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 […]
Against the current background of global warming, the relationship between the temperature and mortality is taking on a totally new significance. Are we getting used to rising temperatures over the years? This is the question that researchers in the Inserm Unit 1169 team ‘Epigenetics and Environment’ (Inserm/CEA/Paris-South University) are trying to answer. By analysing the […]
The carotid arteries are essential for supplying blood to the brain. In a study published online in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, researchers from Inserm, in collaboration with those involved in the Three Cities Study (3C), have focused on the relationships between atherosclerosis and the risk of dementia in older subjects. Atherosclerosis is characterised by […]
The rate of caesarean deliveries varies considerably throughout Europe, according to a new study from the EURO-PERISTAT project, published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. We know that the likelihood of a caesarean delivery is greater for women in their first pregnancy, for women who have already had a caesarean section, and […]
Exposure to stress during sensitive periods of development in childhood could alter the functioning of the various physiological systems and affect health in the long term. This has been revealed by a study conducted by the Inserm team led by Cyrille Delpierre, Inserm Research Fellow, and published in PNAS. Adverse experiences in childhood may take […]
During fasting, in order to cope with nutrient depletion, cells break down their own constituents, a process known as autophagy. Roméo Ricci’s team at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (CNRS/Inserm/University of Strasbourg) has shown that, during fasting, the pancreatic beta cells, which are responsible for insulin secretion, do not compensate for […]
Withdrawal, experienced by people when they stop using addictive drugs such as cocaine, induces states of anxiety and depression. This process makes the individual want to take the substance again, and thus plays a role in the establishment of drug addiction. The depressive syndrome thus represents an additional obstacle to be overcome when addicts are […]
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 […]
Some activities, such as walking or breathing, are unusual in that they can be carried out voluntarily or automatically. For example, every one of us can decide to take a deep breath and keep our lungs inflated for a few seconds, and then exhale slowly. However, most of the time we breathe without thinking about […]
