Immunology Explained
What is an NK cell? Natural killer cells are immune cells in the body that specialize in identifying and killing abnormal cells, such as virus-infected cells or cancer cells. Understanding how they work can improve cancer treatments.
Learn more in the latest blog by Zainab Hakeem, a PhD candidate at the University of Georgia: https://immunologyexplained.aai.org/news/nk-cells-the-underdogs-of-the-immune-system/
07/10/2026
Only about 50% of advanced tumors respond well to immunotherapy, and researchers don't fully understand why. A lab in Detroit, is trying to understand how genetics may play a role whether a patient's tumor responds to treatment well or not.
Read more about this in our latest blog: https://immunologyexplained.aai.org/news/genetic-clues-to-help-the-immune-system-fight-cancer/
Lab image by Yaleh Masood.
research
When you get a vaccine during pregnancy the vaccine components turn on your immune system and help train your body to recognize a threat, and then those components are broken down and eliminated.
After a vaccine is approved, real systems are in place to keep watching the vaccine for safety. There are even pregnancy-specific registries that track outcomes for pregnant people and their babies over time like the one by MotherToBaby .
To learn more about how vaccines work, visit ImmunologyExplained.org or Those Nerdy Girls on Substack.
This is a collaborative video between Those Nerdy Girls and Immunology Explained
07/08/2026
Protect yourself from UV radiation this summer—cover up, wear sunscreen, and seek shade. UV radiation from the sun (or tanning beds) is a major risk factor for skin cancer, including melanoma. For those who do develop melanoma, immunology research is improving immunotherapies and changing outcomes for patients.
Learn more at https://immunologyexplained.aai.org/topics/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/
07/07/2026
What does it mean when people say "antibodies cross the placenta?" Antibodies are made by your immune system to recognize and fight off specific germs—like viruses or bacteria. When antibodies cross the placenta, the pregnant person’s body is passing protective antibodies directly to the fetus to give them a head start on protection when they are born.
To learn more about how vaccines work, visit ImmunologyExplained.org or Those Nerdy Girls on SubstackThis is a collaborative video between Those Nerdy Girls and Immunology Explained
07/01/2026
The immune system is the body's built in defense system, but what happens when cancer hijacks the system for its own survival? Shanshan Wang, a PhD student at the University of Calgary, shares what happens when cancer does this and how by studying how cancers manipulate immune signals, scientists hope to design smarter and more effective therapies.
Read more at https://immunologyexplained.aai.org/news/when-good-cells-go-bad-how-cancer-hijacks-the-immune-system/.
06/29/2026
06/26/2026
Why are women more likely to develop lupus than men? Scientists have been asking this question for decades. While genetics and s*x chromosomes play an important role, genes alone cannot fully explain this striking difference. Increasingly, researchers are exploring whether hormone exposure during critical stages of development may help shape how the immune system behaves later in life. Mahfuzul Islam, a PhD Student at Virginia Tech explains more in the latest blog. Find it at immunologyexplained.org/news/can-early-life-hormone-exposure-shape-lupus-risk-later-in-life
If you’re pregnant, it’s normal to have questions about vaccines and safety. You’re making decisions for both you and the baby, and that matters. Flu, COVID-19, Tdap, and RSV vaccines are recommended by acog_org in the maternal immunization schedule. This is because the evidence shows these vaccines are safe and they protect both the pregnant person and the baby. We know this from ongoing research that follows millions of pregnant people in real life.
To learn more about how vaccines work, visit ImmunologyExplained.org or Those Nerdy Girls on Substack
This is a collaborative video between Those Nerdy Girls and Immunology Explained
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