Vaccines protect most people from serious illness, but the strength of that protection can vary considerably from one person to another. A new study led by Arizona State University helps us understand why.
More than 1,000 genetic switches behave differently in male and female immune cells, helping explain why women are much more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Female immune systems appear genetically tuned for stronger...
Influenza spreads in a crowded barracks or prison. Ebola proliferates when per-capita hospital beds plummet below the typical levels in developed countries.
A 19-year German claims analysis of more than 2.8 million pregnancies found that recorded maternal vaccination increased substantially after national recommendations for influenza and pertussis immunization were introduced. Influenza...
Every RNA virus — from stomach bugs and influenza to chickenpox and the common cold — has its own story to tell, with a unique combination of symptoms, rates of transmission, duration, and chemical blueprint.
Men experienced higher absolute excess mortality than women across many high-income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly during pre-vaccine mortality peaks. Relative differences were much smaller, showing that sex...
Major research has found that long COVID continues to affect a substantial proportion of healthcare workers, with serious consequences for their health, work and home lives, and NHS workforce overall.
Scientists often describe life as a series of chemical reactions. Pallav Kosuri, PhD, describes life as movement. Chemical reactions are how you drive the movement of atoms, proteins, cells, and bodies-without movement, there is no life.
Public health policies are commonly evaluated by their financial costs and expected outcomes. However, policy decisions must also be supported by strong evidence, political feasibility, effective implementation, and public trust to...
Researchers from WEHI (Melbourne, Australia) have discovered a new way to help prevent malaria that could one day transform mosquito bites from a source of deadly infection into immunity boosters against the disease.
Orange juice may have a much bigger effect on the body than scientists once realized. Drinking it regularly appears to influence genes tied to inflammation, blood pressure, metabolism, and blood sugar control, while studies have also...
A specially engineered chewing gum reduced HPV by up to 93% and nearly eliminated two bacteria linked to head and neck cancer. The treatment preserved beneficial mouth bacteria, raising hopes for a safer and more affordable therapy.
A single 30-minute sauna session may briefly put the immune system on higher alert. Finnish researchers found that sauna heat, paired with a short cold shower, increased every type of white blood cell circulating in the bloodstream,...
A plant-derived compound reduced swelling, inflammation, and joint damage in rats with rheumatoid arthritis. It also helped rebalance immune activity and improve the way certain fats were processed in the body. Researchers say the...
For most adults, a daily caffeine habit may be safer for the heart than many people assume. A new American Heart Association review found that up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, roughly three to five cups of regular black coffee, is...
Scientists uncovered how influenza A commandeers human cells, including a surprising strategy that dissolves tiny structures in the nucleus and releases proteins the virus may use to reproduce. The detailed molecular map could reveal new...
A naturally occurring compound found in foods such as wheat germ, mushrooms, and aged cheese may help older adults build stronger protection after vaccination. In a small pilot trial, researchers gave spermidine supplements to adults...
An experimental drug called DT-109 reversed severe fatty liver disease in animal studies by repairing the gut and preventing harmful toxins from damaging the liver. The discovery could open the door to a new class of treatments for MASH...
A new study found that dietary fiber can determine whether beneficial intestinal worms help reduce inflammation or become essentially inactive. With plenty of fiber, the worms remained healthy and supported an anti-inflammatory response,...
Researchers found that mRNA cancer vaccines can recruit an unexpected immune cell to launch powerful tumor-fighting responses, overturning a long-held assumption about how the vaccines work. The discovery could lead to more effective...
Scientists have discovered that creatine may strengthen one of the immune system's most important cancer-fighting pathways by energizing dendritic cells that activate killer T cells. The promising results could eventually help make...
A new intranasal DNA vaccine may give the immune system an extra weapon against tuberculosis by targeting bacteria that can hide from antibiotics. In animal studies, it helped clear infections faster, reduced lung inflammation, and...
Scientists found that one tiny genetic change can completely alter how a coronavirus behaves in different species. Comparing SARS-CoV-2 with a closely related bat-only virus, they showed that a single amino-acid difference affects...
Scientists discovered that kombucha’s flavor, chemistry, and antioxidant activity vary dramatically depending on the tea used to make it. Green and oolong tea kombuchas emerged as the most biologically active, while fermentation...
Researchers uncovered why H5N1 bird flu attacks cows’ udders instead of their lungs: the virus’s preferred receptors are concentrated in mammary tissue. The breakthrough could help scientists predict future bird flu jumps and spot...
A low-calorie fasting-style diet significantly reduced inflammation linked to gum disease in a small clinical study. The findings suggest that what people eat may influence gum health almost as much as what they do with a toothbrush.
Tea may help protect against heart disease, diabetes, cancer, cognitive decline, and age related muscle loss, according to a major review. But the way you drink it matters, since bottled and bubble teas often contain ingredients that can...
Scientists have uncovered a hidden immune system "brake" that may help cancers avoid being destroyed. The molecule, called SLAMF6, weakens the body's cancer-fighting T cells and can leave them exhausted over time. Researchers developed...
A major long-term study of more than 54,000 adults found that where nitrate comes from may matter far more than how much you consume. People who got more nitrate from vegetables—roughly the amount in a cup of baby spinach a day—had a...
Scientists have successfully tested an AI-designed universal coronavirus vaccine in humans for the first time, finding it to be safe and well tolerated. The vaccine generated immune responses against multiple coronaviruses, including...
Scientists have uncovered a surprising new way the immune system fights cancer, overturning a core belief that has guided immunology for decades. The research found that when cancer cells shut down a key immune-recognition molecule...
A Salk Institute study found that a simple dietary amino acid, methionine, dramatically improved survival in mice facing severe infections and inflammatory conditions. Rather than directly targeting the immune system, methionine boosted...
Scientists at Scripps Research have uncovered a molecular “switch” that appears to fuel the damaging brain inflammation seen in Alzheimer’s disease. They found that a protein called STING becomes chemically altered in a way that keeps...
A new study suggests fish oil may help reduce insulin resistance even in people who aren't obese. In diabetic rats, omega-3 supplementation improved blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and inflammation by shifting immune cells into a more...
A specially formulated tomato-soy juice packed with natural plant compounds may help calm inflammation linked to obesity, according to a new clinical study. Healthy adults with obesity who drank the juice daily for four weeks saw...
A new brain imaging study has found no evidence of widespread brain inflammation in patients suffering from prolonged symptoms after COVID-19 infection. Instead, the most severe long COVID symptoms were associated with increased brain...
Researchers at Texas A&M have developed a nasal spray that appears to reverse brain aging by calming inflammation and restoring the brain’s energy systems. After just two doses, memory and cognitive function improved for months, raising...
A massive international study could upend 40 years of heart attack treatment. Researchers found that beta blockers—routinely prescribed after uncomplicated heart attacks—offered no real benefit for patients whose heart function remained...
A new theory suggests many age-related diseases may actually start decades before symptoms appear. Researchers say early-life damage — from infections, injuries, or genetic mutations — can remain hidden until aging weakens the body’s...
MIT scientists have identified cysteine — an amino acid found in foods like meat, dairy, beans, and nuts — as a potent trigger for intestinal repair. In mice, a cysteine-rich diet activated immune cells that released healing signals,...
Scientists have identified a protein that appears to put the brakes on the chronic inflammation linked to aging. Older mice with boosted levels of the protein were stronger, more energetic, and had healthier bones than untreated mice....
A huge long-term study found that drinking two to three cups of coffee a day was linked to a much lower risk of dementia, especially before age 75. Researchers say caffeine may help keep brain cells active while reducing inflammation and...
As blood stem cells age, their lysosomes become overactive and damaged, triggering inflammation and weakening the body’s ability to regenerate healthy blood and immune cells. By calming this cellular “overdrive,” researchers restored the...
Scientists have developed a breakthrough injectable biomaterial that travels through the bloodstream to repair damaged tissue from within, reducing inflammation and jumpstarting healing. In animal studies, it successfully treated heart...
The body’s “killer” T cells don’t just attack—they strike with astonishing precision, forming a tiny, highly organized contact zone that lets them destroy dangerous cells without harming their neighbors. Now, scientists have captured...
A gut bacterium may be quietly fueling depression through an unexpected chemical twist. Researchers found that when Morganella morganii interacts with a common pollutant, it produces a molecule that triggers inflammation—something...
Researchers have uncovered why a rare blood clotting disorder can occur after certain COVID-19 vaccines or adenovirus infections. The immune system can mistakenly target a normal blood protein (PF4) after confusing it with a viral...
A common eye-health nutrient, zeaxanthin, may also help the body fight cancer more effectively. Scientists discovered it strengthens T cells and enhances the impact of immunotherapy treatments. Found in everyday vegetables and...
Chronic inflammation often works quietly in the background but can fuel serious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. New research reveals that everyday plant compounds—like menthol from mint, cineole from eucalyptus, and...