Immunology

A woman sunbathes in a roped-off distancing zone on a beach in La Grande Motte, southern France, on May 21, 2020.Photo: CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU / AFP (Getty Images)Everyone knows you can be allergic to things like peanuts, bees, and cats. For people with such allergies, they can often get through life in relative safety by simply avoiding their triggers. But some unfortunate folks have rare allergies to things that are nearly impossible to avoid, like water and sunlight. Here are a few of the weirdest triggers known to drive…

Have you ever wondered if the data recorded by a wearable gives you insight into how your body is really performing? Research from Oura, created by data taken from the Oura Ring smart ring, shows wearables really can better inform you of your health, and even warn of oncoming infections. For its research, the team concentrated on its wearers who had a confirmed COVID-19 infection, and also tracked the body’s response to the COVID-19 vaccine. The results are interesting, as they show that — despite not being medical…

Image: quiggyt4 (Shutterstock)Scranton is ranked in the top five on the list for an average total allergy score, receiving an 87.08-point ranking, the study reported.Grass and weed pollen is a top component here, and while tree pollen peaks in mid-February, it can continue well into May. Fortunately, residents and visitors won’t have to worry about weed pollen levels until fall when the weather changes. Image: quiggyt4 (Shutterstock)Scranton is ranked in the top five on the list for an average total allergy score,…

The following is an excerpt from Jellyfish Age Backwards: Nature’s Secrets to Longevity by Nicklas Brendborg. Available for sale January 17, 2023 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.When the United States began vaccinating against the measles virus in the 1960s, children fortunately stopped getting measles. But that wasn’t the only thing; suddenly, American children had plummeting risks of dying from all sorts of other infectious diseases, too. The same thing happened in European countries joining the effort.…

Photo: Philippe Huguen/AFP (Getty Images)As a rule of thumb, people with hay fever may want to avoid going outside after 2pm. A new study released this week found that pollen counts tend to be lowest during the morning hours and highest during mid-afternoon into the late evening.Segment of Challenger Space Shuttle Found at Bottom of Atlantic Ocean01:05Star Wars: Shatterpoint Announcement TrailerYesterday 1:23PMResearchers in Atlanta conducted the study, using a recently developed device meant to measure pollen…

An illustration of norovirus particles. Illustration: Shutterstock (Shutterstock)A nasty but short-lasting stomach bug may have lingering consequences for an unlucky few. Researchers have found evidence in mice and human cells that norovirus infection can trigger Crohn’s disease in people already genetically predisposed to it. The findings may also help scientists one day find better treatments for the chronic gut condition.Crohn’s is one of two major types of inflammatory bowel disease. In Crohn’s, this inflammation…

Illustration: Grandeduc (Adobe Stock)io9 is proud to present fiction from LIGHTSPEED MAGAZINE. Once a month, we feature a story from Lightspeed’s current issue. This month’s selection is “The CRISPR Cookbook: A Guide to Biohacking Your Own Abortion in a Post-Roe World” by MKRNYILGLD. You can read the story below or listen to the podcast on Lightspeed’s website. Enjoy!The CRISPR Cookbook: A Guide to Biohacking Your Own Abortion in a Post-Roe WorldIf you’re reading this—on some godforsaken imageboard, or dog-eared book…

She ultimately found a postdoctoral position in the lab of one of her thesis committee members. And in the years since, as she has established a lab of her own at the university’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, she has painstakingly made the case that sex—defined by biological attributes such as our sex chromosomes, sex hormones, and reproductive tissues—really does influence immune responses.  Through research in animal models and humans, Klein and others have shown how and why male and female immune systems…

Immunology and virology respectively study the strengths and weaknesses of our body’s immune system, and some of the most dangerous threats to them: viruses. As new viral outbreaks emerge and familiar viruses mutate into new threats, it’s crucial to know how our bodies can adapt.Five years ago, you may not have thought that much about your own immune system or the ancient, forgotten viruses thawing out of glaciers in rural Tibet. But we’re in a brave new world now, one where masking is more commonplace and concerns about…

It’s been a bumpy couple of years for international travel, what with the global pandemic we’ve been living through, and while some countries have completely reopened their doors, many haven’t. Flight and vacation restrictions continue to change on a regular basis, but at the time of writing, these are the places where you can’t fly to from the US without facing moderate to severe restrictions. In most cases, these restrictions apply on top of the need to show proof of vaccination.The entry rules and regulations set by…