News

Researchers Uncover Mechanisms That Impair Immune System Defenses

Core processes suppressing anti-viral immunity could be relevant in cancer attacks

The human immune system maintains intricate defenses against a constant wave of attacks from pathogens, but such protections are not limitless. Eventually, these defenses lose their effectiveness or simply stop working against attacks from viruses, bacteria, parasites and even tumors.

Brain Activity Linked to Stress Changes Chemical Codes

Findings may be relevant to other disorders, from autism to PTSD

Five years ago, a team of University of California San Diego neurobiologists published surprising findings describing how rats’ brain cells adopted new chemical codes when subjected to significant changes in natural light exposure—much as humans suffer from “winter blues,” the type of depression known as seasonal affective disorder. A new study implicates a role for light-induced electrical activity in controlling chemical codes.