What keeps some immune systems youthful and effective in warding off age-related diseases? In new research done on mice, scientists point the finger at a small subset of blood stem cells, which make an outsized contribution to maintaining either a youthful balance or an age-related imbalance of the two main types of immune cells: innate and adaptive.
Read more …Mouse study sheds light on secret to maintaining a youthful immune system
Maternal antibodies passed across the placenta can interfere with the response to the malaria vaccine, which would explain its lower efficacy in infants under five months of age, according to new research. The findings suggest that children younger than currently recommended by the WHO may benefit from the RTS,S and R21 malaria vaccines if they live in areas with low malaria transmission, where mothers have less antibodies to the parasite.
Read more …Maternal antibodies interfere with malaria vaccine responses
In middle-aged people, having risk factors like blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol that are not well-controlled combined with not following certain healthy habits including exercise, diet and sleep, are linked to a higher risk of stroke, dementia or depression later in life, according to a new study. These results do not prove that not having healthy habits increases the risk of these conditions, they only show an association.
Read more …Live well, think well: Research shows healthy habits tied to brain health