Immune System

Immunoglobulin G is at the Heart of the Immune System — An IgG deficiency is a health problem in which your body doesn’t make enough Immunoglobulin G (IgG). People with IgG deficiency are more likely to get infections. When your body feels it is under attack, it makes special proteins called immunoglobulins or antibodies. …

How viruses multiply in the body and how to fight them Example. In order for a person to get sick, the coronavirus must “attach” its S-protein, its “corona”, to a receptor on the cell surface, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). …

Last Week in Medicine — Monocytes’ New Role It was thought that bacteria entering our body were killed by monocytes in our immune system. But a new study published in Nature shows that rather than killing these bacteria directly, monocytes have a role as a conductor, managing inflammation and healing tissue in that area. It also maintains this…

Welcome to the 40th part of the multi-part series on Tuberculosis, abbreviated as TB. New TB drugs are needed because of the complexity and toxicity of the current TB drug regimes. There is also the major problem of TB drug resistance. This together with the problem of the interactions of…

Welcome to the 41st part of the multi-part series on Tuberculosis, abbreviated as TB. Apart from the discovery of new drugs, studies on the repurposing of drugs is also being carried out. Drug repurposing involves the investigation of existing drugs for new therapeutic purposes. High dose of rifampicin: For instance…

Welcome to the 38th part of the multi-part series on Tuberculosis, abbreviated as TB. Directly observed treatment short-course also known as DOTS is the name given to the tuberculosis control strategy recommended by the World Health Organization in 1994. According to the WHO, “The most cost-effective way to stop the…

Welcome to the 39th part of the multi-part series on Tuberculosis, abbreviated as TB. 1. Anti-TB drugs Anti-TB treatment is the mainstay in the management of Extra Pulmonary TB, abbreviated as EPTB. Most current guidelines recommend the same treatment regimen for both Extra Pulmonary TB and Pulmonary TB, but the duration of therapy…