Figure 1: Antimicrobial Resistance & Phyto-Pharmacotherapeutics (Source: https://vegconomist.com/science/plant-based-nanoparticles-can-combat-antibiotic-resistance/) What is Antimicrobial Resistance? Antimicrobial resistance is the tendency of a microorganism to counteract the microbistatic or microbicidal effects of an antimicrobial drug. Antimicrobial resistance arises in a single microbe and is inherited in the newly reproduced microbes. The resistant microbe is able to gr

Eosinophils in our Immunity While Eosinophils account for less than 5% of our white blood cells, they pack quite a punch (Jackson et al., 2022). Most people have likely heard about eosinophils in terms of their role in allergies, but their original purpose is to fight parasites (Vieira et al., 2026). Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell we call granulocytes. They’re named because they store toxic granules which they use to fight and kill infections. But this is far fro

Overview Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare neurological condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves, the network that carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body. This can cause weakness, numbness, and in severe cases, paralysis and difficulty breathing. Most people recover, but because symptoms can escalate quickly, early recognition and medical care are crucial. (1,2) What exactly is GBS? In GBS, the body’s defence sys

Natural Killer cells are part of the body’s innate immune system. Think of them as fast-acting armed guards—they’re the body’s first responders to threat. Scientists are working on turning these cells into something more akin to trained assassins. Numerous and diverse studies are being conducted around the world to use them against cancer. (1, 11) NK cells got their name in 1975 when Swedish researchers discovered them in mice. What made them unique was their ability to quick

In modern healthcare, cleanliness is more than a best practice it is a norm. From hand hygiene campaigns to hospital-wide protocols for sterilization, infection control has saved many lives. Yet as medicine continues to push toward higher levels of sterility, but there is a quieter concern: could over-sanitization itself be creating new risks for patients? This question challenges long held assumptions about how cleanliness, immunity, and microbial exposure affect healthcare

In the United States, sarcoidosis affects four Black Americans for every one White American diagnosed. Black patients, particularly Black women, experience more severe disease, more multi-organ involvement, higher hospitalization rates, and mortality. Factors such as genetics, environmental toxins, socioeconomic conditions, and unconscious bias contribute to worsening outcomes in sarcoidosis (Hena, 2020). What is sarcoidosis? Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory condition in which

Mother provide immune protection both in utero and during breast-feeding. Passive Immunity: Our immune systems are vital for our protection against the various pathogens we are exposed to. There are two arms of immune protections: Innate and adaptive immune responses. Innate immunity provides protection through recognition of pathogen-associated products, triggering an immune response aims to clear the pathogen. The adaptive immune response is more trained and establishes l

Introduction In the vast landscape of autoimmune diseases, a significant proportion are driven by pathogenic Immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies. These antibodies attack the body's own tissues, leading to debilitating conditions such as generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). Traditional treatments, such as broad immunosuppression or plasma exchange, are often indis

Our immune system wields immense power, but things don’t always go to plan. Sometimes it tries to help and succeeds. Other times, it fails and makes things worse. Gamma delta T-Cells are extremely effective at detecting and killing cancer cells. But certain subsets release IL-17, and depending on the type of cancer, that can make things worse.

Histamine is a natural chemical produced by our body. It plays a crucial role in helping various functions, such as supporting immune responses and acting as a messenger in our brain. However, histamine can be problematic for some of us, and not necessarily due to food allergies, but rather because our bodies have difficulty breaking it down, a condition referred to as histamine intolerance. Histamine intolerance has garnered a lot of attention from scientists over the past d

SPS is an autoimmune disorder where the body's "brake" system fails, causing severe muscle stiffness, spasms, and heightened sensitivity.

Introduction Imagine a cancer treatment designed entirely for you, built using the exact mutations inside your tumor, and created with the goal of training your immune system to eliminate every trace of cancer cells that remain after surgery or therapy. This idea once sounded like science fiction. Today, it’s becoming reality.Ultra-personalized cancer vaccines are emerging as one of the most exciting developments in precision medicine, offering a new way to harness our immune

By Kristine Burneko, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, APHN-BC Introduction Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is a multidisciplinary field that examines the tridirectional interaction of psychological processes, neurological activity, and immune function. Within clinical practice, PNI provides the mechanistic foundation for mind–body medicine, an evidence-based approach that complements conventional biomedical care by enhancing psychophysiological regulation and response to concurrent treatmen

Imagine this, you’re sitting in class, tissues stacked like a fortress, eyes watering like you just watched the saddest anime scene ever, and your nose is running like it has a personal vendetta. Every five minutes it’s another “achoo!” You wonder, “Am I cursed, allergic, or just catching a cold AGAIN?” Knowing the difference actually saves you a ton of suffering. A person sneezing. Allergic rhinitis and common cold are often confused. People take the wrong meds, suffer unnec

A Vulnerable Airway Lining: Where Asthma Begins Asthma begins in the thin lining of the airways, which normally acts like a protective shield against allergens, pollution, smoke, and other irritants. In people with asthma, this protective layer becomes weakened and “leaky.” The tiny connections between airway cells loosen, allowing irritants to slip through more easily. When this happens, the airway lining sends out distress signals -called alarmins- that alert the immune sy

Have you ever had smallpox? It’s a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that killed an estimated 300 to 500 million people in the 20th century. If you were born in 1980 or later, you most likely haven’t had it. This is because, in 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared smallpox eradicated. But how? Population immunization is a public health strategy that protects communities from infectious diseases by using vaccines. The more people who are vaccinated, the

Vaccines are one of the most powerful assets in medicine, as they prevent countless infections and save many lives each year. Their success comes from their ability to train the immune system by teaching it how to recognize and respond to disease-causing pathogens without causing illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and Cleveland Clinic, vaccines expose the body to a harmless version or component of a pat

Introduction In recent years, a new class of cancer treatments called T-cell engagers (TCEs) has begun to change how doctors think about fighting cancer. These therapies work by bringing the body’s own immune system directly into battle against cancer cells, a powerful idea that’s now turning into reality. T-cell engagers are a type of “bispecific antibody”, meaning they can attach to two different targets at once: one part of the drug binds to a cancer cell, and the other pa

Introduction CAR-T cell therapy stands as one of the most groundbreaking innovations in cancer treatment in recent years. By “reprogramming” a patient's own immune cells to recognize and attack cancer cells, this personalized therapy offers the prospect of cure for various hematologic malignancies—including lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma. Yet behind the miracle of CAR-T lies a significant economic burden. Due to its highly complex manufacturing and administration pr

By Vanessa Muller, PharmD As a pharmacist in Washington State, I see every day how access to vaccines protects our communities. The ability for patients to walk into a pharmacy and receive recommended vaccines without delay isn’t a coincidence, it reflects deliberate state policies designed to make prevention straightforward and equitable. In September 2025, Washington joined California, Oregon, and later Hawaii to form the West Coast Health Alliance (WCHA) a regional partner