ADVERTISEMENT
A human torso with the large bowel depicted in blue and the appendix in red.
Why Do Humans Have an Appendix?
Long believed to be purely vestigial, this troublesome organ may play an important role in gut and immune function.
Why Do Humans Have an Appendix?
Why Do Humans Have an Appendix?

Long believed to be purely vestigial, this troublesome organ may play an important role in gut and immune function.

Long believed to be purely vestigial, this troublesome organ may play an important role in gut and immune function.

immune system

A dark haired man is asleep on a grey couch under a darker grey blanket. A box of tissues is under his arm, and he is holding a tissue in one hand.
Why Do I Sleep So Much When I Am Sick?
Shelby Bradford, PhD | Nov 1, 2023 | 2 min read
Some elements of human immune systems serve important functions beyond fighting infections.
Kaitlyn Sadtler standing in front of a laboratory bench
Spectral Flow Cytometry: Separating the Fluorophore Rainbow
Charlene Lancaster, PhD | Oct 24, 2023 | 3 min read
Spectral flow cytometry separates similarly emitting fluorophores and enabled Kaitlyn Sadtler to construct a 24-color rat panel for immunological analyses.
Beyond Cytotoxicity: The Importance of T Cell Memory<br ><br>
Beyond Cytotoxicity: The Importance of T Cell Memory
The Scientist | 1 min read
In this webinar, Grégoire Lauvau and Marcus Buggert will discuss the function and role of memory T cells in health and disease.
Cancer cell
Interrogating the Complexities of the Tumor Microenvironment
Alison Halliday, PhD, Technology Networks | May 19, 2023 | 5 min read
Gaining a better understanding of the dynamic and reciprocal interactions between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment is essential for improving patient diagnosis and treatment.
Engineered T cells attacking a cancer cell
Helping Engineered T Cells Find Their Way to Tumors
Nele Haelterman, PhD | Apr 18, 2023 | 3 min read
Susan Thomas discusses how her team engineered a microfluidic device to screen for T cells with improved homing capability to tumor cells. 
Aging and Cancer
Aging and Cancer
Rebecca Roberts, PhD | 6 min read
The relationship between aging and cancer is complex, with several shared underlying mechanisms. 
Artist&rsquo;s rendition of red SARS-CoV-2 coronaviruses floating near blue strands of DNA.
COVID-19 Infections May Reshape Genetic Landscape
Holly Barker, PhD | Mar 30, 2023 | 3 min read
SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers structural changes in the host cell’s DNA, which provide a molecular explanation for long COVID, a new study suggests. 
Illustration of viruses represented with different colors overlapping each other.
What Happens When You Catch More than One Virus?
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Dec 7, 2022 | 8 min read
The “tripledemic” shines a spotlight on viral interference, in which one infection can block another.
40733-ts-double-edged-sword-webinar-banner-jp800x560
A Double-Edged Sword: When the Immune System Turns Against Us
The Scientist | 1 min read
Klaus Ley and Neeloffer Mookherjee will explore the relationships between inflammation, autoimmunity, and pathology.
jigsaw puzzle with magnifying glass over the word &quot;metastasis&quot;&nbsp;
Breast Cancer Cells Retrain T Cells to Invade Specific Tissues
Nele Haelterman, PhD | Sep 26, 2022 | 3 min read
Scientists discover tumor-associated T cells that drive breast cancer metastasis to lymph nodes.
3D rendered images of three T cell
T Cells Ward Off Aging with Help from Their Friends
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Sep 16, 2022 | 5 min read
Immune cells deliver packages of telomeres to T cells, helping them retain their virus-fighting function over time, research suggests.
Cancer Vaccines: Raising a T Cell Army
Niki Spahich, PhD | 1 min read
Vaccines against various forms of cancer prime the immune system to attack.
illustration of inside of gut with floating bacteria
Finding Could Pave the Way to New, Targeted Antibody Treatments
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jul 8, 2022 | 3 min read
IgA antibodies appear to bind to specific species of commensal gut bacteria in mice, according to a study.
Conceptual image of a person's brain with a cluster of cells inside
Is the Immune System to Blame for Schizophrenia?
Diana Kwon | Apr 18, 2022 | 10+ min read
Several lines of evidence suggest that targeting the body’s defense pathways might help treat a subset of people with the psychiatric disorder. But many open questions remain.
Checking Checkpoints for Treating Cancer
The Scientist | 1 min read
Researchers devise strategies to improve checkpoint inhibitor therapy and predict patient response.
Illustration comparing neural pathway and the humoral pathway
Infographic: How the Body’s Defenses Attack the Brain
Diana Kwon | Apr 18, 2022 | 2 min read
Scientists have pinpointed several pathways through which the immune system could disrupt neuronal functioning and thereby lead to psychotic symptoms.
blue gloved hand putting vial of blood into centrifuge machine
Studies Identify Risk Factors for Long COVID
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jan 26, 2022 | 4 min read
Two recent papers provide insight into possible risk factors for developing the chronic condition, including autoantibodies and diabetes.
LabTalk Podcast - Predicting the Immune Response with Single-Cell Analysis: Autoimmunity, Vaccination, and COVID-19
The Scientist and 10x Genomics | 1 min read
Researchers identify signatures that predict how a person will respond to an immune system stimulus.
3D illustration of a tapeworm infestation in a human intestine
Return of the Worms
Catherine Offord | Dec 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
Immunologists and parasitologists are working to revive the idea that helminths, and more specifically the molecules they secrete, could help treat allergies and autoimmune disease.
ADVERTISEMENT