The VirPath team from the International Center for Infectiology Research (CIRI, Inserm Unit 1111 – CNRS Joint Research Unit 5308 – ENS Lyon – UCBL1), in collaboration with the laboratory of Dr. Guy Boivin (Canada Research Chair in Emerging Viruses, Infectious Diseases Research Center of the University Hospital of Quebec – Université Laval), has developed […]
Malaria remains a major cause of mortality in the world, especially in Africa. The disease is caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are transmitted by mosquitoes. In the first hours following infection, parasites injected by the mosquito migrate from the skin to the liver, where they initially multiply before infecting red blood cells. Until now, the […]
Two Inserm teams involving Unit 1058, “Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic Infections” (Inserm/University of Montpellier/French Blood Transfusion Service) and Unit 1051, “Montpellier Institute of Neurosciences,” have just shown that Zika virus can infect the pigment epithelium of the human retina, and may thus be able to cause retinal damage. This study is published in Journal […]
In order to study the potential autoimmune aetiology, Inserm researchers at Unit 1043, the “Toulouse Purpan Pathophysiology Center” (Inserm/University of Toulouse/CNRS), have developed a mouse model that mimics narcolepsy. They thus generated mice expressing an autoantigen, haemagglutinin, specifically in the orexinergic neurons (Orex-HA mice). The mice were injected with effector T cells specific for this […]
Septicaemia is a general inflammatory reaction secondary to an infection. Bacteria discharge into the blood, leading to fever, an increased heart rate, a drop in blood pressure, an increased breathing rate, and a pronounced fatigue of the body. Septicaemia is associated with significant mortality as it effects all of the organs. In France, it is […]
In the mammary gland, the lactiferous ducts are indispensable as they are the conduits through which milk is conveyed to the nipple. Within the cells lining them, the luminal cells, organelles and proteins are asymmetrically distributed. This “polarity” of the cells is the key element in their proper functioning. Among the many factors involved in […]
House dust mite allergy affects over half of asthma patients. The major allergen, Der p 2, is recognised by nearly 90% of allergic patients. Continuous exposure to this allergen leads to a type of asthma characterised by bronchial constriction and inflammation of the airways, which in the most severe cases can lead to considerable disability […]
Segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) are bacteria from the Clostridiaceae family that colonize the intestines of many species, likely including humans, without causing disease; they live in symbiosis with epithelial cells and are involved in the maturation of intestinal immunity. Despite the vital role of SFB in establishing gut immune homeostasis in vivo in mice, scientists, […]
Macrophages are key cells of the innate immune system. By capturing and ingesting microbes in a process known as phagocytosis, they play an important role in defending host tissues against infection. There are two types of macrophage: tissue-resident macrophages, and bone marrow monocytes that circulate in the bloodstream and are recruited in tissues during infection […]
Until the 2000s, the only established risk factor for thyroid cancer was exposure to moderate or high doses of ionising radiation during childhood or early adulthood. In order to better understand all the other factors that may be involved in thyroid cancer risk, a case-control study was conducted in eastern France. The study included 805 […]
