Category Health/Medical

A protective immune system cell disappears from a key form of fat, but only in those who are obese

A protective immune system cell disappears from a key form of fat, but only in those who are obese
Loss of Srebf2 alters VAT Treg subset composition. Credit: Science Immunology (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adl4909

The mammalian immune system is an evolutionary wonder. It’s capable of recognizing and destroying cancer cells, and it can deploy armies of antibodies against viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi.

Among the lesser-spotlighted roles of the immune system is how a particular T cell helps maintain homeostasis—fostering a balanced and stable metabolic environment—in fat cells. It’s a role that has captured the investigatory eye of an elite team of immunologists.

Having a stronger understanding of the dynamic metabolic activities and signaling pathways in fat tissue can aid new strategies to treat obesity, a major global health concern...

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mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines train the ‘long-term memory’ of the immune system, study reveals

mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines train the 'long-term memory' of the immune system
Cytokine release in macrophages following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination. Credit: Molecular Systems Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s44320-025-00093-6

Researchers at the University of Cologne and University Hospital Cologne have determined that the novel mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines not only induce acquired immune responses such as antibody production, but also cause persistent epigenetic changes in innate immune cells.

The study, “Persistent epigenetic memory of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in monocyte-derived macrophages,” led by Professor Dr. Jan Rybniker, who heads the Division of Infectious Diseases at University Hospital Cologne and is a principal investigator at the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), and Dr...

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Cancer researchers identify the ‘switch’ that allows intestinal cells to regenerate after injury

Cancer researchers identify the 'switch' that allows intestinal cells to regenerate after injury
Suppressing H3K36 methylation induces the accumulation of abnormal secretory cells. Credit: Nature Cell Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41556-024-01580-y

Researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center have solved a cellular mystery that may lead to better therapies for colorectal and other types of cancer.

Peter Dempsey, Ph.D., professor of pediatrics–developmental biology in the CU School of Medicine, and Justin Brumbaugh, Ph.D., assistant professor of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at CU Boulder, recently published a paper in the journal Nature Cell Biology showing the importance of the H3K36 methylation process in regulating plasticity and regeneration in intestinal cells.

“The intestine has an enormous ability to regenerate itself after injury, an...

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An at-home smell test could pave the way for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease

An at-home smell test could pave the way for early detection of Alzheimer's disease
AROMHA Brain Health Test. Following online prescreening and online consent, the web-based program instructs you through the 5 bilingual (English / Spanish) cards (A). Card A comprises a practice odor P followed by the 9 odor labels comprising the OPID9 test. Adjacent in the blue box (B) is the workflow for these tests as directed by the testyourbrainhealth.com software to generate the OPID9, OPID9noguess, and average intensity scores. After a 10-minute break, participants are instructed to work through Cards B and C using the workflow in the green box (B) to generate the POEM, OPID18, and OPID18noguess scores. Then participants are instructed to move on to Cards D and E using the workflow in the purple box (B) to generate an OD10 odor discrimination score. Credit: Scientific Reports (202...
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