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 […]
Antibodies: a molecular tag of the immune system
More than ever, we are hearing about how important our immune system is to help us stay healthy. More specifically, a lot of attention has been given to a molecule called antibodies. Scientists are currently running against the clock to harbour the power of antibodies (amongst other immune tools) to design a good vaccine. But […]
How do immune cells talk?
Communication has always been a key characteristic of our society, and it is one of the underlining features of our success. Evolution has allowed us to acquire the ability to speak and but also to develop other types of communications. Verbal, non-verbal, written and visual are a few examples. However, our ability to send information […]
‘Hasta la vista, baby’: CD8 T cell, the killer machine of the immune system
Today I decided to present the role of the coolest immune cell of all. This cell has the ability to kill cells that are infected with virus or bacteria. Now that we already have a general idea of how an immune response works (recognize, remove, remember and repeat) I will start giving you some extra […]
“Gotta Catch ‘Em All”: How immune cells recognize every single pathogen
Think about the number of every single microorganism you have encountered since you were born. Now add to that, all the possible microorganisms you will encounter in the future. If that sounds like a lot, you are completely correct! Now, if you remember from my previous post, I mentioned that our immune cells are able […]
Recognize, remove, remember and repeat: a step-by-step guide to an immune response
Every single day for the past month (at least), we have been hearing a lot about the ability of our body to fight infection. This high influx of information can be overwhelming and confusing. So in this post, I decided to go back to the basics. Now that we know about the “location” of the immune system…
Our natural internal fighters
More than ever, we are being bombarded with information about our body’s natural ability to fight infections. In the past few months, concepts such as herd immunity, antibodies and immunological memory, to name a few, have been slowly added to our vocabulary.
