Science Version

Blog #1: Introduction

The only thing this blog will be selling is knowledge and hopefully, a better understanding of how our immune system works, “for better...

Blog #2: Chronic Inflammation-the basis of "all" diseases?

The word “all” is dangerous territory in scientific discussions. I used it in the book and now, in these blogs. It will undoubtedly raise...

Blog #3: Stress-the cause of "all" immune responses

The concept of stress as the cause of “all” immune responses was a bit of an epiphany as I wrote The Paradox of the Immune System. I...

Blog #4: Bias of the female v. male immune system

There had been a long-standing assumption that females generally vary more in their biological functions due to their complex hormonal...

Blog #5: The innate (aka "natural") immune system & immunity

It’s simple! Immunity is “the ability of an organism (“self”) to resist a particular infection or toxin (“non-self” or antigen) by the...

Blog #6: Evolutionary development of the immune system (Part 1)

Strictly speaking, the evolutionary development of the immune system should be the first topic of discussion, but I postponed it to after...

Blog #7: Evolutionary development of the immune system (Part 2)

Basically, the evolutionary process explains how our innate and adaptive immune system protects us against all foreign,...

Blog #8: Embryology and pregnancy related to the immune system

The womb is a sterile environment and thus no antigens, so the fetal immune system does not need to function. Thus, it is safely...

Blog #9: The adaptive (aka “acquired”) immune system: from friend to foe

We left off in our last blog (#5) with innate immunity converting into adaptive immunity as it advances in the disruption of homeostasis...

Blog #10: Immunogenetics and Immunogenomics

There’s not enough bandwidth in these blog discussions to address genetics in depth. But a quick review of basic genetics might be...

Blog #11: The Human Genome Project (HGP), Precision medicine, and "AIl of Us"

This blog discussion includes a dynamic combination of genetics, immunology, epidemiology, and public health, the foundational elements...

Blog #12: XCI (lyonization)

A process of immense importance in immunology and immunogenomics that encompasses genetics and embryology is the phenomenon of X...

Blog #13:The Microbiome: "Gut-axis-du jour"

It’s a challenge to find an appropriate place to introduce the microbiome in a discussion where you’re trying to develop an evolving...

Blog #14:Chronic inflammation- “Enemy #1” (Part 1: Etiologies and pathogenesis)

We began our discussion of chronic inflammation (CI) way back in Blog #2. You may (or may not) want to relisten or reread that blog...

Blog #15:Chronic inflammation (CI)- “Enemy #1” (Part 2: Pharmacology and pharmacodynamics

We started our last blog (#14) on chronic inflammation (CI) by mentioning its distinguishing characteristics (versus acute inflammation)...

Blog #16:Chronic inflammation (CI)- “Enemy #1” (Part 3: A multisystem pathology)

Other than my ad nauseum repetition of “CI being the basis of all diseases,” our discussions up to this point regarding CI have really...

Blog #17: Neuroimmunology

Contrary to previous beliefs, the brain is not an “immune-privileged” organ. The nervous system and the immune system share an intimate...

Blog #18:Autoimmune disease (Part 1) - Etiologies

When, for some unknown reason, the body incorrectly identifies itself (i.e., self) as foreign (i.e., non-self), effectively, the body...

Blog #19: Autoimmune disease (Part 2)- Female bias)

The prevalence of autoimmune diseases in females is an area of intense research and speculation as to its etiologies. This blog will...

Blog #20: Autoimmune disease (Part 3)- Clinical considerations)

When discussing autoimmune diseases in the previous blog (#19), we identified the phenomenon of epitope spreading contributing to the...

Blog #21: Immunotherapeutics (Monoclonal antibodies, biosilimars biologics and small molecule drugs)

Among all the topics discussed in these blogs, the next three (immunotherapies, cancers, and infectious diseases) will probably be out of...

Blog #22: Immunotherapeutic procedures (PART 1: Stem cell transplantation therapy)

A rapidly increasing area of immunotherapy is the role of immunogenomic cellular and genetic editing and replacement procedures and cell...

Blog #23: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 2: Homograph transplantation)

A branch of immunotherapies of profound importance is that of organ, tissue, and cell transplantation. So too are the profound...

Blog #24: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 3: Genetic engineering/ modifications)

The use of the word “cure” in medicine always needs delicate consideration. If you recall, the only times I have used the word in earlier...

Blog #25: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 4: CAR-T & CAAR-T cell therapy)

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells) are T cells that have been genetically engineered to give them the new ability to target...

Blog #26: Immunotherapeutic procedures (Part 5: CRISPR-Cas9 therapy)

One of the effective ways of treating autoimmune disease is to identify the “signature” of offending genes (their “gene expression” or...

Blog #27: Cancer (Part 1)- Epidemiology

You have probably seen this popular sign by now with a red slash through the word "Cancer": You’ve just gotta love it. I doubt there are...

Blog #28: Cancer (Part 2) - Etiologies

Inherited genetic disorders result in gene alterations in virtually every cell in our body. As a result, these disorders tend to affect...

Blog #29: Cancer (Part 3)- Microbiome, XCI, and microRNA

As mentioned in our discussion of infectious agents (in our last Blog #28), it is estimated that individual microbial pathogens...

Blog #30: Cancer (Part 4) -Clinical considerations & diagnosis

The pathological path for cancers is the abnormal proliferation of cells different in type, numbers, and actions of otherwise normal...

Blog #31: Cancer treatment (Part 1)- Chemotherapy, Radiation & Molecular targeted therapy

Combination strategies using immunotherapies and genetic procedures in conjunction with chemotherapies, radiation therapies, and surgery...

Blog #32: Cancer treatment (Part 2)-Immunotherapeutics, Cellular & Genetic procedures

In a discussion on immunotherapies in the treatment of cancers, the most appropriate place to begin is with the monoclonal antibodies....

Blog #33: Cancer treatment (Part 3)- Idiotype-anti-idiotype Regulatory Circuit or Loop

Way back in Blog #9, we referenced the Idiotype-anti-idiotype Regulatory Circuit (or Loop) and postponed its full discussion because of...

Blog #34: Cancer treatment (Part 4)- Combination strategies in cancer immunotherapy

Back in Blog #9, I promised to return to this (yet another) complex topic, but I also promised to be brief. So, once again, let me take a...

Blog #35: Immunology’s role in infectious disease (Part 1: Pathogenesis)

Most microorganisms are based on a DNA genome. Some viruses, including the coronavirus, have RNA-based genomes instead. In general, viral...

Blog #36: Immunology’s role in pandemics, infectious disease, and COVID-19 (Part 2: Genetics)

Viruses are not living cells or organisms. They are obligate parasites or nonliving organisms that lack metabolic machinery of their own...

Blog #37: Immunology’s role in pandemics, infectious disease, and COVID-19 (Part 3: Clinical)

Table 7.1 Reported illnesses with the novel coronavirus have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death. The symptoms may...

Blog #38: Immunology’s role in pandemics, infectious disease, and COVID-19 (Part 4: Therapy)

Care for coronavirus patients is supportive in nature and may include rest, supplemental oxygen, fluid administration, and, for...

Blog #39: Immunology’s role in pandemics, infectious disease, and COVID-19 (Part 5: Immunotherapies)

This is a continuation of our discussion on the treatment and management of COVID-19 and infectious diseases in general. We’ll start with...

Blog #40: Immunology’s role in pandemics, infectious disease, and COVID-19 (Part 6: Anti-virals)

Different from recombinant and mRNA vaccines that manipulate the body’s immune response to a virus and its genetics, antiviral drugs...

Blog #41: Immunology’s role in pandemics, infectious disease, and COVID-19 (Part 7: Vaccines)

By definition, a vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active, innate, and adaptive immunity to a particular infectious...

Blog #42: Immunology’s role in pandemics, infectious disease, and COVID-19 (Part 8: Vaccination)

Vaccination is the act of getting a vaccine, usually in the form of an injection into the arm of a person (immunization) to protect...

Blog #43: Immunoinformatics & epidemiological considerations in COVID-19

The application of the knowledge from immunoinformatics (computational immunology) has led to a better understanding of the importance of...

Blog #44: Immunology’s role in public health considerations and recommendations

If you have gotten this far in this blog (and not cheated and jumped over a few (can I blame you???), you certainly don’t need another 10...

Blog #45: Epilogue

So, just what is “the paradox of the immune system?” As you have probably concluded by now, the “paradox” is actually a collection of...

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