Immunology

The evolution of traditional medicine

From shamans and witches to contemporary use of medicinal plants and health tourism, Stephen Mortlock looks at traditional medicines through the ages.

Recent advances and updates in biomedical science

Deputy Editor Ian Paterson, from the Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences at the University of Malaya, summarises the articles recently published in the British Journal of Biomedical Science.

Antibiotic resistance linked to air pollution?

Reducing levels of harmful air pollution could help reduce antibiotic resistance, according to the first in-depth global analysis of possible links between the two.

The immune system and psychosis

Katharina Schmack, who has been awarded over £5m from Wellcome to study the effects of antipsychotic drugs on the immune system, discusses her research.

Novel device for diagnosing tuberculosis

In a new paper, scientists have described a prototype microfluidic lab-on-a-chip system called CAPTURE-XT that can process solubilised sputum from suspected TB patients, capture Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) bacilli for visual analysis (as a substitute for smear microscopy).

Newly discovered genetic defect

In the quest to find the origin of the puzzling symptoms in four children, researchers from St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute (CCRI) and the Medical University of Vienna have discovered a completely new disease, linking disruptions of blood formation, the immune system and inflammation.

Can antidepressants help prevent COVID?

New research from King’s College London has found that community mental health patients who were prescribed antidepressants were significantly less likely to test positive for COVID-19 when admitted to inpatient care.

Autoimmune diseases revisited part 2

In the first article in this series from March 2023, an outline of the history of autoimmunity and significant concepts such as immunotolerance and clonal deletion were introduced. More details of five autoimmune diseases are now presented.

The rise of point-of-care testing

Following the release of national point-of-care testing guidance, we look at the rapidly expanding sector and the vital involvement of biomedical scientists.

“Lost” immune cells and reduced vaccine response

New research has explained that the organisation of the germinal centre – which is vital to the generation of longer-lived protection following vaccination – is altered with ageing.

New vaccine boosts hopes of eliminating meningococcal meningitis

A trial of a new vaccine against meningococcal disease, a cause of meningitis and blood poisoning, has found that it is safe and induces a strong immune response across five serogroups of meningococcal bacteria: A, C, W, Y and X.

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