Tag: immune system

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Autoimmunity: When the body’s defense network goes haywire

by Garrett Dunlapgraphics by Shreya Mantri If you ever doubt how special you are, consider that one of the world’s most sophisticated security forces works non-stop to protect you and you alone. Once a threat to your safety is identified, a highly trained group of spies, intelligence networks, and assassins leap into action to quickly eliminate it and stay on the lookout for similar future … Continue reading Autoimmunity: When the body’s defense network goes haywire

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When Cells Die a Fiery Death: Pyroptosis as a cell’s response to damage and infection

by Haim Mooregraphics by MacKenzie Mauger When you get sick or injured, you will usually notice redness, heat, swelling, and pain. These symptoms are, interestingly, not the result of the pathogen or damage themselves, but rather of the reaction of your own immune system to them. These are typical manifestations of inflammation, the coordinated rush of many different immune cells to the site of injury … Continue reading When Cells Die a Fiery Death: Pyroptosis as a cell’s response to damage and infection

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Immunology v. Ferrari: What the oldest endurance race in the world has in common with immunity

by Haim Moorefigures by Rebecca Senft How familiar are you with your immune system? You might be aware of its role in protection from external threats, but what if I told you that it does a lot more behind the scenes? New research is shedding light on how your immune system carries out several unexpected functions in your body, including repairing wounds post-injury and controlling … Continue reading Immunology v. Ferrari: What the oldest endurance race in the world has in common with immunity

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Insights from the Past: Lampreys give teeth to theories of vertebrate immune system evolution

by Aleks Prochera figures by Jovana Andrejevic Imagine wading through the fresh waters of the Paleozoic era over 300 million years ago. You bump into various ancient marine creatures from fishes adorned with horseshoe-shaped shields to aquatic scorpions the size of a modern-day seal. Around you, however, there also exists an unseen world teeming with microbes: viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Despite their deceivingly microscopic size, these organisms pose a … Continue reading Insights from the Past: Lampreys give teeth to theories of vertebrate immune system evolution

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