All articles tagged with #immune system
A 2025 meta-analysis reveals that taking vitamin D2 supplements can reduce levels of vitamin D3, the form more effective at maintaining blood vitamin D status. While D2 still offers some benefits, experts suggest D3 is generally preferable for most people.
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have identified the signaling molecule MEK as a key driver of T cell exhaustion, a state where immune cells burn out before eliminating tumors. Published in Immunity, the study suggests that blocking MEK can reduce the metabolic strain on T cells, allowing them to persist longer and potentially enhancing the effectiveness of various immunotherapies. While MEK activity helps T cells attack cancer aggressively, excessive activity leads to rapid energy depletion. By inhibiting MEK, T cells can conserve energy and maintain a sustained response, particularly for patients with large tumors or low immune cell counts. The findings suggest that FDA-approved MEK inhibitors could be repurposed to improve outcomes in checkpoint inhibitor therapy, CAR T cell therapy, and other immune-based treatments, though the approach requires careful patient selection to balance intensity and longevity.
Measles infection is far more dangerous than vaccination because it causes 'immune amnesia,' a phenomenon that erases up to 73% of the body's immune memory. While both infection and vaccination result in immunity against measles, the natural infection damages the immune system's ability to recall protection against other diseases, leaving individuals vulnerable to unrelated infections. In contrast, the measles vaccine provides protection without this collateral damage. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unvaccinated individuals face severe risks, with one in five hospitalized and 1 to 3 per 1,000 children dying from the infection. This distinction highlights that catching measles is not a safe alternative to vaccination, as the long-term immune costs outweigh the immediate benefit of immunity.
Research presented at an international cancer conference indicates that disrupted sleep patterns may contribute to the development and progression of breast cancer. The study suggests that inconsistent rest triggers biological changes, including altered immune and inflammatory responses, which could elevate disease risk. While the findings highlight a potential link between sleep quality and cancer outcomes, they do not establish definitive causation. These results add to a growing body of evidence connecting lifestyle factors, such as sleep consistency, to broader health risks, including various chronic diseases and cancer types.
A University of Pittsburgh study presented at the 2025 American Thoracic Society International Conference shows that inhaled microplastics impair lung macrophages within 24 hours, reducing their ability to absorb bacteria. The particles also migrate to the liver, spleen, colon, brain, and kidneys within a week. Researchers found that acadesine, a leukemia drug, can partially restore macrophage function, offering a potential therapeutic avenue while long-term immune disruption risks remain.
A new study from Washington University in St. Louis reveals that immune cells causing brain damage in Alzheimer’s disease are activated outside the brain, specifically in lymph nodes. By blocking these signals in mice, researchers prevented neurodegeneration and preserved cognitive abilities, even without removing toxic tau protein tangles. This suggests future treatments could target the immune system peripherally, bypassing the difficult blood-brain barrier.
New research suggests weight-loss drugs like Ozempic may lower cancer recurrence by enhancing the body's immune response, though evidence remains mixed and randomized trials are lacking.
Allergies can emerge at any age, not just in childhood. New-onset allergies can be sparked by infections like COVID-19 (which may increase allergy risk), other viruses, antibiotics that disrupt the gut microbiome, hormonal shifts during pregnancy or menopause, and even tick bites that cause meat allergies. While steps to support gut health and early inflammation control may help reduce risk, there is currently no guaranteed cure; researchers are pursuing immune-modulating therapies and vaccines to retrain the immune system.
A Science study links aging to tissue-resident macrophages that accumulate the EP2 receptor, which hampers clearance of senescent neutrophils and fuels chronic inflammation. In mice lacking EP2, many aging-related blood proteins stayed younger, with notable improvements tied to the liver, suggesting EP2 as a potential target to slow aging. However, targeting EP2 without disrupting prostaglandin E2’s other roles is challenging, so researchers stress the need for approaches that preserve other functions while slowing aging.
A Nature Neuroscience study proposes that Alzheimer's-related brain damage may be driven by an immune response that begins outside the brain: dendritic cells in deep cervical lymph nodes prime CD8+ T cells, which then enter the brain and promote neuroinflammation. In mouse models, silencing cDC1s or blocking cross-presentation reduced T-cell brain infiltration and neurodegeneration without changing brain tau levels, suggesting the immune process outside the brain could be a key driver and a new therapeutic target via the brain's lymphatic system rather than direct CNS drug delivery.
Several studies have found associations between certain adult vaccines (notably high-dose influenza and recombinant shingles vaccines, and possibly the TB vaccine BCG) and a lower risk of dementia, with the strongest signals for high-dose flu vaccines and greater benefit in women. However, these findings are associative, not causal, and scientists say mechanisms are unclear, so randomized trials are needed to confirm any brain-protective effects.
Brief exposure to soil, moss, or woodchips increases skin microbial diversity and may enhance immune regulation; studies from Finland show microbially rich environments and forest-floor play raise beneficial microbes and anti-inflammatory markers, suggesting regular contact with nature could offer low-risk health benefits and deserves urban integration.
In a mouse model of Alzheimer's, researchers found that immune cells outside the brain, specifically dendritic cells in peripheral lymph nodes, activate T cells that accumulate in the brain and drive inflammation and neurodegeneration. When the researchers blocked these peripheral dendritic cells, brain T cell levels dropped and cognitive function improved, even though tau pathology remained. The findings suggest a systemic, body-wide trigger for Alzheimer's, raising the possibility of targeting lymph nodes to treat or delay disease, though human relevance still needs confirmation and the exact triggers remain unknown.
A US study of about 70,000 adults aged 60+ found that the recombinant shingles vaccine Shingrix is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease years after vaccination compared with the older live vaccine, with the strongest effect on ischemic heart disease and heart failure; the finding hints at immune-system changes beyond shingles, though the observational design aims to reduce bias by comparing groups who chose vaccination rather than vaccinated versus unvaccinated.
A small Osaka University study suggests centenarians have a higher share of rare CD4 cytotoxic T lymphocytes, hinting at an immune edge in extreme aging, though the finding is preliminary. The article also outlines practical habits linked to healthier aging: regular movement, a varied nutrient-rich diet, sufficient sleep, mental stimulation, social connections, stress management, and preventive healthcare. While these steps don’t guarantee reaching 100, they can boost energy, independence, and the number of healthy years.