Macrophages, key cells of the immune system, play a central role in cleaning the body by ingesting and destroying pathogens (bacteria, viruses, etc.) and damaged cells. Scientists from Inserm, CNRS and the University of Bordeaux, in collaboration with international teams, reveal that this well-known role is accompanied by another surprising ability: in order to support their activity and metabolism, macrophages are capable of sourcing nutrients directly via the breakdown...
Widely used by the food industry, emulsifiers – a type of food additive – are found in many everyday foods. Given their omnipresence in our diet, the health effects of their consumption have become a real public health issue. Benoit Chassaing, Inserm Research Director and leader of the Microbiome-Host Interactions team at Institut Pasteur (Inserm/Université Paris Cité/CNRS), has previously shown that by acting directly on our gut microbiota, these additives...
Central Africa, especially the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is highly affected by successive mpox outbreaks. Until now, the extent of genetic diversity of the virus had not been well characterised in this region of the world. For the first time, as part of the AFROSCREEN project and the PANAFPOX project, teams from the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in DRC, IRD and Inserm have provided important...
Epidemics of Ebola virus disease occur periodically in several sub-Saharan African countries. Two vaccines have already received WHO prequalification against the Ebolavirus Zaire species. In a new study conducted in Guinea, scientists from VRI, Inserm and Université Paris-Est Créteil (U955 Institut Mondor de recherche biomédicale) have taken a further step in this direction. They have shown that the cellular immune response induced by three different vaccine strategies is...
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterised by the rapid and excessive multiplication of skin cells. Although research is progressing and certain treatments are already able to improve the daily lives of patients, this disease remains incurable. The team led by Carole Peyssonnaux, Inserm Research Director at Institut Cochin (Inserm/CNRS/Université Paris Cité) has shown that a hormone that regulates iron in the body, called hepcidin, is produced by the...
The ANRS DOXYVAC trial, promoted and funded by ANRS Emerging Infectious Diseases, and conducted by research teams from Inserm, AP-HP, Université Paris Cité and Sorbonne Université (France), shows that a rapid rollout of smallpox vaccination with MVA-BN (Modified vaccine Ankara) among HIV-positive men who have sex with men significantly reduces the risk of mpox by 99%.
Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). In over one third of the human population, this parasite establishes a chronic infection of the brain which can have serious consequences in people with compromised immunity. Given the current lack of treatment to eliminate the persistent form of the parasite, a deeper insight into the immune mechanisms controlling this infection is essential if we are to hope...
One of the molecules responsible for triggering the inflammation that causes allergic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, has just been discovered by scientists from the CNRS, Inserm and the Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier. This molecule, from the alarmin family, represents a therapeutic target of major interest for the treatment of allergic diseases.
People living with HIV need to take antiretroviral treatment for life to prevent the virus from multiplying in their body. But some people, known as "post-treatment controllers," have been able to discontinue their treatment while maintaining an undetectable viral load for several years. Starting treatment early could promote long-term control of the virus if treatment is discontinued. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, the CEA, Inserm, Université Paris Cité and...
Allergic diseases affect up to one third of the world's population, and their prevalence is on the increase. In order to develop more targeted and effective therapies, research is mobilizing to better understand the biological and cell mechanisms involved in the onset of allergies. Mast cells – a type of immune cell – is of particular interest to scientists and doctors, but there is little data about them at...
