CD8+ T cells tagged posts

A common nutrient could supercharge cancer treatment

Orange veggies
Zeaxanthin is a carotenoid, a type of yellow-orange pigment found in plants.

A simple nutrient from everyday vegetables could help supercharge the body’s fight against cancer. A common eye-health nutrient, zeaxanthin, may also help the body fight cancer more effectively. Scientists discovered it strengthens Tcells and enhances the impact of immunotherapy treatments. Found in everyday vegetables and supplements, it’s safe, accessible, and shows strong potential as a cancer therapy booster. Human trials are the next step.

Researchers at the University of Chicago have uncovered a surprising new role for zeaxanthin, a plant-based compound best known for supporting eye health...

Read More

Immune T cells become Exhausted in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients

Immune T cells become exhausted in chronic fatigue syndrome patients
scRNA-seq analysis of T cells in ME. Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2415119121

Chronic fatigue syndrome creates conditions where pathogen-killing immune T cells become exhausted, according to a new Cornell University study.

The study’s authors knew the immune system was dysregulated in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) but wondered which parts shift with the condition.

A systematic exploration revealed that key CD8+ T cells displayed one of the most pronounced signatures of dysregulation, with signs of constant stimulation that lead to an exhausted state, a condition that is well-studied in cancer.

“This is an important finding for ME/CFS because now we can examine the T cells more car...

Read More

Chronic Stress Accelerates Colorectal Cancer Progression by Disrupting the Balance of Gut Microbiota, study shows

intestine
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Cutting-edge research has uncovered how chronic stress disrupts the balance of gut microbiota to speed up the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC), opening new avenues for CRC prevention and treatment.

By eliminating certain gut bacteria and inducing stress, researchers were able to conclude a relationship between stress and gut microbiota in the progression of CRC, identifying a particular bacterial species as a potential therapeutic target.

Presenting the study at UEG Week 2024, lead researcher Dr...

Read More

Why we Lose Fat and Muscle during Infection

Parasitic Trypanosoma brucei parasites (dark blue) among mouse blood cells (light blue and white).
Parasitic Trypanosoma brucei parasites (dark blue) among mouse blood cells (light blue and white).

Scientists discover role immune system’s T cells play in regulating fat and muscle loss during infection in mice. Scientists discovered that 1) the wasting response to T. brucei infection in mice occurs in two phases, each regulated by different immune cells and 2) fat loss did not benefit the fight against infection, but muscle loss did. The findings inform the development of more effective therapeutics that spare people from wasting and increase our understanding of how wasting influences survival and morbidity across infections, cancers, chronic illnesses, and more.

Although infections can present with many different symptoms, one common symptom is the loss of fat and muscle, a proc...

Read More