AUSTIN, Texas — Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of California at San Francisco have revealed how a type of cancer-causing virus called Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) outwits the human body’s immune response. By helping explain why some cancer therapies fail, the discovery might lead to more effective treatments. (more…)
Yale University researchers have identified four unique host defense proteins among thousands that seem to play a crucial role in mobilizing the immune system’s response to bacterial infections, they report in the May 6 issue of the journal Science.
The findings suggest it may be possible to find new ways to assist immune-compromised patients to fight off a variety of pathogens, the authors say.
“We can start to think about how to mimic these chemical processes and deliver them in drug form,” said John D. MacMicking, associate professor of microbial pathogenesis at Yale School of Medicine and senior author the study. (more…)
