Even when surrounded by immune cells, tumors often continue to grow. Their rapid growth consumes oxygen, leading to hypoxia in the surrounding area or tumor microenvironment. Hypoxia further promotes tumor growth by encouraging the release of adenosine, which prevents immune cells from entering the tumor microenvironment. Reducing this immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment could freeContinueContinue reading “To boost cancer immunotherapy, just add oxygen?”
Tag Archives: immune system
Adaptive immunity in stress resilience
Mood and behavior are controlled by reciprocal associations between the central nervous system and peripheral systems including the immune system. Lymphocytes, the cells of the adaptive immune system, are affected by chronic stress, but it is not known how ‘stressed’ lymphocytes affect behavior in return. Miles Herkenham and his team at National Institutes of HealthContinueContinue reading “Adaptive immunity in stress resilience”
Using nanoparticles to teach immune tolerance
Autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes are the third largest cause of morbidity and mortality in the US. In these and other autoimmune diseases, immune cells mistakenly attack and destroy healthy tissue; in the case of multiple sclerosis, the target is myelin, which creates the protective sheath around nerve cells. AsContinueContinue reading “Using nanoparticles to teach immune tolerance”
Microglia meddle in neural circuitry
Microglia are the nervous system’s exclusive immune cells. In a resting state, they resemble long-legged spiders, but when confronted with pathogens or injury, they retract their appendages and balloon into round blobs that engulf and remove the pathogens and other cellular debris. They also eliminate damaged synapses. “The idea that [microglia] can clean up brainContinueContinue reading “Microglia meddle in neural circuitry”
Skin: a new frontier in protective immunity
Immune cells in the circulatory system are widely believed to be responsible for protection against pathogens. When an antigen is detected, immune cells produce antibodies to destroy it. Once the antigens are destroyed, antibody production ceases, but the cells ‘remember’ the antigen to help prevent future re-infection. These ‘memory cells’ are therefore an essential componentContinueContinue reading “Skin: a new frontier in protective immunity”
Shielding mice from radiation toxicity
Exposure to radiation harms the body by damaging rapidly dividing cells, including those in the intestine, allowing potentially pathogenic bacteria to escape into the bloodstream and cause infection. Antibiotics, such as fluoroquinolone, are therefore frequently used as a treatment for radiation exposure. Radiation also depletes a protein called bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI), which normally acts toContinueContinue reading “Shielding mice from radiation toxicity”
New cytokine, new role in colitis
The cytokines are a large, varied group of signaling molecules involved in development, immune responses and cellular communication. Dysregulation of cytokines has been implicated in depression, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In IBD, cytokines activate the immune system, causing chronic intestinal inflammation (colitis). But recent research led by Charles A. DinarelloContinueContinue reading “New cytokine, new role in colitis”
Histamine links allergy and autoimmune disease
The neurotransmitter histamine is known to be involved in allergic reactions and other physiological processes. It works by dilating blood vessels and making their walls more permeable so that immune cells can move around more easily. To the extent that autoimmune disorders share some characteristics with allergic reactions, it seems reasonable that similar pathways couldContinueContinue reading “Histamine links allergy and autoimmune disease”
Dirty living breeds better immune health
Conventional wisdom holds that exposure to dirt and germs is bad for one’s health: after all, ‘cleanliness is next to godliness.’ More recently, the high prevalence of immune-mediated diseases in industrialized countries (with relatively high standards for cleanliness and sanitation) has called this notion into question. The ‘hygiene hypothesis’ proposes that the increasing incidence ofContinueContinue reading “Dirty living breeds better immune health”
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