The complement system is a key component of innate and adaptive immunity and therefore acts as a vital defense against invading pathogens. Deficiencies in the complement system are associated with ...

“We know for multiple reasons why smoking is bad in terms of its cancer risk, but here we're showing additional information that it's also probably negatively impacting your immune response. And that ...

The human body’s defensive lineup is impressive—from made-to-order antibodies to natural-born killers. Here’s how it wards off sickness in every season. When pathogens invade our bodies—in the form of ...

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American The very first line of defence against any ...

We often judge our immune systems based on how many colds we catch in a year, but experts say that’s an oversimplification of what is a highly complex network of cells, tissues and organs that works ...

Humans are protected by two branches of the immune system. Innate immunity provides built-in defense against widespread characteristics of bacteria and viruses, while adaptive immunity memorizes ...

Cancer immunotherapies, including cancer vaccines, harness and amplify the immune system’s natural ability to detect and attack cancer cells. In this illustration, immune T cells (pink) attach to a ...