Immunology

California’s massive wildfires bring a host of health concerns. In a Q&A, Kari Nadeau and Mary Prunicki of the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford discuss the threats posed by air pollution from the fires.

A Stanford study shows that in severely ill COVID-19 patients, “first-responder” immune cells, which should react immediately to signs of viruses or bacteria in the body, instead respond sluggishly.

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has awarded $1.49 million to research projects involving Stanford Medicine scientists who will investigate emerging ideas about the role of inflammation in disease.

Most vaccines direct the adaptive immune system to fight off infections with one arm tied behind its back. A new study in monkeys untied the other arm.

Howard Chang of dermatology and of genetics, Richard Lewis of molecular and cellular physiology, and Peter Sarnow of microbiology and immunology were elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Dinakar founded Stanford Health Care’s first allergy, asthma and immunodeficiency clinic for adult patients, which opened its doors last year.

Winning studies were chosen by members of the Clinical Research Forum, a nonprofit foundation that promotes the understanding of clinical research and its impact on health and health care.

Hongjie Dai, Julie Parsonnet and Joseph Wu are among the 90 regular members and 10 international members elected this year to the academy, which aims to provide independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on health issues.

A Stanford-led pilot study has provided early evidence that an antibody is a safe, effective and rapid food allergy treatment.

Disabling a single, apparently noncritical protein in cells may foil replication of the viruses that cause half of all common colds, polio and other diseases, according to researchers at Stanford and UCSF.

Decimating levels of intestinal bacteria with antibiotics reduced the immune system’s responsiveness to a seasonal influenza vaccination, a Stanford-led study found.