immune system news stories on Newser

Low Social Status Bad for Your Health

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:00:00 CDT

It's not only good to be king—it’s good for your health, according to a new study. British research has long shown that underlings in the corporate pecking order suffer from more stress-related, life-threatening health problems than the executives who order them around. Now the Economist reports that a study...

My, What a Sexy Immune System You Have

Dustin Lushing — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 08:22:18 CST

Why do women swoon over handsome men like Brad Pitt? Not merely for their rippling muscles or striking faces, but because of their robust immune systems, according to a new study. Men who appear seductively macho have higher testosterone, and the study found a correlation between testosterone levels and a...

Immune System Researchers Win Nobel

Matt Cantor — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 06:44:56 CDT

The week of Nobel Prize announcements has begun, and first up was medicine, which was awarded today. The winners: three researchers who have made key discoveries about the immune system. American Bruce Beutler, Luxembourg native Jules Hoffmann, and Canadian-born Ralph Steinman "have revolutionized our understanding of the immune system by...

Women Better at Fighting Disease

Kevin Spak — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:54:01 CDT

Ever wonder why women tend to live longer than men? Well, it turns out the fairer sex is made of stronger stuff when it comes to fighting off disease and riding out shocks to their systems, according to a study published today from Ghent University in Belgium. Researchers found that...

Scientists Find Trick to 'Disarm' HIV

Kevin Spak — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:42:07 CDT

A group of US and European scientists have discovered a way to prevent the HIV virus from harming the immune system, in a breakthrough that could lead to an entirely new approach to fighting AIDS. They discovered that by extracting cholesterol, they could render the virus a sitting duck for...

Sex With Neanderthals Boosted Our Immunity

Matt Cantor — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:55:06 CDT

Three years ago, scientists thought humans had never had sex with Neanderthals. Last year, they changed their tune—and now it looks like DNA passed down from Neanderthals has had a “profound impact” on our immune systems. Scientists compared a section of the modern human genome to the same area...

Happiness Leads to Longer Life, Say 160 Studies

Nick McMaster — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:40:05 CST

Being happy—or at least optimistic—makes you live longer, found scientists analyzing the combined results of more than 160 studies. "Happiness is no magic bullet," one scientist said, but there's "clear and compelling evidence" linking positivity and longevity. Some studies, for example, linked an upbeat, "glass-half-full" attitude to a...

Simple Blood Test May Detect Alzheimer's

Nick McMaster — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:20:41 CST

Researchers say they've found another possible way to detect Alzheimer's, this time through a blood test that looks for antibodies. Though still under development, a diagnostic kit could be available within the year, reports Reuters . The catch: While scientists are getting better at detecting Alzheimer's with such discoveries, they still...

Seeing Sick People Triggers Your Immune System

Kevin Spak — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 11:21:00 CDT

Apparently, the mere sight of a sick person can send your immune system into overdrive. In a fascinating new study, researchers asked a group of young adults to watch a slideshow of images showing people with all sorts of illnesses. They took blood samples from the subjects before and after...