Immune Response

A newly discovered mechanism that helps cancer cells avoid destruction by immune system cells may improve immunotherapies. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers show that a certain factor negatively impacts the first-line responder cells in the lungs, providing one explanation for why patients with asthma are at greater risk for invasive bacterial disease. Read More

Melanoma-specific expression of a certain protein identifies tumors that are more responsive to an immune therapy. Read More

Inducing “tolerance” to bacterial toxins in the endothelial cells that line blood vessels may offer a new approach for preventing the negative consequences of sepsis. Read More

A new genetic model has generated new strategies for promoting tolerance to transplants – and improving long-term transplant outcomes – in the background of autoimmune disease. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered how human antibodies induced during testing of an experimental “bird flu” vaccine kill the virus. Read More

New studies explain how T-cell receptors use force to recognize and protect us against pathogens. Read More

Understanding how zinc and the host’s immune response control H. pylori’s cancer-causing potential could suggest new therapeutic strategies to reduce infection and cancer risk. Read More

The activity of a certain factor in immune cells is essential for an anti-tumor response, emphasizing the need to consider the effects of anti-cancer therapies on immune cells. Read More

A cell-penetrating peptide developed at Vanderbilt blocks the signaling pathways that lead to lethal shock caused by bacterial infection. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that certain immune cells contribute to the development of hypertension, suggesting novel targets for treating the disease. Read More

Drugs such as aspirin and indomethacin may increase sensitivity to airborne allergens by suppressing production of the signaling molecule PGI2, which in turn may offer a new treatment for allergies. Read More

Simple heat treatments may give the frog immune system a boost and help it fight off a deadly fungal pathogen, according to a new study published July 10 in the journal Nature. Read More

Understanding how the immune system responds to the respiratory virus HMPV is crucial for developing vaccines and anti-viral treatments. Read More

Understanding how to control the generation of regulatory T cells could have important implications for treating autoimmunity and cancer. Read More

Simple heat treatments may give the frog immune system a boost and help it fight off a deadly fungal pathogen, according to a new study published July 10 in the journal Nature. Read More

Understanding how HIV infection affects immune system B cells may guide strategies for vaccine development. Read More

A fungus that is killing frogs and other amphibians around the world releases a toxic factor that disables the amphibian immune response, Vanderbilt University investigators report Oct. 18 in the journal Science. Read More

A new in vitro system will allow investigators to explore how immune system T cells develop specialized functions. Read More

The protein SARM appears to protect cells from inflammation-driven death by stabilizing the nuclear laminin scaffold. Read More