#H5N1 influenza viral lineages beginning to evade #human #immunological defenses, research finds
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-h5n1-influenza-viral-lineages-evade.html
New computational modeling of avian influenza variants' immunoprotein interactions—developed by a research team at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte—reveals the H5N1 influenza virus is evolving to escape immunological defenses raised by previous infection or vaccination in mammals.
The following hashtags are trending across South African Mastodon instances:
#nanobodies
#camels
#medical
#infectious
#cancer
#alzheimer
#antibodies
#immunological
#discovery
#university
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Could the blood of camel species help save us from serious diseases? | DW Documentary
What’s known as #nanobodies from the blood of #camels are at the heart of a #medical revolution. Due to their special properties, these nanobodies can be used in a variety of ways, whether in the fight against #infectious diseases, in #cancer therapy or in the diagnosis of #Alzheimer's disease.
Small #antibodies with a big impact: camel blood contains #immunological superpowers. It all began in the 1990s with a chance #discovery at the Free #University of #Brussels: students used #dromedary blood in an experiment and came across previously unknown antibodies. The university #scientists discovered that these antibodies are present in all camel species. And, they have amazing properties. Small fragments can separate from the base of the antibody -- without causing any damage and while retaining their full binding capacity.
This was the discovery of the nanobody: a tiny, extremely robust #molecule which, due to its small size, can also penetrate areas too small to be targeted by complete antibodies. The nanobody, however, can attach itself with extremely high precision to pathogenic antigens.
This discovery triggered a wave of innovations and shook up the big #pharmaceutical companies. In 2018, the first drug based on nanobodies went on the market, designed to combat an autoimmune #blood clotting disorder. Numerous potential applications were developed within a very short space of time. Whether in the fight against cancer, in Alzheimer's diagnostics or to kill #pathogenic #bacteria - the success of camel antibodies has been so resounding that many #medical research centers now have their own herds of llamas or alpacas.
But why do members of the camel family in particular have such immunological superpowers? With the help of camel experts and microbiologists, the documentary sheds light on the surprising abilities of camels and the medical revolution of nanobodies.
#Microbes that 'eat together' may benefit from a shared #immunological memory.
#mutualism #viruses #bacteria #archea #CRISPR
https://phys.org/news/2023-04-microbes-benefit-immunological-memory.html
The #ionchannel #CALHM6 controls #bacterial infection-induced cellular cross-talk by regulating ATP release at the #immunological synapse to control NK cell activation
Sara Danielli, Zhongming Ma, Kevin Foskett, Jelena Bezbradica et al
Angstrom Minerals
CellBioNews
Mastodon Trends South Africa
AfricaUnion
Scientific Frontline
Giuseppe Michieli
halama_immuno
The EMBO Journal