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Alveolar macrophages in pink from a sick child on a gray grid
Science News

Newly discovered genetic malfunction causes rare lung disease

The absence of a single immune cell receptor has been linked to both fewer defenses against mycobacterial infections, such as TB, and damaging buildup of sticky residue in the lungs.  
Luciano Marraffini smiles in his lab
Science News

A CRISPR pioneer looks back as the first gene-editing therapy is approved

Luciano Marraffini’s research helped lay the groundwork for the newly FDA-approved CRISPR-based therapy for sickle cell anemia. He reflects on how we got here—and where the science is going next.
Light micrograph of Staphylococcus aureus
Science News

How bacteria recognize viral invasion and activate immune defenses

Bacteria have an array of strategies to counter viral invasion, but how they first spot a stranger in their midst has long been a mystery.
cns with etx ms
Science News

The bacteria that may trigger multiple sclerosis

New research suggests that the long sought-after environmental trigger for MS is a toxin produced by certain C. perfringens bacteria.
culex mosquito on human skin against black background
Science News

An immune flaw may cause West Nile virus’s deadliest symptoms

With 40% of encephalitis cases now explained by an autoimmune deficiency, West Nile virus "is by far the best understood human infectious disease in the world. It’s stunning.”
Models of hepatitis B viral particles
Science News

New tool to study hepatitis B could open the door to a cure

Just as the Rice lab’s work on HCV exposed that virus’s weaknesses, the hope is that this novel approach could do the same for HBV.
Teal-colored scanning electron micrograph image of a dendritic cell
Science News

Homing in on the genetics of severe COVID in children

A trio of faulty genes fail to put the brakes on the immune system’s all-out assault on SARS-CoV-2, leading to the inflammatory overload characteristic of MIS-C.
gd cells with tumor
Science News

Colorectal cancer tumors both helped and hindered by T cells

Researchers have long disagreed over whether 𝛄𝛅T cells in the gut promote or discourage tumor growth, but new evidence suggests they have the capacity to do both.
third covid vaccine
Science News

A third vaccine dose may increase protection from Omicron

The booster appears to galvanize memory B cells into producing potent and versatile antibodies that neutralize both the original virus and its many variants.
tuberculosis
Science News

Hundreds of new drug targets to combat tuberculosis

The study highlights genes that, when silenced, render Mycobacterium tuberculosis vulnerable to antibiotics, and identifies existing drugs that may be effective against one prominent strain.
streptococcus pyrogens
Science News

A synthetic antibiotic may help turn the tide against drug-resistant bacteria

The compound attacks MRSA, C. diff, and several other deadly pathogens. Its discovery demonstrates the power of combining computational biology, genetic sequencing, and synthetic chemistry to study bacterial evolution.
staphylococcus aureus
Science News

The genetic underpinnings of severe staph infections

A mutated gene may explain why some Staphylococcus aureus infections turn lethal, a finding with significant implications for people living with 5p- syndrome.
infusion therapy
Science News
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In Brief

Antibody therapy controls HIV for months in new clinical trial

Unlike conventional antiretroviral drugs, treatment with broadly neutralizing antibodies does not rely on vigilant daily dosing and could potentially reduce the body’s reservoir of latent viruses.
Staphylococcus aureus plaque assay
Science News

How bacteria "self-vaccinate" against viral invaders

In studying how bacteria respond to viral infection, scientists are learning that their defense strategies cooperate in ways reminiscent of the elaborate immune systems of animals.
nuclear pore complex
Science News
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In Brief

New comprehensive map of the portal to the cell’s nucleus

The findings, which may have implications for a wide range of human diseases, suggest that nuclear pore complexes vary in structure and function even within a single nucleus.
Soil extracted by Brady lab
Science News

A novel compound might defeat multidrug-resistant bacteria common in hospitals

Increasingly, hospitalized patients contract infections that evade current antibiotics including colistin, long used as a last treatment option. The discovery of a new colistin variant might make it possible to outmaneuver these pathogens.
Theodora Hatziioannou and Bieniasz lab members
Science News

New evidence that boosters may be crucial in protecting against Omicron

Researchers found that the antibodies present in people who have had COVID or taken two doses of mRNA vaccine are inadequate against Omicron. But their protective ability increases significantly after a booster dose.
Llama antibodies COVID
Science News

Llama antibodies could help fight SARS-CoV-2 variants

Scientists have identified hundreds of llama-derived antibodies that potentially could be developed into a COVID treatment. They hope such a drug would be potent against different variants of the coronavirus, including Omicron.
macrophage enteric
Science News

How foodborne diseases protect the gut's nervous system

Prior infections appear to shield enteric neurons, preventing these key components of the body's "second brain" from dying off when future pathogens strike.
Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) laboratory
Science News

Noninfectious versions of SARS-CoV-2 provide powerful research tools

The new experimental system will facilitate efforts to study different coronavirus variants and develop new drugs for
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    • metastasis
    Science News

    Small molecule may prevent metastasis in colorectal cancer

    The compound works by hindering a key pathway that cancer cells rely upon to hoard energy, and is already undergoing clinical trials.
    Science News
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    In Brief

    Novel method for trapping HIV inside its host may give rise to new antivirals

    Human cells can be coaxed into preventing certain enveloped viruses (including HIV, Ebola, and parainfluenza) from escaping their membranes in the lab, a finding that could lead to novel treatments for many viral diseases.
    coronavirus-escape-study-Bieniasz
    Science News

    Could future coronavirus variants fully dodge our immune system?

    Studying dozens of naturally occurring and laboratory-selected mutations in SARS-CoV-2, researchers found that the virus will need to pull off a genetic feat to become fully resistant to antibodies.
    Science News
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    In Brief

    Missing immune molecule may explain why some HPV patients sprout giant horn-like growths

    Scientists identified a mutation that affects one’s reaction to HPV by decreasing the production of CD28, a vital molecule within the immune system.
    coronavirusforefront
    Science News

    Natural infection versus vaccination: Differences in COVID antibody responses emerge

    People who recover from COVID-19 may have better protection than those who received a vaccine, but the benefits of natural immunity do not outweigh the very real risk of disability and death from contracting the disease.
    Science News
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    In Brief

    The common thread in severe COVID-19 

    New studies point to a single molecular explanation for 20 percent of critical COVID-19 cases: insufficient or defective type I interferons.
    tuberculosis
    Science News

    Hunting for TB's most vulnerable genes

    Not every gene that's essential in tuberculosis is also vulnerable to attack. A new study ranks essential genes by vulnerability, allowing researchers to better prioritize future drug targets.
    germinal center collapse
    Science News

    Putting the brakes on immune reactions

    Helper T cells may play a dual role in the immune system, both encouraging and suppressing the process by which B cells mature.
    crisprphage
    Science News

    How CRISPR promotes antibiotic resistance in bacteria

    Whenever a cell uses CRISPR to defend itself, there's a chance of mutations creeping into its genetic code. Some of these mutations are harmless; others kill the cell. But fortuitous mutations can occasionally render major human pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus, antibiotic resistant.
    Science News
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    In Brief

    Vaccines charge up natural immunity against SARS-CoV-2

    Vaccination enhances antibodies in people who have had COVID, likely giving them protection even from the new variants.
    samice Ixodes
    Science News

    Brain disease transmitted by tick bites may be treatable

    The virus that causes tick-borne encephalitis appears to trick the immune system, misdirecting it into producing inferior antibodies. But new research shows some people produce more potent antibodies, providing hope for treatment.
    daniel mucida
    Campus News

    Immunologist Daniel Mucida promoted to professor

    A pioneer in the field of mucosal immunology, Mucida is unlocking the secrets of the digestive system and answering fundamental questions about the origins of human disease.
    Science News
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    In Brief

    How one patient’s rare mutation helped solve a mycobacterial mystery

    The discovery may explain why some patients suffer more severe reactions than others—putting us one step closer to understanding how our DNA influences our susceptibility to a wide range of infectious diseases.
    Blood donation for COVID-19 research
    Science News

    Rockefeller grants commercial license for the development of monoclonal antibodies for treatment of COVID-19

    The treatment, a combination of two antibodies, has been shown highly capable of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 in preclinical studies. Researchers hope it will give countries around the world, including developing countries, a way to control the rampant disease.
    Injection Vial Production Line
    Science News

    COVID-19 vaccines may need regular updates for emerging variants

    Lab experiments suggest that the new strains reported in Britain, South Africa, and Brazil may blunt the potency of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. This could mean that the vaccines will need updates as the virus mutates.
    Coronavirus-intenstines-immunofluorescence
    Science News

    The immune system mounts a lasting defense after recovery from COVID-19

    The study participants continued to improve their antibodies months after initial infection, potentially due to exposure to remnants of the virus hidden in the gut.
    Monoclonal antibodies
    Science News

    Rockefeller begins testing of new COVID-19 antibody drug in people

    Patients in the clinical trial will receive two highly potent antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 discovered at the university. Designed to prevent people with early COVID-19 from developing severe disease, the treatment is urgently needed as hospitals continue to be inundated by repeated surges of inf...
    TMEM41B staining
    Science News

    Scientists map the network of SARS-CoV-2’s helpers inside human cells

    The virus must hijack a more than a hundred human proteins to replicate inside a cell. One of them stands out because it is an absolute requirement for infection by four different coronaviruses as well as by viruses that cause Zika, yellow fever, and other diseases.
    germinalcenters
    Science News

    How the immune system deals with the gut's plethora of microbes

    New research suggests that our immune system may play an active role in shaping the digestive-tract flora, which is tightly linked to health and disease.
    Charles M. Rice
    Awards and Honors

    Rockefeller's Charles M. Rice honored with Nobel Prize for research that contributed to a cure for hepatitis C

    Rice will receive the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for research that led to a cure for hepatitis C, a viral disease affecting 170 million people worldwide. His lab worked on the virus for three decades and became the first to produce a version of it that could be grown and studied i...
    Image from Casanova lab
    Science News

    Scientists trace severe COVID-19 to faulty genes and autoimmune condition

    The findings explain why some people are so vulnerable to the infection, and suggest new avenues for treatment.
    A cross section of the colon with enteric neurons highlighted
    Science News

    Microbes in the gut may influence metabolism

    A growing number of studies find that microbes in the gut directly influence biological processes from bowel movements to behavior. New research reveals how they impact levels of glucose in the blood.
    Science News
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    In Brief

    Scientists uncover antiviral protein that blocks coronavirus infection

    New research identifies a protein that blocks infection by SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, along with several other types. The findings could inform treatment strategies and help us better prepare for future outbreaks.
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    In Brief

    Newly discovered anti-CRISPR protein gives viruses a leg up against bacteria

    Molecular CRISPR-Cas systems, most commonly known for their usefulness as gene editing tools, are ancient defense mechanisms employed by bacteria against viruses. The discovery of a counteracting viral trick could inform scientists' efforts to develop future gene-editing technologies.
    coronavirus-escape-study-Bieniasz
    Science News

    Will SARS-CoV-2 escape future drugs by mutating? The answer may be a nuanced “no.”

    Scientists hope to deploy antibodies in the quest to end COVID-19. A recent study moves them closer to accomplishing a key step: finding out if the virus may acquire resistance to antibody-based drugs or vaccines, and how to potent...

    A neutralizing antibody blocks the entry of a surrogate virus
    Science News

    How toothless mock viruses could advance research on COVID-19

    Scientists have engineered four viruses resembling SARS-CoV-2 to enable faster and safer research on vaccines and treatments.
    SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies
    Science News

    COVID-19 immunology study reveals universally effective antibodies

    New findings characterize human antibody response to SARS-Cov-2, with implications for convalescent plasma therapy, vaccine design, and antibody-based drugs.

    llamas participating in research
    Science News

    How antibodies from llamas may lead to COVID-19 treatment

    Llamas make antibodies that are much smaller than their human counterparts, yet still potent. Scientists hope that future drugs based on these molecules could provide new weapons against SARS-CoV-2.
    Immune cell clusters
    Science News

    Study reveals first evidence inherited genetics can drive cancer’s spread

    Scientists have long struggled to understand what drives a tumor to seed itself elsewhere in the body. New research implicates our own pre-existing genetics.
    Kawasaki disease
    Science News

    Rockefeller scientists investigate life-threatening inflammation affecting children with COVID-19

    The condition resembles a rare childhood illness, Kawasaki disease. Researchers are analyzing blood samples to find genetic clues to what might be causing it.
    DNA code on screen
    Science News

    The gene hunt to explain why some young, healthy people die from COVID-19

    People under 50 without preexisting conditions typically develop mild symptoms of coronavirus infection—but there are exceptions. Researchers are working to identify rare genetic variations that may explain why some in this group have succumbed to the disease.
    Blood donation for COVID-19 research
    Science News

    Scientists are using ‘elite’ antibodies from COVID-19 survivors to develop potent therapies

    Most people infected with the coronavirus are able to fight it off because their immune system produces effective antibodies. Rockefeller scientists are working to turn such antibodies into a drug.

    Biosafety Level 3
    Science News

    Rockefeller scientists launch a broad range of studies into novel coronavirus

    Over 130 scientists in 18 labs are conducting research to advance the development of new, urgently needed approaches for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
    Image of a medicine bottle
    Science News

    Rockefeller grants commercial license for the development of new HIV drugs

    The novel compounds are based on so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies, molecules that make rare people's immune systems capable of fighting HIV. They could potentially yield new treatment and prevention approaches benefitting people around the world, including in developing countries.
    Human cell infected by CMV
    Science News

    Patient with unusually severe infection leads scientists to a rare type of immune deficiency

    A rare genetic change may explain why some people die from cytomegalovirus, a stealth pathogen that is often asymptomatic.
    Small intestine
    Science News

    Scientists examine how a gut infection may produce chronic symptoms

    For some unlucky people, a bout of intestinal distress like traveler’s diarrhea leads to irritable bowel syndrome. Recent discoveries have given scientists a better idea of how this happens, and potential leads for new treatments.
    B cells in germinal centers
    Science News

    New clues about why a universal flu vaccine is so elusive

    To scientists' surprise, the immune system develops its response to each virus variant mostly from scratch, instead of building on what it has already learned.
    human papilloma virus
    Science News

    Study pinpoints rare genetic change that may boost risk of HPV-related illness

    The human papilloma virus is usually kept in check by the immune system, but scientists identified a genetic variant that makes some infected children prone to developing warts in the throat.
    Kidney cells
    Science News

    Findings shed new light on why Zika causes birth defects in some pregnancies

    Researchers have shown that antibodies against Zika might be involved in causing birth defects in babies born to infected women. The findings might provide important caveats for the development of a vaccine.
    Bacteriophages inject their DNA into bacteria, typically resulting in the bacterium’s demise. CRISPR-Cas systems defend bacteria against these attacks.
    Science News

    To curb infection, bacteria direct their defenses against themselves

    To fight off invading viruses, bacteria have evolved a slew of creative defense tactics. New research shows that in some cases, microbes go to great lengths to keep an infection from spreading, even destroying bits of their own genetic material.
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