Arctic birds weaken their own immune systems to save energy for hunting and keeping warm during the coldest months, study shows Study authors examined the immune system of the Svalbard rock ptarmigan They found it can deliberately weaken its immune system to conserve energy It does this during the five coldest months of the year from October … Read more
The novel coronavirus ‘hijacks’ our body’s cells by blocking certain genes that fight against infections, a new study suggests. Viruses, such as the flu, usually interfere with two sets of genes: one that prevents viruses from replicating and the other that sends immune cells to the infection site to kill viruses. But researchers found SARS-CoV-2 behaves … Read more
Exotic animals known as ‘pangolins’ that were blamed for first transmitting coronavirus from bats to humans could be IMMUNE to the deadly disease, study claims Pangolins lack virus-sensing genes that normally trigger an immune response This means that they can carry the virus without necessarily suffering from it However, researchers are not sure how, then, the … Read more
Coronavirus immunity may not be equal: Not all recovered patients develop the same antibodies against the virus – and most are protected for at least 2 weeks, small study suggests Researchers looked at immune cells in in 14 recovered patients compared to six healthy controls All 14 patients had higher levels of both IgM antibodies, … Read more
Being fat triggers a ‘troublesome’ immune response to COVID-19, scientists fear. Scientists advising Government ministers are exploring potential underlying mechanisms that could increase the risk of death for obese patients. According to data from intensive care units, people of a healthy weight make up a minority of critically ill COVID-19 patients. Almost three quarters are carrying … Read more
Elderly coronavirus patients could be given anti-ageing drugs to restore their ‘young’ immune system and help them fight the coronavirus, scientists say. Over 80 per cent of COVID-19 hospitalisations are those over 65 years of age with a greater than 23-fold increased risk of death. As a person ages, their immune system becomes suppressed and … Read more
There are two distinct categories of virus. Organic, microscopic living ones that have existed since the earliest stages of life on Earth billions of years ago, and digital computer-based ones that have only become widespread in the past 20 to 30 years. Both organic and digital viruses can potentially cause huge harm and disruption but … Read more
Re-engineering coronavirus patient’s ‘own’ immune cells to target and destroy virus-infected tissues could be the key to treating the disease, researchers say Researchers say the therapy involves extracting immune cells, called T lymphocytes, from a coronavirus patient’s blood stream Then receptors on the surface of the cells are engineered to recognize cells infected with the … Read more
Do testicles make men more vulnerable to coronavirus? Study suggests testes harbour Covid-19 giving virus sanctuary from immune system Covid-19 attaches to a cell protein called ACE2, which is found on the testes The same protein is not present in as high numbers on female ovarian tissue Men are dying from coronavirus at twice the … Read more
Daily cup of green tea could be the answer to allergies by suppressing immune system responses, scientists discover 40 per cent of green tea made up of bacteria Flavonifractor plautii – FP for short Researchers discovered FP lowers blood pressure and helps to regulate weight Study was carried out by academics at the Shinshu University … Read more