“Both inside and out, our bodies harbour a huge array of micro-organisms. While bacteria are the biggest players, we also host single-celled organisms known as archaea, as well as fungi, viruses and other microbes – including viruses that attack bacteria. Together these are dubbed the human microbiota. Your body’s microbiome is all the genes your […]
Type 2 inflammatory responses involve both innate and adaptive immune systems and are triggered by exposure to infectious pathogens and environmental antigens, as for example helminths, allergens, and venoms. These responses are characterized by activation of T helper 2 cells and subsequent release of type 2 cytokines, such as interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5, IL-9, and IL-13, […]
Molecular sensors enable eukaryotes to recognize microbial pathogens and their products, thus operating as major players in the protective mechanisms of the innate immune response. In addition to microbial pathogens, innate molecular sensors recognize signals from damaged tissues. The response of innate molecular sensors is typically immediate but short-lived. However, excessive activation and/or engagement of […]
“Western cultures have generally regarded bats with superstition and fear; but in China, expressed in art and handicrafts, the bat has achieved respectability as a symbol of happiness and good luck. Too often, popular misconceptions have labeled bats as “dirty,” “disease carriers,” or “blood suckers,” an unenviable—and unjust—reputation to be sure. In reality, the more than 1,300 bat species […]
A few days ago, results from the landmark NASA’s “Twin Study” were published in the scientific journal Science (April 12, 2019). The study was carried out in 2015/2016 to understand the health impact of long-duration spaceflight, and centered around astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly, who are identical twins. One of the twins, Scott Kelly, was […]
Climate change is expected to significantly influence the geographical distribution and impact of infectious diseases worldwide, especially those that require vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks for transmission. However, undernutrition has been identified as the greatest effect of climate change on health. Now, results from a new study published February 19, 2019, in the Proceedings […]
The immune system of the newborn is shaped by the environment that was present at the maternal/fetal interphase, by the conditions encountered during the transition from the protected maternal environment to the outside world, and by the conditions encountered during the first weeks of life. However, the understanding of the forces that shape the newborn’s […]
A few years ago, the Zika virus and related risk of microcephaly noticeably increased public awareness of the detrimental effects of maternal infection on the offspring. However, Zika is only one of a large number of stressors that, by causing immune activation in pregnant women, generates a significant global health hazard. Notably, maternal immune activation […]
Why does hair turn gray? Laurence Meyer, a dermatologist at the University of Utah, offers this explanation: “The pigment in hair, as well as in the skin, is called melanin. There are two types of melanin: eumelanin, which is dark brown or black, and pheomelanin, which is reddish yellow. Both are made by a type […]
Tissue injury or infection results in the development of a rapid local inflammatory response, a cascade of events necessary for the clearance of invading microbes, the minimization of tissue damage, and finally the restoration of normal tissue function, or resolution. The resolution phase occurs without compromising host defenses. Similarly to other biological cascades, the inflammatory […]