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Allergy and immunology news

Immune cells in the nose slow influenza virus, study finds

A new study from the University of Gothenburg may help guide the development of better influenza vaccines. Memory cells in the nose slow the influenza virus as soon as it enters the body. They reduce viral levels and may ...

A new sepsis drug target: Boosting a chloride channel helps immune cells kill bacteria

A research team has discovered a previously unknown mechanism by which the immune system fights bacterial infections. The scientists found that a specific protein, the chloride channel PACC1, is crucial for immune cells to ...

How an overactive immune system can drive cancer

The immune system is designed to protect us against viruses and bacteria. In autoimmune diseases, however, the immune system instead attacks the body's own cells. Conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) and ...

Scientists map how the body traps 'sleeping' tuberculosis

Scientists at James Cook University have uncovered new insights into how the body contains latent tuberculosis, using a cutting-edge technique that allows researchers to map exactly where immune cells and bacteria interact ...

Living with dogs: Examining asthma outcomes in children

Living with a dog does not seem to worsen long-term asthma severity in children with allergic asthma, but may increase the risk of asthma exacerbations slightly, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden that ...

Existing medication can restore HIV-affected immune cells

HIV exhausts the body's immune system by overactivating it, despite effective antiviral treatment. Researchers from Linköping University in Sweden have conducted cell studies showing that an existing medication restores immune ...

Dual immune response may keep HIV in check without medication

Imagine a game of chess where your opponent's king is in check. It cannot move, but the game is not over—the piece remains on the board. This is how the body might control HIV on its own: The virus would be contained and ...

Skin's immune response could be key to fighting dengue

Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, infects an estimated 390 million people and causes around 20,000 deaths worldwide each year. New research suggests the skin is a major site of immune surveillance for dengue. The findings ...