Immune System

Antibodies search for foreign molecules in the blood

Structural studies of broadly neutralizing antibodies are paving the way to vaccines for HIV, influenza and RSV

T cells may be engineered with chimeric antigen receptors to attack cancer cells.

Small toxic peptides help protect us from bacterial infection

Structures of ebola virus proteins are giving new hope for fighting this deadly virus

Influenza virus binds to cells and infects them using hemagglutinin

Neuraminidase is an important target for influenza drugs

Interferons mobilize defenses against viral infection

Legumain cleaves proteins, and can also put them back together.

Lysozyme attacks the cell walls of bacteria

MHC displays peptides on the surfaces of cells, allowing the immune system to sense the infection inside

Six proteins in measles virus work together to infect cells.

Several steps of quality control optimize the peptides that are displayed by MHC I.

Unusual antibodies from camels are useful in research and medicine

PD-1 and its ligands are a new target for cancer therapy

Structures of the fusion glycoprotein from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were used to engineer effective vaccines to fight viral infection.

Home test kits for SARS-CoV-2 test for the presence of nucleocapsid, the protein that packages the viral genome in infectious virions.

Structural biologists are revealing the many ways that antibodies recognize SARS-CoV-2

Secretory immunoglobulins are our most abundant antibodies, providing a first line of defense against pathogens.

Our innate immune system starves bacteria of iron using siderocalin.

Our cells continually look for pieces of double-stranded RNA, a possible sign of viral infection

Lymphocytes use T-cell receptors to patrol the body for foreign molecules

Tissue transglutaminase staples proteins together by forming a chemical crosslink.

Toll-like receptors warn us about bacterial and viral infection

Plants protect themselves from infection with immune system machines such as the resistosome