The human immune system is remarkably efficient, but sometimes its attack is misdirected, leading to allergies, autoimmune diseases and rejection of transplant organs and therapeutic drugs. Current immune suppressants have major drawbacks, but a team from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has demonstrated a new technique that may lead to a better way to selectively repress unwanted immune reactions without disabling the immune system as a whole.
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A previous study in by Choi et al in the USA showed that people with a higher vitamin C intake have a lower risk of gout. There are also studies in healthy volunteers that suggest that vitamin C supplements reduce blood uric acid levels.
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A new study conducted in an ethnically diverse and predominantly low income population found that only one-fifth of rheumatoid arthritis patients had an overall adherence rate to prescribed oral medications at 80% or greater.
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Despite numerous advances in treating infections and disease, effective treatments for sepsis remain elusive. A new discovery published in the June 2013 issue of The FASEB Journal not only could help health care providers predict who is more and less likely to develop sepsis, but it also opens the doors to new therapies that actually address the root cause of the problem, rather than just managing the symptoms.
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Experimental genetic techniques may one day provide plastic and reconstructive surgeons with an invaluable tool-the ability to promote growth of the patient's own tissues for reconstructive surgery.
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An Indiana University study has found that a unique omega-3 supplement derived from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel significantly improved lung function and reduced airway inflammation in asthmatics who experience exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, also called exercise-induced asthma.
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Scientists at UC Irvine reported this week that a synthetic compound ShK-186, originally derived from a sea anemone toxin, has been found to enhance metabolic activity and shows potential as a treatment for obesity and insulin resistance.
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Medical research charity Arthritis Research UK has awarded a team of researchers at Cardiff University a grant of £200,000 to investigate new drugs to treat early onset osteoarthritis. The team will investigate a new therapy to reduce the risk of developing osteoarthritis.
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In a series of lab experiments designed to unravel the workings of a key enzyme widely considered a possible trigger of rheumatoid arthritis, researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that in the most severe cases of the disease, the immune system makes a unique subset of antibodies that have a disease-promoting role.
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is primarily associated with the respiratory symptoms that are its hallmark, but in fact, patients who struggle with the disease also experience significant amounts of chronic pain.
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Melbourne researchers have identified an immune protein that has the potential to stop or reverse the development of type 1 diabetes in its early stages, before insulin-producing cells have been destroyed.
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Galapagos NV and AbbVie announced today an extension of their GLPG0634 clinical development collaboration to include Crohn's disease. Galapagos will fund and complete a Phase 2 program in Crohn's disease, which is designed to facilitate rapid progression into Phase 3.
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RuiYi Inc. announced today that it has entered into an exclusive license and collaborative development agreement with Genor BioPharma for the development of RYI-008 in China.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new use for Simponi (golimumab) injection to treat adults with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis.
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Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the COMPARE and ASCERTAIN trials of sarilumab, the first fully human monoclonal antibody directed against the IL-6 receptor, which is delivered by subcutaneous injection every other week, have enrolled their first patients.
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Cytokines are molecules produced by immune cells that induce the migration of other cells to sites of infection or injury, promote the production of anti-microbial agents, and signal the production of inflammatory mediators.
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The Associated Press reports on the emergence of concerns regarding the health law and drug cost disparities. Meanwhile, other news outlets report on how employers continue to have angst about the measure's price tag.
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Biogen Idec announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted the company's Biologics License Application for the marketing approval of ELOCTATE (recombinant factor VIII Fc fusion protein) for the treatment of hemophilia A.
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Prednisone and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be used for symptom control, but to prevent joint damage, we use disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) including the cornerstone, methotrexate.
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A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has found how to boost or inhibit a gene-silencing mechanism that normally serves as a major controller of cells' activities. The discovery could lead to a powerful new class of drugs against viral infections, cancers and other diseases.
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