T cells
Creative Minds: Can Microbes Influence Mental Health?
Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins
Elaine Hsiao
Credit: NIH Common Fund
While sitting in microbiology class as a college sophomore, Elaine Hsiao was stunned to learn that the human gut held between as much as 6 pounds of bacteria—twice the weight of an adult human brain. She went on to learn during her graduate studies in neurobiology that these microbes had co-evolved with humans and played important roles in our bodies, aiding digestion and immune function, for example. But more intriguing to her, by far, was new research that suggested that gut bacteria might even be influencing our thoughts, moods, and behavior.
Now a senior research fellow at the California Institute of Technology, Hsiao is launching her own effort to explore how these microbes can affect brain function—a very creative endeavor made possible through NIH’s Early Independence Award program—also known as the “skip the postdoc” award.
Personalized Cancer Vaccine Enters Human Trials
Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins
Caption: The new melanoma vaccine, which is implanted beneath the skin, is now being tested in human trials.
Credit: Wyss Institute and Amos Chan
This aspirin-sized disk is the first therapeutic cancer vaccine implanted beneath the skin [1]. We know it can eradicate melanoma in mice—the deadliest form of skin cancer—with impressive efficacy [2]. Now, it’s being tested in human trials.
Taking a Snapshot of the Human Immune System
Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins
Source: National Cancer Institute Visuals Online, NIH
There are numerous tests to gauge the health of your heart. But no such widely accepted test exists for the many parts of the immune system. How can we tell if the immune system is strong or weak? Or quantify how badly it’s malfunctioning when we suffer from asthma, allergies, or arthritis?
A team led by scientists at Stanford University has taken the first steps toward creating such a test—by taking “snapshots” of the immune system.
Before we talk about what they did, let me review how the immune system protects us against disease. The innate immune system is like a standing army that defends us against invading microbes. But the innate system has no memory. It doesn’t recognize the invaders more quickly if they return. This is the job of the adaptive immune system—B and T cells. These cells not only remember invaders; they’re able to adapt their weapons—antibodies and T-cell receptors—to make them more effective. Think of them as the Special Forces.
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