Our body is in constant interaction with the external environment, which is composed of changing seasons, physical and mental stress as well as encounters with numerous microorganisms. The food we eat ...

New function of a known defense mechanism discovered: RNA interference not only fights viruses, it also regulates the protein balance of intestinal cells. Besides the skin, the digestive tract is the ...

Researchers have gained new insights into the mechanisms with which certain proteins help the immune defense mechanism in the human body. Pathogens such as viruses or bacteria are wrapped in membrane ...

A (light green) bacterial cell detects a source of stress and is activated (dark green). It adorns itself with alarmones (depicted as red triangles) and can transmit them via cell-to-cell contact with ...

In chronic hepatitis B, the liver contains immune cells that could destroy hepatitis B virus infected cells but are inactive. A team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has discovered that ...

Why do we scratch? Scratching in response to itching is both pleasurable and harmful. In skin conditions, particularly dermatitis, scratching creates a vicious cycle, intensifying the itch and ...