Archive for immunology
Trusting their instincts: Gary’s parents find help for immune-mediated hepatitis
For Mercedes Hollingsworth and Gary Walker, Jr., trusting their parental instincts helped get their son Gary Walker III — affectionately known as GW — the care he needed. “We knew right away that something wasn’t right,” she says. “He just wasn’t a happy newborn. He looked miserable all the time.” Mercedes, who also has an ... Read More about Trusting their instincts: Gary’s parents find help for immune-mediated hepatitis
Tagged: immune disorders, immunology, liver disease
When worlds collide: Glycosylated RNAs upend cell biology as we know it
Cells in our body bristle with sugars known as glycans that other cells can recognize via specialized receptors. Glycans attach to and modify proteins and fats, thereby influencing how proteins fold, how cues are trafficked between cells, and other cell-to-cell interactions. As just one example of glycans’ importance, our blood types (A, B, O) depend ... Read More about When worlds collide: Glycosylated RNAs upend cell biology as we know it
Diversifying therapeutic antibodies: From one, come many with potential different uses
A new method for producing antibodies against disease could result in a wider variety of drugs for infectious diseases, immune disease, and even cancer. The immune system naturally produces enormous varieties of antibodies to fight diseases. Therapeutic antibodies — antibodies created against specific therapeutic targets — have been used for decades to either rev up ... Read More about Diversifying therapeutic antibodies: From one, come many with potential different uses
Specialized T cells protect against the deadliest form of malaria
Each year, there are about 230 million cases of malaria globally. Children under the age of 5 are at highest risk of serious illness and death, accounting for about 265,000 deaths, or nearly 70 percent of all malaria deaths worldwide. Despite significant time and money poured into efforts to develop an effective malaria vaccine, the ... Read More about Specialized T cells protect against the deadliest form of malaria
Arthritis drug reduces rates of acute graft-vs-host disease after bone marrow transplant
The immune-suppressing drug abatacept, currently used for rheumatoid arthritis, could make bone marrow transplant safer, report researchers at the Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. The phase 2 randomized, multi-center clinical trial, the largest to date, appears in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Abatacept (brand name ORENCIA) reduced rates of severe, acute graft-versus-host disease ... Read More about Arthritis drug reduces rates of acute graft-vs-host disease after bone marrow transplant
Tagged: blood disorder, cancer, immunology, leukemia, research, stem cell transplant
2020, the year COVID-19 tuned us into science: Part 3
Since the arrival of a new, unknown, dangerous virus in January, we entered the realm of COVID-19 science. Part 1 and Part 2 of this series recapped what we learned about how the virus spreads, how to test for it and treat it, and how COVID-19 plays out in children. This month, vaccines began to be ... Read More about 2020, the year COVID-19 tuned us into science: Part 3
Tagged: coronavirus, immunology, research, vaccines
Why do some children exposed to the coronavirus go on to develop MIS-C?
Most children exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus have few or no symptoms. But a small number become sick enough to go to the hospital. And a tiny handful develop a severe inflammatory illness called multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), often weeks after initial exposure to the virus. Why? A team at Boston Children’s Hospital is using ... Read More about Why do some children exposed to the coronavirus go on to develop MIS-C?
Chromatin regulation enables generation of diverse antibodies
We need a variety of antibody types to help fight off invading foreign pathogens and our genome is exquisitely tuned to produce them to meet emerging needs. A new study finds that not just our DNA, but its configuration and packaging, help us generate diverse antibodies. Key takeaways Chromatin loop extrusion leads to creation of ... Read More about Chromatin regulation enables generation of diverse antibodies
The tiny choroid plexus protects the prenatal brain — but may also pass on inflammation from the mother
Floating in fluid deep in the brain are small, little-understood fronds of tissue. Two new studies reveal that these miniature organs are a hotbed of immune system activity. This activity may protect the developing brain from infections and other insults — but may also contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism. Key takeaway This pioneering work ... Read More about The tiny choroid plexus protects the prenatal brain — but may also pass on inflammation from the mother
Pain neurons activate immune cells, opening new treatment possibilities
For a long time, pain and inflammation were thought to be two separate biological responses. But new research by Boston Children’s Hospital and international collaborators suggests that the same sensory neurons that produce pain also trigger inflammation. And they do so by activating cells of the immune system, a relationship never described before. This interaction ... Read More about Pain neurons activate immune cells, opening new treatment possibilities
Tagged: immunology, neuroinflammation, pain