Antibiotics as a double-edged sword: Beyond antimicrobial resistance
Sahani De Silva discusses the rise of antimicrobial resistance and the effects antibiotics have on development, microbiome and immunity.
immunology
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Innate-like T-cells: a New Weapon in Cancer Immunotherapy?
New research has found a novel population of T-cells that may be more successful than current immunotherapy treatments at targeting cancer cells. James O’Brien discusses.
Aberrant antibodies: don’t always trust what it says on the tin
Antibodies are proteins generated by the immune system capable of recognising short peptide fragments (known as epitopes) with a remarkably high degree of specificity. This specificity makes them a powerful tool for research, allowing us to identify, track, and quantify specific proteins in a wide range of assays. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can be generated for…
Yeast on the brain: could fungi be linked to Alzheimer’s Disease?
A fungus that can infect the brain may be the key to understanding Alzheimer’s disease. The blood brain barrier (BBB) is a highly selective barrier that allows very few unwanted substances pass through it. However, there are some bacteria and fungi that have found a way to cross the BBB and cause infections; Candida albicans…
Research finds a high salt diet causes dementia in mice
The current UK population consumes an average of about 8.5g/day of salt, more than 2g/day above the maximum recommended daily amount. This is worrying given its well-known health implications. Salt raises blood pressure, increasing risk of heart disease and stroke. One in three of UK adults have high blood pressure, and as many people are…
Oxford led team shows that war in Ukraine has aided HIV spread
Oxford University and Public Health England (PHE) have lead an international team of scientists in an analysis of HIV migration patterns across the Ukraine. This study, which used genomic data to reconstruct the spread of the virus, has shown how geopolitical events have helped to conduct the virus to regions where it is more likely…
Clinical Trials Launched for New Universal Flu Vaccine
When we experience a particularly bad flu season, like the current one, the question of how a single disease can vary so wildly is often raised. The answer lies in the simple fact that the virus copies its RNA genome with very poor accuracy which means that the virus is constantly mutating and evolving to…
CD1b as a vaccine target for tuberculosis: A hidden GEM?
Tuberculosis is currently the most deadly infectious disease worldwide, killing an estimated 1.7 million people in 2016. The only licensed vaccine currently available is BCG, which is only 70% effective. While most vaccines work by inducing antibodies, mycobacterium tuberculosis (or Mtb for short) hides inside cells, preventing antibodies from reaching it. T cells, which help…