How does the microscopic amoeba track down prey in the vastness of the forest floor? Ample research on the soil amoeba Dicytostelium discoideum, affectionately called “Dicty” by researchers, has provided some clues. But the mechanisms behind long-distance sensing of bacterial … Continue reading
Journal Club
Highlighting recently published papers selected by Academy members
Category Archives: Immunology
Journal Club: Amoeba have long-distance preference for certain bacteria, pointing to other cell-sensing insights
Categories: Cell Biology | Immunology | Journal Club | Microbiology
Tagged amoeba, behavioral biology, cAMP, Dicty, Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria
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Journal Club: Mutation helps Zika virus evolve to more easily infect mosquitoes, spread infection
Scientists discovered the Zika virus over half a century ago. But it wasn’t until recent outbreaks in French Polynesia and South America that the mosquito-borne virus, now associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults and microcephaly in newborn babies, reached epidemic … Continue reading
Categories: Biochemistry | Immunology | Infectious disease | Journal Club | Medical Sciences
Tagged Aedes aegypti, epidemic, mosquito, virus, Zika
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Journal Club: Macrophages help regenerate ear parts in spiny mice
Salamander tails and fish fins are oft-cited examples of animals’ ability to regenerate a lost limb or organ. But one mammal—the African spiny mouse—has also emerged as a model of regenerative abilities. In a recent study, Ashley Seifert of the University … Continue reading
Categories: Applied Biological Sciences | Cell Biology | Immunology | Journal Club
Tagged macrophage, regeneration, salamander, spiny mouse
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Journal Club: A new strategy for producing polio vaccine without live virus
The poliovirus, which once paralyzed children across the globe, is nearly eradicated in nature. There were just 74 cases of polio reported in 2015, according to the World Health Organization, down from an estimated 350,000 in 1988. Two vaccines contributed … Continue reading
Categories: Cell Biology | Immunology | Infectious disease | Journal Club | Medical Sciences | Microbiology
Tagged capsid, polio, poliovirus, vaccines
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Journal Club: Phage find clever ways to infiltrate resistant bacteria and shuttle DNA between strains
In the gut, in the soil, and myriad other spots, bacteria reign, forming complex communities—but not in isolation. They’re often influenced by bacteria-killing viruses known as bacteriophages. A recent study in Cell now shows how such viruses can infect bystander, … Continue reading
Categories: Cell Biology | Genetics | Immunology | Journal Club | Microbiology
Tagged bacteria, bacteriophage, DNA, horizontal gene transfer, phage, phage therapy, virus
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Journal Club: Social context affects immune system’s ability to fight infection
Social adversity has profound biological effects in the individuals who experience it. Risk of physical injuries and food scarcity aside, it turns out that experiencing adversity changes how effectively immune cells combat infection. But this effect is reversible, a new … Continue reading
Categories: Genetics | Immunology | Journal Club
Tagged gene expression, macaques, natural killer cells, social status
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Journal Club: Can transmissible vaccines have a major role in eradicating disease?
Vaccines are powerful, but they are not perfect. In some cases, communities struggle to vaccinate enough individuals to stop the spread of a pathogen. But suppose that instead of vaccinating most of a population, it were possible to vaccinate just … Continue reading
Journal Club: Zika virus causes eye problems, suggesting implications for diagnostics and transmission
A significant number of Zika patients experience problems with their eyes. Now scientists find that the Zika virus can infect every part of the eye in mice. Moreover, its RNA can be detected in teardrops, and samples from infected eyes … Continue reading
Categories: Immunology | Journal Club
Tagged cornea, iris, optic nerve, retina, tears, virus, Zika
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Journal Club: Removing an immune inhibitor helps protect against lethal fungal infections
Protecting cells from out-of-control immune reactions comes at a price: the same protein that quiets B and T cells to prevent autoimmune responses may also hinder the body’s fight against pathogens. Now researchers have found that in the case of … Continue reading
Categories: Immunology | Journal Club
Tagged candida albicans, cblb, dectin, fungus, ubiquitin
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Journal Club: Low-calorie diets might improve effectiveness of cancer treatments
The old saying goes, “feed a cold, starve a fever”—now scientists might add, “starve a tumor.” In mice, a low-protein, low-calorie diet sensitizes breast cancer and melanoma cells to attack by the immune system, while prodding the immune system itself … Continue reading
Categories: Cell Biology | Immunology | Journal Club
Tagged cancer, diet, doxorubicin
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