immunology

July 23, 2014

Natural killer cells don’t clear HMPV

Understanding how the immune system responds to the respiratory virus HMPV is crucial for developing vaccines and anti-viral treatments.

By Leigh MacMillan
July 17, 2014

Regulating immune regulators

Understanding how to control the generation of regulatory T cells could have important implications for treating autoimmunity and cancer.

By Leigh MacMillan
July 9, 2014

Study finds ‘hot’ frogs fight off fungal pathogen

Simple heat treatments may give the frog immune system a boost and help it fight off a deadly fungal pathogen, according to a new study published July 10 in the journal Nature.

By Leigh MacMillan
February 12, 2014

Obesity sends immune cells to the brain

Obesity causes peripheral immune cells to move to the brain, where they may contribute to inflammation and the pathophysiology of obesity.

By Leigh MacMillan
HIV cell
January 15, 2014

HIV’s impact on B cells

Understanding how HIV infection affects immune system B cells may guide strategies for vaccine development.

By Leigh MacMillan
October 17, 2013

Frog-killing fungus paralyzes amphibian immune response

A fungus that is killing frogs and other amphibians around the world releases a toxic factor that disables the amphibian immune response, Vanderbilt University investigators report Oct. 18 in the journal Science.

By Leigh MacMillan
August 28, 2013

Probing intestinal immune cell roles

A new in vitro system will allow investigators to explore how immune system T cells develop specialized functions.
By Leigh MacMillan
August 8, 2013

Nuclear shield against cell death

The protein SARM appears to protect cells from inflammation-driven death by stabilizing the nuclear laminin scaffold.
By Bill Snyder
June 6, 2013

Study tracks skin salt’s role in blood pressure control

Clinical pharmacologist Jens Titze, M.D., and his colleagues have identified a new cast of cells and molecules that function in the skin to control sodium balance and blood pressure.
By Leigh MacMillan
May 30, 2013

Study lays groundwork for rational T cell vaccine design

Vanderbilt University investigators have developed a new strategy for identifying the “bits” of a pathogen that spark a protective immune response.
By Leigh MacMillan
April 3, 2013

“Silent” B cells trigger autoimmunity

Immune cells that recognize self antigens (e.g. insulin), but are functionally silent, can trigger autoimmune diseases such as diabetes.
By Leigh MacMillan
March 1, 2013

Target for inflammatory bowel disease

The factor STAT6 appears to play a role in the pathogenesis of an inflammatory bowel disease, suggesting it may be a promising target for new treatments.
By Leigh MacMillan
February 21, 2013

Antibacterial protein’s molecular workings revealed

Vanderbilt investigators report new insights to the workings of calprotectin, an immune system protein that “starves” bacterial pathogens of the metal nutrients they require.
By Leigh MacMillan