Immune System News and Research

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Scientists describe how protein acts as courier in cell signaling pathways

Normal development, from fertilized egg to adult organism, depends on each cell receiving proper instructions from its environment. In response to such incoming information, receptors on a cell's surface send signals to the nucleus that tweak gene expression and control cellular function.

28 Oct 2011

Novel stem cells method may eliminate need for antirejection drugs in transplants

Surgical researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, have pioneered a method using stem cells that may one day eliminate the need for antirejection drugs in transplants. Primary investigator David Mathes, MD, FACS, and his research fellow Jeff Chang, MD, MS, presented their findings today at the 2011 Clinical Congress of the American College Surgeons.

28 Oct 2011

RA drug reduces kidney cyst growth in ADPKD mouse model

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have discovered that patients with an inherited kidney disease may be helped by a drug that is currently available for other uses.

28 Oct 2011

Intracellular nucleic acid sensors can trigger autoimmune disease

Bruce Beutler, MD, a co-recipient of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Medicine, has coauthored an article describing a novel molecular mechanism that can cause the body to attack itself and trigger an autoimmune disease.

28 Oct 2011

Advanced papillary thyroid cancer patients with BRAFV600E gene mutation at higher risk

Individuals with advanced papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) that are associated with the BRAFV600E gene mutation have a higher risk of recurrent disease and progression to more advanced, poorly differentiated thyroid cancer, according to data presented today at the 81st Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association (ATA).

28 Oct 2011

Manipulating normal bacteria could tackle gum disease

Normal bacteria which live in our mouths provide the catalyst for the development of gum disease, a debilitating condition which leads to painful gums and the loosening of teeth, new research from Queen Mary, University of London has found.

28 Oct 2011

NK cells can fight against anthrax

One of the things that makes inhalational anthrax so worrisome for biodefense experts is how quickly a relatively small number of inhaled anthrax spores can turn into a lethal infection. By the time an anthrax victim realizes he or she has something worse than the flu and seeks treatment, it's often too late; even the most powerful antibiotics may be no help against the spreading bacteria and the potent toxins they generate.

28 Oct 2011

CINJ experts available to discuss risk factors of pancreatic cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cancer killer in the country, with nearly 44,000 new cases expected in 2011 and more than 37,600 deaths by year's end. In New Jersey alone, an estimated 1,100 deaths are predicted this year due to the disease. The death of Steve Jobs, who suffered from a form of pancreatic cancer, has brought increased attention to the disease in recent weeks.

28 Oct 2011

Insight into role of cytokines in autoimmune diseases

Cytokines, a varied group of signaling chemicals in the body, have been described as the software that runs the immune system, but when that software malfunctions, dysregulation of the immune system can result in debilitating autoimmune diseases such as lupus, arthritis, and diabetes. Leading experts in the field of cytokine research present their most up-to-date findings and unique perspectives on the role of cytokines in autoimmune diseases in a special issue of Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research, a peer-reviewed publication of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

28 Oct 2011

Beneficial intestinal bacteria can activate immune cells and trigger MS

Multiple sclerosis is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. For a long time, pathogens were believed to be such external influences. According to scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Martinsried, however, it is apparently not harmful bacteria that trigger multiple sclerosis, but beneficial ones - specifically, the natural intestinal flora, which every human being needs for digestion.

28 Oct 2011

La Jolla Institute becomes 5th participant in novel stem cell research collaboration

The La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology has become the fifth organization in the prestigious Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, joining colleagues from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, The Scripps Research Institute, University of California, San Diego and the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in the first-of-its-kind multi-institutional stem cell research collaboration.

28 Oct 2011

Microglia plays a key role in memory and learning

Immune system cells of the brain, which scavenge pathogens and damaged neurons, are also key players in memory and learning, according to new research by Duke neuroscientists.

27 Oct 2011

U of A researchers discover potential new drug target for MS

Medical researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered a potential new drug target for Multiple Sclerosis that could prevent physical disability associated with the disease, once a new drug is developed.

27 Oct 2011

International diabetes researchers to engineer artificial pancreas system

The National Institutes for Health (NIH) have awarded $4.5 million to a group of international diabetes researchers to engineer an artificial pancreas system that will monitor and adapt to the body's complex real-time changes in behavior and physiology.

27 Oct 2011

Children have fewer components that strengthen their immune defense than adults do

Children have fewer components that strengthen their immune defense than adults do. This is shown in a mapping of children's saliva that was carried out at Malmö University in Sweden. The study may have found an explanation for children's inability to fend off infections.

27 Oct 2011

Surgeons freeze organoid units and regenerate TESI for short bowel syndrome

Surgeons at Children's Hospital Los Angeles have conducted a study that could put regenerative tissue treatment for short bowel syndrome one step closer to the bedside. The researchers were able to successfully isolate and store organoid units and later generate tissue-engineered small intestine (TESI) in a mouse model. The groundbreaking results were presented at the 2011 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

27 Oct 2011

Henry Ford becomes first U.S. hospital to offer skin transplant surgery for vitiligo

Henry Ford Hospital is the first in the country to offer skin transplant surgery as part of its treatment portfolio for patients with the skin disease vitiligo.

27 Oct 2011

Research questions aromatherapy safety

Aromatherapy oils are relied upon to relax, reduce stress and soothe aches and pains by many. However researchers from Chia-Nan University of Pharmacy and Science Tainan, Taiwan say these oils may not be completely harmless.

24 Oct 2011

Taconic and Oncodesign announce agreement to co-promote and co-develop solutions to advance oncology research

Taconic, a leading provider of life sciences solutions, and Oncodesign(R), an innovative leader in the discovery of novel anti-cancer therapies, announce today that they have entered into an agreement to co-develop and co-promote pre-clinical oncology in vivo solutions for researchers worldwide. The agreement provides researchers with improved access to a large, diverse portfolio of translational models for use in pre-clinical oncology studies, along with supporting scientific services.

24 Oct 2011

NHMRC awards $2 million to investigate new therapies for reversing autoimmune disease

Research being undertaken at the University of Adelaide and Women's and Children's Hospital is providing vital clues into the causes of autoimmune diseases which affect millions of people around the world.

24 Oct 2011