“Immunotherapies, such as checkpoint inhibitor drugs, have made worlds of difference for the treatment of cancer. Most clinicians and scientists understand these drugs to act on what’s known as the adaptive immune system, the T cells and B cells that respond to specific threats to the body. New research from an international team co-led by George Hajishengallis of the University of Pennsylvania School of […]

“Immune response is a balancing act: Too much can lead to inflammatory or autoimmune disease; too little could lead to a serious infection. Regulatory T cells, or Tregs, are important players in striking this balance, acting as “brakes” on the immune response so it doesn’t go overboard.  Consequently, controlling the numbers and activity of Tregs is crucial in maintaining health. […]

“Owing to a rare genetic mutation, individuals with leukocyte adhesion deficiency type 1 (LAD1) experience a suite of symptoms that trace back to an immune system dysfunction. Many have recurrent bacterial infections and gum disease so serious that they often lose their teeth at an early age.  In a new study in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, School of Dental Medicine researchers and […]

“During inflammation, cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) activate the vascular endothelium to promote leukocyte recruitment into the affected tissues. Leukocytes in the blood first roll along the endothelium and then undergo firm arrest, which depends on adhesive interactions between leukocyte integrins and the endothelial cell surface. The leukocytes then extravasate and migrate to the inflamed site. Ziogas et al. […]

“By pinpointing the underlying cause of one of the most common dental ailments—periodontal disease— Dr. George Hajishengallis forged a path to relief for patients beyond the dentist’s chair. Dr. Hajishengallis, Thomas W. Evans Centennial Professor in Penn Dental Medicine’s Department of Microbiology, has spent most of his career studying periodontitis, an oral disease marked by microbe-driven inflammation of the tissues […]

“Health conditions that involve inflammation run the gamut, from multiple sclerosis and lupus to arthritis, diabetes, and cancer. While inflammation can serve as a normal response to help the body deal with injury or infection, problems arise when it persists, potentially harming surrounding tissues. To prevent or ameliorate this damage, the body relies on a strategy to actively clear inflammation. […]

“T cells help fight off infection, but they can go overboard. A new study led by researchers at the School of Dental Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that a subset of T cells contributes to the problematic inflammation and bone loss that is associated with periodontitis, a severe form of gum disease. The research, conducted with the help of animal […]

“An unhealthy population of microbes in the mouth triggers specialized immune cells that inflame and destroy tissues, leading to the type of bone loss associated with a severe form of gum disease, according to a new study in mice and humans. The research, led by scientists from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) at the National Institutes […]

“Dentists and doctors may be able to “train” their patients’ innate immune cells to protect against infections in the mouth, at a time when the risk of infection is high, such as during chemotherapy, according to a recent study in Cell. “This innate immune training takes place in the bone marrow and results in the production of increased numbers of white […]

“When you receive a vaccine against a disease like polio or influenza, your immune system gears up to defend against that particular infection. If you wind up getting chickenpox instead, or even a slightly different strain of the flu, you would be out of luck. That’s because traditional vaccines enlist the adaptive immune system, the functions of which are carried […]