Harnessing the Power of Immunology to Heal Ourselves - with Sheena Cruickshank

How does our immune system work and how can it be manipulated to to develop new ways of healing our bodies?

Our immune system has evolved to deal with a host of challenges, yet the microbes that can infect us have also developed ways to evade and manipulate host immunity. As we learn more about the complex interplay between immunology and the microbes that live in and on us, we are realising the potential we have to develop novel medicines and therapies to heal ourselves.

Sheena Cruickshank is an immunologist and Professor in Biomedical Sciences and Public Engagement at the University of Manchester. She researches how immune responses of the gut are started as a result of infection and/or inflammation. Sheena is an award-winning science communicator.

This talk and Q&A was filmed in the Ri on 23 May 2019.

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[Tocsin-Bang]

My first job was in veterinary pathology, microbiology and immunology. My only published papers were on something now largely forgotten in immunology, namely conglutination and the conglutinating complement absorption test. Strange really because one of the most famous immunologists of the 20th century, R.R.A. Coombs, studied it for several years, R.R.A. Coombs and wrote about 30 papers and a book on the subject.

[ATIVE]

Who knew... Gwyneth Paltrow sure knows her stuff when comes to the immune system. I bet Tony was so proud.

[italktoomuch]

"So we are actually in a massive microbial soup right now. Go on, just breathe it in."

Um. Sorry, I'd rather not given the circumstances.

[nosnibor]

Sheena thank you so much for this, an excellent presentation. I have suffered IBD for 45 years and spent much time trying to understand it. During one episode 30 years ago, I was found to be full of blastocystis hominis. I shall send this link to a friend in the USA who has Crohns. You are a 5 star communicator. I am an Engineer not a Biologist and you have helped my understanding. Thanks.

[bernardofitzpatrick]

Great lecturer and a fascinating lecture. Amazing!

[deeliciousplum]

Wonderful talk. Thank you for sharing this.

[edgarguzman]

Thanks to ligth up curiosity in this sensite and elegant presentation!

[HobsNobs]

My immune system is already 20% above average then Dr said I must have an infection over the course or a year then he passed the buck to a haematologist who looked at my bloods over 15 years did lots of tests and said no infection no cancer it's just the way I am. I still get a cold once a year though but never had flu or mumps etc etc.

[phage]

Thank you very much for this knowledge.

[raghu]

Ah, Sheena! Your asking those present in your talk to shake hands at the outset and later on disclosing that they exchanged millions of those teensy tiny thingys sort of set me thinking! Of course basic decency dissuaded you to not refer to things beyond hand shakes & arm pits, but then I realised I've been intimate with my partner in ways that has gone way way beyond hand shakes, if you know what I mean! And indulging in that over decades, LoL! 🙃🤭

Then I recalled viewing another educational video on human brain & how we have different centers dedicated to our different functions and urges. So I feel, ok what controls my T cells & B cells, comes from an entirely different mind set, from what attends to my other needs. Even microbiologists & cancer specialists, with all their awareness do indulge and so it is fine with me too ... if u know what I mean 😄.

[thmazngwotchannel]

Enjoy your meal !!! :-),


Seriously this talk was very interesting. Good job

[michaelogden]

Good talk! Wouldn't grinding up a bunch of worms and determining what they contain on a molecular level that is unusual in humans, or possibly examining *their* biomes, make more sense than intentionally infecting people?

[eklim]

not for all patients, but for all rich patients such as Jimmy Carter

[judith]

Fantastic lecture on a very interesting topic. I could listen to her for hours iwithout ever getting tired or bored. The part about the "microbial soup" that is created in rooms with many people has since become common knowledge. I'm pretty sure that social distancing, hand sanitizers and FFP2 masks are decreasing the biodiversity in our microbiomes, for better or worse. As for my internal microbiome, I guess I'll have to eat more of those veggies I tend to omit because preparing them in a way that is tasty as well as healthy is just so much work. In the light of the spreading Omikron mutation of our great nemesis, having a healthy microbiome seems to be just as desirable as getting that third shot.

[geammanDW]

That part about the poo treatment is gonna give me nightmares...

[jerrygundecker]

Gaaaawwwwd, am I sorry I tuned into this!

[sanaadeeba]

What is the relation between plant and immunology?

[sentdc]

Very interesting, but it probably needs a warning of some images being quite gross. (I'd sure be OK without seeing them.)

[AnimeshSharma]

Click baited thinking Gwyneth speakin Oz ;)

[ClintThrust-er]

Bet her dinner invitations, are few and far between.