Category Health/Medical

New study finds antibodies in breast milk help shape newborns’ immune systems. (iStockphoto)

The new study shows how antibodies from breast milk interact with the just-forming immune system of the newborn to help shape lifelong immune responses that are key for establishing boundaries and balance between gut microbes and the mammalian host. If this balance fails to become established or later falters, chronic inflammatory conditions, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, may result.

A healthy relationship between host and bacteria is deemed to be “commensal,” essentially meaning that neither is harmed.
In their studies of mice, Gregory Barton and Meghan Koch, found 3 specific types of antibodies, IgA, IgG2b, IgG3 are present in breast milk and promote peace between the immune sy...

One shot: As part of the clinical trial, researchers gave participants a single dose of 3BNC117, a so-called broadly neutralizing antibody capable of fighting a wide range of HIV strains.

The development of antiretroviral therapy, a combination of drugs that slows the replication of HIV in the body, has transformed the treatment of this infection. but there are side effects, including kidney problems, decreased bone density, and gastrointestinal problems. And if a person discontinues his or her treatment, even missing a few doses, the level of the virus in the body is able to rebound quickly. So researchers are developing a new kind of treatment, an antibody-based drug that may provide a better strategy for long-term control of HIV.

Recent findings from a Phase 1 clinical trial offer new i...

Mice with apoE4 had fewer ripples than mice with the normal apoE3 protein, and they had less slow gamma activity during the ripples. Based on these results, the scientists questioned whether these differences in activity affected the ability to form and replay memories. Image is for illustrative purposes only. Image is credited to Andrews-Zwiling Y. et al./Journal of Neuroscience, and is adapted from the Gladstone Institute video.

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered how the major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease causes memory impairment. A specific type of brain activity important for memory replay is disrupted in mice with the E4 version of the apolipoprotein E (apoE4) gene, which may interfere with memory formation...