New Atlas

Medical Audio available

Decade-long study reveals key "master switch" regulating immune system activity

Rich Haridy February 11, 2019

A huge variety of disease essentially stems from a dysfunctional immune system. After ten years of work a new study has revealed, for the first time, the discovery of a molecule that has been found to modulate the immune system’s activity.

It's hoped the discovery of an immune system "master switch" will lead to new clinical treatments ...

Science

Immune cells from the gut found to reduce MS-related brain inflammation

Rich Haridy January 3, 2019

An incredible new study has provided a novel insight into the gut-brain connection, revealing the intestine may be the source of immune cells found to reduce brain inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers.

An immune cell originating in the intestine has been found to reduce brain inflammation associated with ...

Medical

Cannabis improves Crohn’s disease symptoms without reducing gut inflammation

Rich Haridy October 23, 2018

The unexplained beneficial effects of cannabis for Crohn's disease sufferers just got stranger with researchers from Israel finding cannabis oil significantly improves patient symptoms yet, unexpectedly, has little effect on reducing gut inflammation.

A new study upends the conventional hypothesis that cannabis helps Crohn's disease by reducing inflammation in ...

Medical Audio available

MIT research points to autoimmune disease as the cause of glaucoma

Rich Haridy August 12, 2018

An exciting breakthrough has revealed a new hypothesis behind the cause of glaucoma, a common degenerative eye disease. The study found a high number of T-cells present in the retinas of those suffering from the disease, suggesting the condition may have a previously undetected autoimmune cause.

The body's own immune cells may be the culprit behind the slow retinal deterioration associated with ...

Medical

Rebooting the immune system with stem cell transplants trialed for Crohn's disease

Rich Haridy August 6, 2018

A large trial has just been launched in the UK exploring the use of stem cells for treating patients with Crohn's disease. The radical treatment involves essentially "rebooting" a patient's immune system and has been used successfully in the past for multiple sclerosis and some cancers.

"Rebooting" a patient's immune system using stem cells is being explored as a treatment for Crohn's ...

Medical

Huge meta-study confirms link between autoimmune disorders and psychosis

Rich Haridy July 1, 2018

One of the most compelling hypotheses in research today is the belief that psychiatric disorders are related to immune irregularities. A team has added weight to that idea with a meta-analysis confirming people with autoimmune disorders are consistently more likely to develop psychotic disorders.

A study tracking data from 25 million people has found a link between autoimmune disease and ...

Health & Wellbeing

Connection between stress and autoimmune disease affirmed by massive 30-year study

Rich Haridy June 19, 2018

A massive study spanning 30 years of data and examining a cohort of over one million people has found a strong association between persons suffering from stress disorders, including PTSD, and an increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

Does stress trigger the onset or development of autoimmune disease, or is the connection between stress ...