Our blood test showed that in people with MS, their immune response to EBV was higher than it was in people who weren’t diagnosed with the condition.
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The gut microbiome and immune system work closely together. However, as people age, the composition and balance of microorganisms in the gut changes, with fewer beneficial bacteria.
A measles virus particle. Measles is one of the most contagious pathogens known.
(CDC and NIAID)
Your immune system is often able to fend off pathogens it’s never seen before. But defending your body against all of them all at once is a tough challenge.
Foreign body responses can cause insulin pumps to degrade.
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From breast implants to prosthetic knees, implants can trigger a foreign body response that results in your body rejecting them. Suppressing an immune cell gene could reduce this risk.
Adam Wheatley, The University of Melbourne and Jennifer Juno, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
Firstly, there is no such thing as ‘too much’ immunity. Beyond the regular side-effects of a vaccine, there are no known additional risks to being re-vaccinated soon after an infection.
Addressing the increased risks of certain diseases among those with Down syndrome could help improve their quality of life.
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Joaquin Espinosa, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
People with Down syndrome have an extra chromosome 21. Understanding the effects of those triplicated genes could help improve the health of those with Down syndrome and other medical conditions.
Insect bites or stings, like the one on this person’s hand, are a manifestation of inflammation.
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Inflammation is a complicated and important part of how the immune system responds to threats to the body. But when the inflammatory response goes awry, it can lead to serious problems.
Evidence is growing there are changes to your immune system that may put you at risk of other infectious diseases.
Researchers can test blood samples taken for other reasons to see if patients have previously had COVID-19.
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Your blood can hold a record of past illnesses. That information can reveal how many people have had a certain infection – like 58% of Americans having had COVID-19 by the end of February 2022.
Although the COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives, they have been insufficient at preventing breakthrough infections.
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Research suggests that too-frequent immunizations may lead to a phenomenon called “immune exhaustion.”
Emergency medical technicians aid a COVID-19 patient at his home in Louisville, Kentucky. Like much of the U.S., Louisville is experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 patients requiring emergency transport to medical facilities.
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Medications to treat COVID-19 are in no way a substitute for the vaccine. But under the right circumstances, some show great promise for helping patients.
An FDA panel has voted against recommending approval of a booster COVID-19 shot for the general population – disappointing some public health officials.
Although there is no evidence yet that it affects COVID-19 vaccines, schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease, has been associated with lower vaccine immunity for several vaccines.
Despite rampant misinformation, studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for both the mom and baby.
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COVID-19 vaccination produces a more consistent immune response than a past infection. With the delta variant, the difference in protection may be even greater.
One of this and one of that might be a good strategy to coronavirus vaccination.
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Various companies use different ingredients and different delivery systems in their COVID-19 vaccines. Researchers are investigating whether it’s better for individuals to mix what’s available.
A man receives the COVID-19 vaccine in Lima, Peru.
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The survival of the human body is a fine balancing act between cell growth and cell death. Understanding our cells’ complex “licence to die” could give us new ways to combat disease.
A sign shows the way to a recovery area to monitor any immediate side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 17, 2020, in Reno, Nevada.
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Many people never experience the least bit of discomfort from the COVID-19 vaccines, but mild side effects are common. They include swelling in the affected arm, nausea and chills.