Tag: Immune System

When the Flu Is Gone but Fatigue Remains: How to Help Your Immune System Truly Recover

linda changLeave a comment

“Healing doesn’t end when the symptoms disappear — it ends when the body finally feels safe to rest.”

As the weather cools and flu season approaches, I came across some fascinating medical insights online that I felt were worth sharing with everyone reading my blog. Many of us have experienced this: the cold or flu seems gone, yet fatigue, throat irritation, or strange discomforts linger. Why does this happen, and how can we truly recover?

🧠 The Immune System Has a Memory—And Sometimes a Grudge

Doctors often hear this kind of complaint:

“My cold is gone, but I’m still exhausted. My throat feels weird, I get dizzy, and my stomach’s off…”

This isn’t because the virus remains—it’s because your immune system hasn’t fully stood down.

According to a 2025 review published in Cell Research, our immune system possesses something called trained immunity. That means it “remembers” past infections, stress, or inflammation. This helps it react faster next time—but sometimes, it overreacts.

It’s like your body has fought a war, and though the battle is over, the soldiers are still gripping their weapons, ready to defend at the slightest sound.

That’s why after you’ve “recovered,” you may still feel fatigued, have a scratchy throat, dry skin, or stomach issues. Your immune system is still in battle mode.

🦴 Memory Hidden in the Bone Marrow

This “memory” lives deep in your bone marrow stem cells, which remember intense inflammation and produce more reactive immune cells afterward.

In moderation, this keeps you alert to future threats. But under constant stress—lack of sleep, oily food, pollution, or anxiety—your immune system becomes overly vigilant.

Over time, this can cause chronic low-grade inflammation, leading to lingering tiredness, allergies, digestive issues, and even chronic diseases like diabetes or heart problems.

⚠️ When the Immune System Is Too Vigilant

The immune system is meant to react swiftly and then reset. But when it forgets how to relax, it starts misidentifying harmless things as threats.

You might notice:

  • Sore throats that flare up with stress
  • Headaches or bloating after emotional tension
  • Skin or gut reactions after eating sweets or processed food

These are signs of an overtrained immune system—one that’s too loyal for its own good.

🌼 How to Help Your Immune System “Let Go”

The best medicine isn’t a pill—it’s how you live every day. Here are four gentle ways to guide your immune system back to balance:

1. Eat for Calm, Not Chaos

Skip high-fat, high-sugar, and processed foods that fuel inflammation.
Instead, try a Mediterranean-style diet—fresh vegetables, fruits, olive oil, nuts, fish, and whole grains.
These nourish your immune cells and teach them to stay calm.

2. Sleep: The Reset Button

Sleep resets immune memory. Without enough rest, bone marrow cells stay in high-alert mode.
A regular sleep schedule is like a classroom where your body learns order and recovery.

3. Manage Stress Gently

Emotions like anxiety, anger, and loneliness all affect immunity.
Take time for deep breathing, sunlight, music, or quiet moments. Even doing nothing helps your body hear the message: “It’s safe now.”

4. Move, Don’t Push

Moderate aerobic exercise trains your immune system to respond wisely.
Studies show that people who move regularly—three to five times a week—have stronger, steadier immunity and less fatigue.

🌸 True Health Is Intelligent Immunity

Many believe “strong immunity” means “never getting sick.”
But true health means having an intelligent immune system—one that knows when to fight and when to rest.

So if you’ve recently recovered from a cold but still feel drained, don’t worry. Your body isn’t weak—it’s simply learning how to relax after the storm.

Be patient and kind to yourself.
Eat well, sleep deeply, breathe freely, and move with ease.
That heavy, lingering fatigue will soon melt away.

Because your body remembers not just pain—it also remembers peace.

Your body’s memory is a diary of your life.
When you fill your days with calm, warmth, and balance, your immune system learns to trust again.
And in that trust, you don’t just recover from illness—you truly return to health.

Link:https://peacelilysite.com/2025/10/24/when-the-flu-is-gone-but-fatigue-remains-how-to-help-your-immune-system-truly-recover/

CytoMed, a Singapore Biotech, Revolutionizes Cancer Treatment Using Donor Immune Cells

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Ethan Stone Contributor

In Singapore, one biotech company is changing how we approach cancer treatment. CytoMed Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GDTC), just launched its ANGELICA clinical trial, to fundamentally change how we make cancer treatments available to patients worldwide. Building on the success of CAR T-cell therapy in treating blood cancers, they’re taking things to the next level by tackling a broader range of cancers while making the whole process quicker, easier, and more affordable for patients. 

“Think of it as training a versatile army of super-soldiers to fight cancer,” explains Peter Choo, Chairman of CytoMed. “Traditional CAR T-cell therapy takes soldiers from the patient’s own body, but these soldiers are often weakened because the patient has already been through multiple rounds of chemotherapy. Instead, we’re recruiting healthy soldiers from disease-free, well donors and equipping them with special targeting systems to hunt down cancer cells.” 

Manufacturing cells for Singapore’s ANGELICA trial in CytoMed’s cGMP lab

This “targeting system” is an artificial protein called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that helps immune cells recognize and attack cancer cells. While current CAR T-cell therapies require extracting and modifying a patient’s own cells – a process that can take weeks and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars – CytoMed’s approach uses healthy donor cells that could be available “off-the-shelf” when unrelated patients need them simplifying logistics. 

Another innovation is its versatile platform to weaponize the immune cells. Different targeting systems can be added to equip these soldiers with combinational therapies such as antibodies. 

The Power of Rare Immune Cells 

At the heart of CytoMed’s breakthrough is something extraordinary – a rare warrior in our immune system called gamma-delta T cells. These hidden gems are like needles in a haystack, making up just a tiny fraction – less than 5% – of all T cells flowing through our blood. But don’t let their rarity fool you.  

These cells are nature’s own cancer-fighting specialists, and here’s what makes them really special: when transferred from a donor to a patient, they’re incredibly smart about their attacks, targeting cancer while leaving healthy tissue alone. The company has developed proprietary technology to multiply these rare cells in the laboratory, making them viable for treatment.

The contrast with traditional cell therapies is striking: while current treatments are like custom-building a car for each patient – a time-consuming and expensive process – CytoMed’s approach is focused on having treatments ready “off-the-shelf,” similar to cars available at a dealership. This could make treatment both more timely and significantly more cost-effective for patients. 

The ANGELICA Trial: A New Hope 

CytoMed’s potent hybrid of the human body’s two immune cells, NK & T cells, derived from induced pluripotent stem cells.

The ANGELICA trial, now treating patients in Singapore’s National University Hospital, represents a major step forward in cancer treatment. The trial focuses on various types of cancer that are particularly challenging to treat, including solid tumors and involves patients whose cancers have proven resistant to standard treatments. 

Charting New Territory in Cancer Therapy 

What makes CytoMed’s approach truly remarkable is how far-reaching it could be. While current CAR T-cell treatments have been a game-changer for blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, they’ve hit a wall when it comes to other types of cancer. That’s where CytoMed is breaking new ground – their technology shows promise in fighting more than 20 different types of cancer, from breast to lung, liver to ovaries. 

This isn’t just a win for cancer treatment – it’s a proud moment for Singapore’s biotech scene. Born in 2018 from Singapore’s prestigious A*STAR research agency, CytoMed is showing the world that Asian biotech companies aren’t just following trends – they’re setting them. They’re writing a new chapter in cancer treatment innovation. 

But they’re not stopping there. The company is pushing boundaries even further by developing a powerful new weapon against cancer. They’re creating a hybrid cell that combines the best of both worlds – Natural Killer (NK) cells and gamma delta T cells, complete with all their natural cancer-fighting tools. Think of it as creating the ultimate cancer-fighting super cell by merging two of our body’s most efficient defenders. 

Beyond Cancer: Expanding into Longevity Research 

Looking ahead, CytoMed is already exploring ways to expand the use of its technology. In a strategic move that broadens its therapeutic reach, the company acquired a licensed cord blood bank in September 2024, giving them access to naive cord blood – a rare and expensive raw material crucial for developing new treatments. Through its subsidiary LongevityBank, the company plans to research and develop cord blood-derived cells that could treat autoimmune diseases and promote longevity, extending their impact beyond cancer treatment. 

This expansion into regenerative medicine opens up new possibilities for treating a wider range of diseases and conditions. The availability of cord blood provides CytoMed with valuable resources for developing innovative therapies that could address multiple medical challenges. 

A Global Vision for Accessible Treatment 

The company is actively pursuing international collaborations to develop new therapeutic approaches while working to make treatments more affordable and accessible to patients worldwide. Their focus on cost-effective manufacturing and efficient production processes could help bring advanced cell therapies within reach of more patients globally. These cells are inexpensive, streamlined for manufacturing, and easy to ship internationally while retaining high cell viability. 

If successful, their “off-the-shelf” approach to cell therapy could represent a major advance in cancer treatment, potentially offering hope to patients who have exhausted other options. With the ANGELICA trial now underway, this marks an important step forward in making advanced cancer treatments more accessible to those who need them most. As CytoMed continues to innovate and expand its therapeutic offerings, it’s positioning itself at the forefront of a new era in personalized targeted medicine, one where cutting-edge treatments are both effective and accessible to patients around the world. 

For more information about CytoMed and its unique approach to cancer treatment, visit https://www.cytomed.sg/ 

Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/special/contributor-content/2025/01/06/cytomed-a-singapore-biotech-revolutionizes-cancer-treatment-using-donor-immune-cells/77355978007/

7 Reasons To Make Time For Jogging

linda changLeave a comment

Written by Amber Petty on March 18, 2020

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

It’s good for mental health

Depression and anxiety are growing health concerns in the United States. About 7 percent of adults will likely experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime. Since it’s an election year, that number might go up to 259 percent (this isn’t based on science, just on the looks of our Facebook feeds).

Jogging certainly isn’t a cure for depression or anxiety, but there’s growing evidence that it helps ease the symptoms. A 2004 review of studies about exercise and depression found that working out lifted people’s moods.

In a 1999 study mentioned in the review, a 16-week walking or jogging regimen (30 minutes, three times a week) was as effective at reducing depression symptoms as taking medication for the same length of time. (Of course, we don’t recommend you ditch therapy or toss your Lexapro prescription just because you put on your running shoes.)

And you don’t have to be a marathoner or a super-fast sprinter to see results from jogging. A small 1998 study found that jogging improved participants’ moods regardless of whether they exercised at low, moderate, or high intensity.

It reduces stress

If you’ve never felt stressed, we’d love to pull a “Freaky Friday” and swap bodies with you. But if you’re one of the 40 million adults who have an anxiety disorder, jogging could help reduce your stress level.

In a 2018 review of studies, researchers concluded that aerobic exercise is helpful for people who experience increased anxiety. Not too shabby!

It helps you sleep better

The benefits of a jog don’t end after your cooldown stretch. They can improve your entire day… and night!

A 2017 review noted that scientists aren’t 100 percent sure why exercise and sleep are connected, but they definitely are. Overall, study participants who performed cardiovascular exercise like jogging had improved sleep.

Moderate aerobic exercise can also help with chronic insomnia, according to a 2012 review of studies. Fewer hours lying awake, tossing and turning? Sign us up!

It strengthens your immune system

Your body’s ability to fight off disease is super important, so anything you can do to bolster it is probably a good idea.

A 2018 review found that people who exercised regularly were less likely to get bacterial and viral infections. It didn’t address jogging specifically but found that any physical activity can provide an immunity boost.

It decreases insulin resistance

If you’re insulin-resistant, it means your body doesn’t respond to insulin properly. That can lead to high blood sugar and possibly diabetes. In other words, insulin resistance = bad.

Thankfully, regular jogging has been shown to decrease insulin resistance. A 2015 review found that exercise decreased insulin resistance, overall cholesterol, and risk of heart disease in most patients.

If you’re at risk for diabetes, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider to find out whether you could benefit from changing your diet in addition to getting your jog on. Even if you don’t have any blood sugar issues, jogging could help improve your overall blood work results.

It increases lifespan

“I’m gonna live forever” is not how everyone feels after a long jog. But truly, jogging may help you live longer.

In a 2017 review that included data from more than 55,000 people, researchers found that jogging could reduce the risk of dying from heart attack or stroke by 45 percent. Plus, it could reduce the chance of dying from any cause by 30 percent.

Obviously, this doesn’t factor in car crashes or freak accidents involving falling air conditioners. But a 30 percent decreased risk of death by disease is pretty incredible!

Photo by Dianne on Pexels.com

It makes your wallet happy

OK, this isn’t a health benefit, per se. But if you’re on a budget, not worrying about paying gym fees will definitely lead to less stress. Jogging is cheap! Technically, you don’t need anything to jog except a pair of sneakers, which you probably already own.

Since you can jog almost any time and any place, it’s easy to fit into a busy schedule. And you never have to deal with weird gym bros.

Link:https://wisdomtea.org/2021/12/22/7-reasons-to-make-time-for-jogging/