The WIMM blog
T cells
From stem cell to specialized cell: but what happens in between?
Stem cells have the remarkable ability to develop into a whole host of highly specialized cell types, but the process by which this happens is extremely transient and therefore enormously challenging to study. However, a new paper from Claus Nerlov’s and Sten Eirik Jacobsen’s labs, published in Nature Cell Biology two weeks ago, is one of … Continue reading
Can our own immune system beat cancer?
The MRC’s annual science writing competition, the Max Perutz Science Writing Prize, challenges MRC-funded PhD students to communicate the importance of their research to a non-scientifically trained audience in 800 words or less. This year, several students from the WIMM submitted excellent entries to the competition, including Tomek Dobrzycki (whose entry was published on the blog last … Continue reading
Autoimmune Addison’s disease: when the immune system destroys our ability to cope with stress
Your immune system is usually something you’re grateful for; it helps you fight infections, deal with cuts and bruises, and generally defend your body against all the bugs and grubs that are constantly trying to make you sick. However, in rare cases, the immune system turns on itself – instead of attacking bacteria and viruses, … Continue reading
