immune system

Distracting red color: Parasitic RNA molecules (red dots) that managed to penetrate cell nuclei (blue) of monocytes (green)

The secrets of the malaria parasite's nucleus: How the parasite penetrates the command center of immune cells

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A study by Weizmann Institute of Science scientists reveals that the malaria parasite sends RNA molecules to the nucleus of immune system cells, disrupting their splicing mechanism and diverting the body's defense response from its target.
Relationships: Evolution of the virus and the cell. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Dr. Yotam Bar-On: “Why do viruses always win?” – and what gives us an advantage anyway

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In a lecture at the Technion, Dr. Yotam Bar-On explained how rapid evolution, mutations, and immune evasion allow viruses to outpace the immune system, why vaccines are very successful in some diseases and less so in others, and what we learned from the Corona era.
Mitochondria in the cell: not only energy production, but also signals that direct gene expression

When mitochondrial DNA “directs” the immune system

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Different types of skin diseases. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The relationship between skin development and immune defense

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Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, led by Dr. Idan Cohen and Prof. Roy Gazit, have shown that ZNF750 in epithelial cells synchronizes the development of the skin barrier with immune defense, in part by increasing IL34, which is necessary for development.
(Toxoplasma gondii), a parasite found in cat feces. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Parasite carried by billions leads a 'secret life' inside the brain

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A study in Nature Communications reveals that Toxoplasma gondii cysts are not a dormant reservoir but a diverse system of subtypes, which may explain why there is currently no treatment that eradicates the cysts.
CMV virus. Illustration: depositphotos.com

CMV virus reveals new mechanism for disrupting immune cell movement

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According to the findings, the CMV virus recruited a molecule called CD44, which in research is called the "traffic controller" of the immune system, and thus disrupted the ability of immune cells to reach the place where an effective response begins in time.
Using fMRI. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Breakthrough: fMRI brain training increased antibodies after hepatitis B vaccination

A study by Tel Aviv University, the Technion, and Ichilov in Nature Medicine found that positive anticipation that activates the VTA region of the reward system is associated with a stronger immune response in humans.
Ancient DNA from Denisovans left humans with a significant genetic advantage — a gene variant that could have helped early Americans survive new pathogens, and may still affect our health today. It allowed the Sherpa tribe of Nepal to live easily in the Himalayan highlands. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The hidden Denisovan gene that helped humans conquer the Americas

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Traces of long-buried Denisovan DNA are resurfacing in the genomes of modern humans—and they may still be working in our favor today
Heart disease and cancer and drug treatments – interactions

Between the heart and cancer: Technion researchers reveal surprising interrelationships between heart disease and cancerous tumors

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Researchers at the Ruth and Baruch Rappaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion present complex interrelationships between heart disease and cancer, in the hope that the findings will lead to improved treatment of both diseases.
Immune system cells. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Immune cells "caught red-handed" – new clues for early detection and possible prevention of type 1 diabetes

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Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania analyzed nearly a million immune cells from organ donors, identified a unique subpopulation of CD4 cells in the lymph nodes of the pancreas and changes in B cells in the spleen, and offer a direction for the development of a simple blood test.
Human lung cancer tissue under the microscope. The helper macrophages (in red) are surrounded by enzymes (in yellow) that activate the stimulating part of the antibodies they develop. This targeted action prevents damage to healthy tissue.

Neutralize the defense, go on the offensive: Smart antibodies to fight cancer

Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science have identified immunosuppressive macrophages in tumors and developed smart molecules called MiTEs that target the TREM2 receptor and locally activate IL-2 – with the aim of overcoming resistance to immunotherapy without causing side effects.
Created in BioRender. Lab, R. (2025) https://BioRender.com/flbu8cx

Research conducted at the Faculty of Biology at the Technion reveals a unique mechanism in the aging of the immune system

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In an article in the prestigious journal Nature Aging, researchers present a blueprint for improving the effectiveness of the immune system in old age.
The system of restraints and brakes of the immune system. © The Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine. Ill. Mattias Karlén

Nobel Prize in Medicine 2025: Discovery of the brakes on the immune system

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Artistic visualization of the effect of sugar on gut bacteria – inspired by an illustration by Thom Blum, a student in the group, using AI

Sugar is sweet – but the effect is bitter: White sugar changes gut bacteria and harms the immune system

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Researchers at the Technion have revealed that drinking sugary drinks causes a genetic change in intestinal bacteria, which negatively affects the functioning of the immune system. The good news: the effect is reversible when you stop consuming sugar.
Cytokine storm. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The calm before the storm

Team members in Dr. Adi Zorf-Lorentz's lab at Meir Medical Center have reached new insights into the overactivation of the immune system in HLH syndrome, also known as cytokine storm. Early prediction could have saved
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.

A new direction for fighting cancer: making it incriminate itself

Prof. Yardena Samuels' lab at the Weizmann Institute of Science has succeeded in making cancer cells surrender themselves to the immune system. The new approach may offer hope to incurable patients
Schematic description of one of the approaches in the NanoBiCAR project: Nanoparticles, (1) carrying mRNA molecules that encode a genetically modified protein that activates the immune system, are introduced into the system and taken up by white blood cells formed in the bone marrow (2). These cells produce the protein from the mRNA molecules and secrete it (3). The secreted protein has a dual binding ability: on the one hand, it binds the cells infected with the tuberculosis bacterium (4) or the bacterium itself (5), and on the other hand, it binds killer white blood cells from the immune system (6). The dual binding activates inflammatory and immune processes (6) and ultimately leads to the killing of the cells infected with the bacterium or the elimination of the bacterium itself (7).

mRNA – from vaccines to the fight against tuberculosis

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Researchers from the Technion's Faculty of Biology will develop a new approach to combat infectious diseases as part of the European consortium NanoBiCar. This is the first attempt to use mRNA molecules for tuberculosis and other bacterial diseases in light of the difficult problem of bacterial resistance.

They will die and not learn: The lesson that male worms refuse to internalize

In Dr. Meital Oren-Suisa's lab at the Weizmann Institute, they discovered that male worms learn less well from experience compared to females, and uncovered a neural receptor that is responsible for the difference between the sexes and is also conserved in humans.
Prof. Pamela Bjorkman wins the 2025 Wolf Prize in Medicine. Photo: Wolf Prize Foundation

Wolf Prize in Medicine 2025: Recognition of Prof. Pamela Bjorkman for her pioneering contributions to the understanding of viral defense mechanisms

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Prof. Pamela Bjorkman from the California Institute of Technology won the prestigious award for developing innovative antibody-focused approaches to combat viruses and establishing an infrastructure for advanced vaccine research.
Mouth and teeth bacteria. Illustration: depositphotos.com

How does a common oral bacteria bypass the immune system?

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New research reveals the evasion mechanism of Porphyromonas gingivalis using CD47 and thrombospondin-1, which allows the bacterium to survive in inflamed tissues and increase the risk of systemic diseases.
Prof. Michal Feldman. Photo: Tel Aviv University spokesperson

An impressive achievement: six researchers from Tel Aviv University won ERC Consolidator Grants for 2024

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The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Two researchers at the Hebrew University will receive grants of 2 million euros each from the ERC

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In addition, two outstanding researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem were chosen to join the EMBO young researchers program
Antibiotic resistant bacteria. Illustration: depositphotos.com

An innovative approach to dealing with antibiotic-resistant bacteria

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Section of breast tissue from a triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patient, on the right, and healthy breast tissue, on the left. In the cancer patient, the cancer cells (indicated in light blue) surround cells in their microenvironment that express a high level of CD84 (indicated in purple)

burn the bridges of cancer

The institute's scientists revealed how aggressive breast cancer disrupts the immune response against it, and developed a treatment using an antibody that may be suitable for many types of cancer
Prof. Carmit Levy and Prof. Yaron Carmi

Researchers from Tel Aviv University have discovered a new cancer mechanism, the activation of which eliminates cancerous tumors

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Prof. Carmit Levy: Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment," explains Prof. Carmi, "but about 50% of patients do not respond to the standard treatment - the PD-L1 protein. We found a new protein Ly6a against which treatment with an antibody
A sample from a tumor of a human patient with the most common lung cancer (adenocarcinoma). The presence of senescent cells expressing the proteins P16 (in red) and PD-L1 (in green) can be detected. The cell nuclei in the sample are marked in blue

to open blockages in the immune system

immunotherapy. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Faster, stronger

Weizmann Institute scientists have developed a new approach to increase the rate of division of immune cells in the laboratory, while preserving their ability to kill cancer cells, and have identified optimal time windows in which the cells are particularly lethal. The method may promote
Heart Attack. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Discovery of violations

Copaxone may protect heart muscle cells and improve its function after a heart attack
Imaging of human small intestine tissue using a fluorescence staining method that allows marking a large number of proteins at the same time and thus mapping which proteins are produced in the entire basal area of ​​the intestine

navigate the digestive tract

Photomicrograph of a biopsy from a patient's lungs. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Towards a new generation of treatments for old age diseases

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The bacterium Pseudomonas Aeruginosa causes sinusitis A Hrefhttps Depositphotoscom illustration Depositphotoscom A

Fighting antibiotic resistance using peptide mixtures

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New research highlights the potential of random mixtures of antimicrobial peptides to significantly reduce the risk of resistance development compared to single peptides. These findings highlight the need for innovative solutions to overcome
In the photo, from right to left: Dr. Tanya Dubovic, Prof. Shai Shen-Or, Dr. Alina Strusvetsky and Dr. Martin Lukachishin

Research sheds light on the constant evolution of the immune system

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The researchers of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion show in their article in Nature how the immune system has developed a "developmental space" that allows it to quickly adapt to changes in the environment
The cover photo on the issue: Cell Host & Microbe This is how the bacteriophages (in purple) affect the function of the bacteria by reversing the DNA - a reversal that changes their effect on the immune system. This effect is demonstrated by changing the color of the bacteria from yellow to green. Illustration credit: Tomm Blum

Gut bacteria are able to change their 'software' in response to inflammation, which may affect the immune system

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The intestine is a very dynamic organ that is constantly changing structurally, mechanically and chemically, and the intestinal bacteria are required to cope with this dynamism. One of the qualities that may help them in this is plasticity - the ability
Dr. Catherine Vandorna. Photo: Nitzan Zohar, Technion spokesperson

This is how the bone marrow reacts to injuries and infections

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Dr. Kathryn Vandorna from the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion has developed a new method that allows the monitoring of the formation of immune blood cells in the bone marrow. For this purpose, she used tiny magnetic particles of iron oxide, which
What is needed to prolong life. Illustration: depositphotos.com

A new competition to stop aging with prizes of 101 million dollars

A new competition to stop aging with prizes of 101 million dollars
Bacterial cells before phage infection (left) and after (right). The virus replicates itself inside them and leads to the explosion of the cells and the spilling of their contents (in red - the bacterial DNA spilled from the cell)

Survive with 0% battery: an immune system that drains the cell of energy has been discovered

The new system was discovered in bacteria - but is also used in corals, bees and others
Personalized Medicine Illustrated: depositphotos.com

The discovery that will advance personalized medicine for infectious diseases

This is the first time that researchers succeed in developing personalized tools for infectious diseases, which until now have only been developed for specific diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's
Microglial cells (in green) in the hippocampus region of the brain of an adult mouse, forming contact points with a new neuron (in red)

The biology of depression

Degeneration of the cells of the immune system in the brain may be the biological cause of depression, and there may be substances that can restore these cells - and be antidepressants
Prof. Michal Schwartz. Photo: Weizmann Institute Spokesperson

Prof. Michal Schwartz from the Weizmann Institute won the Israel Prize for research on the relationship between the immune system and the nervous system

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Prof. Schwartz challenged the convention that nerve cells do not regenerate or recover, and discovered that the immune system also takes care of them. She also studied the blood-brain barrier and discovered that it is prevented
Right: Immune clusters in the liver of a mouse containing ILCs, and within them cancer cells (in red). On the left: immune clusters in the liver of a mouse from which ILCs have been removed, and within them cancer cells. The cancer cells thrive more in the mouse liver which contains ILCs

The immune system gets tired - and the cancer spreads

Pools of immune system cells taken from patients and mice with liver cancer and melanoma, partly composed of tired immune cells
Microglial cells that were "ripened" in the laboratory from stem cells derived from ALS patients (in green), the cell nuclei - in blue. Photographed using a confocal microscope

The good mutation

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have discovered a new pathway that may protect nerve cells in the brain and slow down the development of degenerative brain disease
A new study sheds light on an important mechanism in the degradation of white blood cells. Illustration: Maya Factor, courtesy of Tel Aviv University

A new study sheds light on an important mechanism in the degradation of white blood cells

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A mouse intestinal mucosa lined with finger-like protrusions (in white) and containing lymphoid organs (in red) that contain germinal centers (in green). Photographed by confocal microscopy

There is no doubling of promotions: the immune system must choose - short term or long term

When the body's defense systems sacrifice the long term for short term victories
A "topographic map" of a segment on the surface of a T cell. The red areas are the flexible fingers described in the paper (the warmer the color, the higher the labeled area). CCR7 receptors (in black) are located at the highest points on the surface of the fingers

Know when to stop

How do the cells of the immune system know how to brake quickly?
Bacteriophages attack bacteria. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The common fight of bacteria and plants against viruses

A defense mechanism discovered in bacteria may make it possible to improve the resistance of agricultural crops to pests
Plasma cells - B cells of the immune system attack viruses. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The aging immune system: can the wheel be turned back?

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Researchers at the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion deciphered new aspects of the aging of the immune system - and discovered that it is possible to restore its youth
The triple strategy of the corona: 1. A general decrease in the translation products in the cell; 2. Breakdown of messenger RNA molecules of the cell; 3. Preventing the exit of messenger RNA molecules from the nucleus

The triple of the corona

The scientists of the Weizmann Institute of Science, in partnership with the scientists of the Biological Institute in Nes Ziona, revealed how a unique combination of three mechanisms allows the corona virus to escape the immune system
A diagram depicting the activity of B cells of the immune system. . Photo: depositphotos.com

TA researchers have identified a special group of cells in the immune system shared by malaria, AIDS and lupus patients

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In a healthy person, these cells do not exist at all. In patients with malaria, AIDS and lupus, they make up 15%-25% of the B cells
Bacteriophage - a virus that attacks bacteria. Illustration: Illustration: depositphotos.com

A mysterious component in bacteria has been discovered as a last line of defense against viral infection

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Besides solving a 36-year-old mystery, Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have identified thousands of types of these components, which may be used in gene editing
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