Investigating the HIV viral reservoir during acute infection 

CD4 TSCM and TCM cells are considered to play a major role in long-term maintenance of the viral reservoir. However, research of the viral reservoir during acute phase of HIV infection is limited. As a result, cross continental research aimed to expand on this ...
July 29, 2019
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How does BCG affect early innate immune responses?

To determine if BCG affects early kinetics of M.tb infection and lymphocyte recruitment, Delahaye et al., compared immune responses between naive- and BCG-vaccinated mice infected with M.tb. They showed that though BCG vaccination...
July 24, 2019
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Sex associated differences to flu vaccination: role of estradiol?

Researchers have observed sex differences influenza vaccine induced immunity, illustrated by faster seroconversion, higher titres of neutralising antibodies and lower hospitalisation rates in females compared to males. Most of these studies ...
July 19, 2019
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Propagation of α-synuclein from the gut to brain – new causation for Parkinson’s disease? 

The cause of Parkinson’s Disease is unknown, with research pointing towards a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. New research by Kim et al., however has ...
July 17, 2019
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Have you heard of Mycetoma ?

Evidence from a murine model of mycetoma suggests that IL-17 producing T cells, termed Th17 cells may play a role in mycetoma pathogenesis. IL-17 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine which can play a role in tissue inflammation and can indirectly contribute to neutrophil infiltration.
July 15, 2019
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How does plasmodial hemozoin contribute to cerebral malaria pathogenesis?

Phagocytic ingestion of hemozoin results in production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species (ROS), thus suggesting a potential mechanism of hemozoin induced immuno-pathogenesis. Rualf et al., used...
July 10, 2019
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Are neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment friend or foe?

Neutrophils have been implicated in tumor pathology, where studies have reported a positive association between high neutrophil levels and tumor progression. Researchers from Europe (Ponzetta et al.,) aimed to determine...
July 5, 2019
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Animal models to measure mucosal innate immunity: zebrafish vs mice.

The use of an inappropriate animal model that is not similar to human pathology or disease progression can slow the development of new therapeutics. Progatzky et al., aimed to compare respiratory mucosal innate immune...
July 3, 2019
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