Feature Channels: Immunology

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Starting patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) on aggressive treatment earlier may help prevent the development of paramagnetic rim lesions (PRL), areas of chronic brain inflammation that are linked to faster decline due to the disease, suggests new research presented at the 149th Annual Meeting of the American Neurological Association (ANA). People with MS who have PRLs tend to have greater brain atrophy and disability. Treatment for MS includes low-, moderate- or high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), such as monoclonal antibodies, immunomodulators and immunosuppressants. While high-efficacy DMTs have more side effects, previous research suggests they may help prevent PRLs from forming (unlike low- or moderate-efficacy DMTs), potentially outweighing the downsides. No currently available DMT has been shown to reduce existing PRLs.

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Albert Einstein College of Medicine has received a five-year, $14 million per year grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to participate in a broad national effort to develop "plug-and-play" vaccines and antibody-based therapies against a wide range of emerging viruses. The grant is part of NIAID’s new Research and Development of Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies for Pandemic Preparedness (ReVAMPP) Network, which was announced earlier today.

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A study by UdeM professor Claude Perreault's team at IRIC proposes three potential functions for so-called parasite DNA sequences in T cell development.

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La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) has been selected as a spoke for the Investor Catalyst Hub, a regional hub of ARPANET-H, a nationwide health innovation network launched by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).

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The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts.

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A Ludwig Cancer Research study has discovered that recurrent tumors of the aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) grow out of the fibrous scars of malignant predecessors destroyed by interventions such as radiotherapy, surgery and immunotherapy.

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Brenda Banwell, M.D., has been named pediatrician-in-chief and co-director of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. She also serves as director of the Department of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Banwell began in the position on Sept. 1, 2024.

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A novel study by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai addresses a critical yet under-explored question in cancer research: Why is aging the biggest risk factor for cancer? The study reveals how an aging immune system spurs tumor growth, offering new insights into cancer prevention and treatment, especially for older adults.

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Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutch Cancer Center research findings, patient stories and other news.

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The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back.

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Investigators involved in a multicenter study co-led by Cedars-Sinai discovered a pathway by which immune cells prevent the lungs’ protective barrier from healing after viral infections like COVID-19. The findings, published in Nature, may lead to new therapeutic treatment options.

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Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a type of cancer treatment that helps the immune system attack cancer cells more effectively. One of the key proteins involved in this process is Lymphocyte Activation Gene-3 (LAG3), which suppresses the antitumor immune response.

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WashU Medicine researchers have designed, in mice, an approach to minimizing the damage from a spinal cord injury through the use of engineered immune cells. Mice given the treatment had improved recovery from injuries, demonstrating potential for developing the therapy for people.

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For many doctors and researchers, immunotherapy that uses someone’s own immune system to target and attack cancer cells is the next and best frontier of cancer treatment. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, or CAR-T cell therapy, is one type of immunotherapy. Sometimes likened to a “smart drug” or “living drug,” CAR-T cell therapy relies on genetically modified immune cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells.

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A computer model developed by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers significantly enhances the ability of scientists to detect communication between cells, according to a new study published in Nature Methods.

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UCLA has received a $120 million commitment from Dr. Gary Michelson and his wife, Alya, to kick-start the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, an innovative public-private partnership aimed at spurring breakthrough discoveries that prevent and cure diseases and catalyze economic growth and innovation in Los Angeles.