HIV-1 destroys immune response in the gut within days of infection

October 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Natural killer (NK) cells, part of our immune system, kill cells infected with a given virus. Researchers have now found that the cells also help keep T-cells from over-responding.

August 24th, 2009 LONDON - A research team led by Indian-origin scientist claims to have identified a cellular molecule that not only helps recognize viruses that cause respiratory problems but also direct cells to produce defensive immune response. Dr Santanu Bose and colleagues have identified a cellular molecule, called NOD2, that detects respiratory viruses and can instruct cells to defend against them.

August 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists from Imperial College London have found that parasite leishmania tricks immune system to let it enter the body and cause skin infection. Leishmaniasis is an infection caused by Leishmania parasites that cause disfiguring and painful skin ulcers, and in severe cases the infection can also spread to the internal organs.

July 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have found that an overactive response by one of the immune system's key weapons against infection - natural killer, or NK, cells - is linked to the onset of biliary atresia in infants, a disease where blocked bile ducts can cause severe liver damage and death. They also found that blocking a gene that helps NK cells attack bile duct tissues lessens damage and may be a way to treat the most common cause of chronically progressive liver disease in children.

July 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a study on fruit flies, scientists have debunked the belief that fasting extends life spans in various organisms, including humans, when they suffer infection. In their study, researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine wanted to see if reduced caloric intake also helps creatures cope with infection.

June 18th, 2009 LONDON - Two new structures, belonging to the oldest branch of the human immune system, have revealed how it fights invading microbes while avoiding problems of the body attacking itself. Both structures involve a central component of an enzyme important to the complement system of the immune response.

June 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Newborns have immature immune system which makes them highly vulnerable to infections. Now, researchers from Children's Hospital Boston claim to have found a novel way to enhance innate immunity that would help keep respiratory syncytial virus, pneumococcus and rotavirus at bay.

May 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers at the University of Missouri, US, have identified important suppressors that negatively regulate the responses of the immune system in the plant species Arabidopsis thaliana, which would allow breeders to create better yielding crop plants. "The immune system provides plants with strong protection from pathogens," said Walter Gassmann, associate professor of plant sciences in the MU Christopher S.

May 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers have identified a critical molecular mechanism that allows the flu virus to evade the body's immune response system. 'We have found a mechanism that the influenza virus uses to inhibit the body's immune response,' said Jae Jung, professor in molecular microbiology at University of Southern California (USC), and the principal study investigator.

May 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The whole world must be going gaga over the equality of sexes, but when it comes immunity, women seem to have an upper hand, according to a study. The study by Dr.

May 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - With the swine flu turning into a global pandemic, scientists have now discovered important clues about why influenza is more severe in some people than it is in others. Researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have shown that the influenza virus can actually paralyse the immune systems of otherwise healthy individuals, which could lead to severe secondary bacterial infections, such as pneumonia.

April 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - 'Babyshambles' frontman Pete Doherty nearly lost his arm after contracting an infection in the limb last year. He has revealed that he had to cancel a number of concerts last December, after being hospitalised with an arm injury.

April 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Chicago have identified a novel compound that primes a plant's immune system, which may lead to the development of disease-resistant plants. The team, which includes Tim Tschaplinski of the Department of Energy's ORNL, has determined that azelaic acid has a role in priming the immunity response in Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant related to cabbage and mustard.

January 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Two common strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA, were eliminated by exposure to a wavelength of blue light. Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections represent an important and increasing public health threat.

January 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Resarchers are close to decoding the mystery of how immune cells fend off infections by remembering and recognising the nature of invading pathogens. Their key finding is that a distinct programme generates memory cells to protect an individual against re-infection.