The immune system comprises organs, tissues, cells and molecules, which protect the body against pathogens.
Detailed description
The biological defense system can be separated into an innate and an adaptive part. The innate immune system developed early in the phylogeny of living things. The adaptive immune system adjusts to new or modified pathogens. Both parts collaborate closely. Moreover, the immune system can destroy abnormal or defective cells of the own body.
Researchers at the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) at Heidelberg University Hospital have decoded a previously unknown mechanism by which HIV-1 selects its integration targets in the human
In 2017, a Miami–Berlin flight took an unexpected turn when passengers spotted a rat on board. After landing, the rat was captured and handed over to scientists at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI
While tuberculosis no longer plays a major role in large parts of Europe, many people still carry the pathogen. For people with weakened immune systems, for example after an organ transplant or in the
The human gut is home to a dense network of microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome, which actively contributes to health. These microorganisms aid digestion, train the immune system
Since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several variants of the virus have developed into Variants of Concern (VOCs), as classified by the World Health Organization (WHO). VOCs are virus variants
If an intestinal inhabitant such as the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) becomes resistant to many antibiotics, it can cause serious health problems if it enters the bloodstream. How can such
TherVacB, a novel therapeutic vaccine for chronic hepatitis B developed under the leadership of Helmholtz Munich in collaboration with the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), has entered its
The coronavirus pandemic provided the decisive impetus: In 2022, a Bavarian branch of the young Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP) was launched in rented
The Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) of the European Commission, through the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) supports the establishment of the “European
