I’m not lazy, it’s called selective participation – Explaining T cell anergy
Our internal mechanism of defence (known as the immune system) is made of many different cell types that together help protect us against infections and cancer. Today we are talking (again) about my favourite cell type, called T cell. To do their job, they need to receive specific signals allowing them to be activated and ready to […]
How viral mutation can impact the immune system (feat. Dr. Pardy)
I’m delighted to continue the interview series with trainees in immunology around the world. In this post, I’m featuring Dr. Ryan Pardy, an outstanding postdoctoral fellow from Dr. Christopher Hunter’s laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania. I’m fortunate that Ryan accepted my invitation, as he is not only one of my “role model scientists” but […]
Do T cells ever get “tired”? An introduction to T cell exhaustion
Two weeks ago I did a road trip with my (now) fiancé and our beautiful dog. We visited cities in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. We had an amazing time, but as soon as we got home there were a million chores to do (unpacking, laundry, groceries, etc). I was so tired […]
“I have a message for you”: an introduction on mRNA vaccines
I’m almost 100% sure that you have received a message today. Maybe an email, an SMS or a text on any of your social media accounts. We are all being bombarded with messages every single day, telling us to do this, and that. The funny thing is… it is not that different inside of our […]
Glioblastoma: a deadly game of hide and seek
It is the start of a new year. New goals, new planner, new routines. We know exactly what we have to do, when we have to do it, and we are ready to start strong! It is like a new cycle. Although nothing has truly changed from December 31st at 11:59 pm to January 1st […]
The thymus: from earth to space
Guess what, today I’m going to talk about the coolest organ of them all, one that does not get as much attention as it deserves (some bias was added to this sentence). This organ ensures the development of our immune cells which are specialized in fighting infection and cancer. Yes, we will be talking about […]
Our Internal “Immune GPS”
Do you remember the last time you had to go to a new place but didn’t know the way? You probably had no issue finding the path to reach your expected destination. Today, our phones will act as GPS and provide us with precise directions to go from point A to point B. Easy, right? […]
Could you please be tolerant? How the immune system prevents autoimmune diseases
If you are a little bit like me, you have also spent a lot of time trying to figure out how exactly our body is able to function the way it does. Picture this. The immune system is your internal defence mechanism, in order to provide you with the correct level of protection, it needs […]
The first immune steps following viral exposure
Let’s say you were walking on the street and as your colleague crossed you she said “Good Morning!”… Sorry to break the news, but it might not be such a good morning for you. That is because, unfortunately, your colleague was infected. Yes, she was carrying a virus and as she talked, little droplets left […]
Inside a scientist’s mind: how to study the effects of viral infections
For the past few months, we all increased our appreciation for the work done by scientists. But, a few of us might be thinking… “Come on, why is it taking so long to generate this vaccine?” I have to break the news and tell you that there are so many, SO MANY, aspects that have […]