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immunology, cell & molecular biology

Tiny Tunnels Run from the Skull to the Brain: Study
Ashley Yeager | Aug 29, 2018 | 2 min read
Immune cells travel through these passageways to get to injured tissue quickly, researchers say.
Natural Killer Cells Prove Effective as a CAR Therapy in Mice
Katarina Zimmer | Jul 6, 2018 | 4 min read
Stem-cell–derived natural killer cells engineered in a similar way to CAR-T cells may pave the way to “off the shelf” cancer therapies that aren’t patient-specific.
A T-Cell Tweak Combats Advanced Breast Cancer
Ashley Yeager | Jun 5, 2018 | 2 min read
The immunotherapy eliminated a woman’s metastatic lesions and kept her disease-free for two years.
Stem Cell Vaccine Protects Mice From Cancer
Ruth Williams | Feb 15, 2018 | 3 min read
Stem cells and cancer cells have enough molecular similarities that the former can be used to trigger immunity against the latter.
Researchers Discover 10 New Immune Systems in Bacteria
Jim Daley | Jan 25, 2018 | 3 min read
The findings more than double the number of known defense mechanisms, piquing the interests of molecular biology tool developers.
European Research Council Founder, Molecular Biologist Dies
Catherine Offord | Nov 20, 2017 | 2 min read
Fotis Kafatos, a Greek researcher famous for his work on malaria, has died at age 77.
Microglia Turnover in the Human Brain
Shawna Williams | Oct 1, 2017 | 2 min read
Researchers find that about a quarter of the immune cells are replaced every year.
Macrophages Are the Ultimate Multitaskers
Claire Asher | Oct 1, 2017 | 10+ min read
From guiding branching neurons in the developing brain to maintaining a healthy heartbeat, there seems to be no job that the immune cells can’t tackle.
Infographic: Macrophages Around the Body
Claire Asher | Sep 30, 2017 | 2 min read
In addition to circulating in the blood as immune sentinels, macrophages play specialized roles in different organs around the body.
The Ever-Expanding T-Cell World: A Primer
Ashley P. Taylor | Aug 7, 2017 | 8 min read
Researchers continue to identify new T-cell subtypes—and devise ways to use them to fight cancer. The Scientist attempts to catalog them all.
Researchers Uncover Previously Unknown Immune Cell Subtypes
Aggie Mika | Jul 16, 2017 | 2 min read
Using single-cell RNA sequencing, scientists characterize new populations of dendritic cells and monocytes.
Week in Review: October 17–21
Jef Akst | Oct 20, 2016 | 2 min read
Report finds that pathologist involved in anonymous defamation case committed multiple acts of misconduct; growing eggs from stem cells; neutrophils’ role in metastasis; convergent evolution in birds
What Sensory Receptors Do Outside of Sense Organs
Sandeep Ravindran | Sep 1, 2016 | 10+ min read
Odor, taste, and light receptors are present in many different parts of the body, and they have surprisingly diverse functions.
One Receptor, Two Ligands, Different Responses
Ruth Williams | Aug 30, 2016 | 3 min read
Host and bacterial ligands that interact with the same cell-surface receptor induce different activities in human macrophages. 
One Antigen Receptor Induces Two T cell Types
Ruth Williams | Aug 26, 2016 | 3 min read
Precursor T cells bearing the same antigen receptor adopt two different fates in mice.
Immune Cell–Stem Cell Cooperation
Sarthak Sinha, Jeff Biernaskie, and Waleed Rahmani | Jul 1, 2016 | 10+ min read
Understanding interactions between the immune system and stem cells could pave the way for successful stem cell–based regenerative therapies.
Immune Cells' Roles in Tissue Maintenance and Repair
Jeff Biernaskie, Sarthak Sinha, and Waleed Rahmani | Jun 30, 2016 | 1 min read
The cells of the mammalian immune system do more than just fight off pathogens; they are also important players in stem cell function and are thus crucial for maintaining homeostasis and recovering from injury.
Tumor Traps
Kerry Grens | Apr 1, 2016 | 2 min read
After surgery to remove a tumor, neutrophils recruited to the site spit out sticky webs of DNA that aid cancer recurrence.
Amoebae Have Human-Like Immunity
Jef Akst | Mar 2, 2016 | 2 min read
Dictyostelium discoideum produce extracellular nets that can kill bacteria, just as phagocytes in people and other higher animals do, according to a study.
Mutations Not Tied to Metastasis
Kerry Grens | Feb 25, 2016 | 3 min read
Clinical cases link immune changes to a cancer’s spread through the body, but find no role for so-called “driver” mutations.
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