How do you vaccinate a honeybee? 6 questions answered about a new tool for protecting pollinators

A vaccine for bees may evoke images of teeny hypodermic needles, but this product works in a sophisticated way that reflects the social structure of honeybee colonies.

Jennie L. Durant, Research Affiliate in Human Ecology, University of California, Davis • conversation
Jan. 20, 2023 • ~7 min

B cell ‘boot camp’ insights could inform future vaccines

New research sheds light on microscopic training grounds that allow B cells to perfect the antibodies they use against viruses and bacteria.

Rockefeller University • futurity
Jan. 19, 2023 • ~7 min

People want the COVID vax more when it’s a trend

People are more willing to get a COVID-19 vaccination when they are told about how many other people in their community plan to get one.

Judie Kinonen-UT Austin • futurity
Jan. 19, 2023 • ~6 min

Vaccination to prevent dementia? New research suggests one way viral infections can accelerate neurodegeneration

Inflammation and damage to the olfactory system from shingles, COVID-19 and herpes infections may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.

Maria Nagel, Professor of Neurology and Ophthalmology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus • conversation
Jan. 18, 2023 • ~9 min

Moderna's experimental cancer vaccine treats but doesn't prevent melanoma – a biochemist explains how it works

Preventive and therapeutic vaccines both train the immune system to fight disease, but they are used in different ways.

Mark R. O'Brian, Professor and Chair of Biochemistry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo • conversation
Jan. 17, 2023 • ~8 min

Modeling the power of vaccines

Scientists have designed a mathematical model that can predict COVID-19 vaccines’ effectiveness over the long term in healthy individuals and those who have cancer or suppressed immune responses.

Katie Marquedant • harvard
Jan. 9, 2023 • ~4 min

In mouse model, scientists develop cancer vaccine that kills brain tumors

Scientists at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a cancer vaccine to simultaneously kill and prevent brain cancer in advanced mouse models.

Harvard Gazette • harvard
Jan. 4, 2023 • ~4 min

Chickenpox and shingles virus lying dormant in your neurons can reactivate and increase your risk of stroke – new research identified a potential culprit

People with an active case of shingles have up to an 80% higher risk of stroke than those without. The increased risk is highest for patients under 40.

Andrew Bubak, Assistant Research Professor of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus • conversation
Dec. 20, 2022 • ~6 min

'Vaccinating' frogs may or may not protect them against a pandemic – but it does provide another option for conservation

Amphibians have been devastated by a chytrid fungus pandemic. Researchers immunized California red-legged frogs in Yosemite to give them a fighting chance at survival, with surprising results.

Andrea Adams, Researcher in Ecology, University of California, Santa Barbara • conversation
Dec. 16, 2022 • ~8 min

Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

An effective nasal vaccine could stop the virus that causes COVID-19 right at its point of entry. But devising one that works has been a challenge for researchers.

Michael W. Russell, Professor Emeritus of Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo • conversation
Dec. 14, 2022 • ~9 min

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