researchers at MedUni Vienna’s Center for Physiology and Pharmacology have now discovered a central signaling pathway in immune cells that […]
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People with higher levels of T cells from common cold coronaviruses are less likely to become infected with SARS-CoV-2. A new study, published in Nature Communications and led by Imperial College London researchers, provides the first evidence of a protective role for these T cells. While previous studies have shown that T cells induced by […]
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T cells a key defence against Omicron: Research from the University of Melbourne and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has revealed T cells, one of the body’s key defences against COVID-19, are expected to be effective in mounting an immune response against Omicron despite its significantly higher mutations compared to previous variants of concern. T cells, generated both by […]