Systemic immunology

Alzheimer's. Illustration: depositphotos.com

From cancer to Alzheimer's: Engineered immune cells reduce protein deposits in the brain

In a study published in PNAS, T cells were engineered to recognize amyloid proteins in the brain; the injections reduced the extent of deposits and markers of brain inflammation—offering a new direction for degenerative brain diseases
Tolerance Patrol: Mouse lymph tissue with a cluster of immune system cells (marked in green, red, and blue) that communicate with each other and lead to food tolerance

The immune system knows when not to fight — and thus prevents food allergies

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists reveal how the immune system allows us to eat whatever we want, without developing an allergy or disease.
DNA. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The genetic switch that brings immune cells back into battle

In Prof. Ido Amit's laboratory at the Weizmann Institute of Science, they identified a gene whose silencing reprograms immune system cells and can transform them from cancer supporters to cancer killers.

New immune mechanism discovered in the cellular trash can

In the laboratory of Prof. Yifat Marbel at the Weizmann Institute of Science, a vast reservoir of antimicrobial substances was discovered that are naturally produced in the body's cells as part of the process of breaking down proteins that have completed their function. The new discovery is