Immune System News and Research

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Study implicates cytokine molecule IL-17 in low back pain associated with herniated discs

An immune cell known to cause chronic inflammation in autoimmune disorders has been identified as a possible culprit in low back pain associated with herniated discs, according to doctors at Duke University Medical Center.

29 Jun 2010

Rare human antibodies protect mice from lethal strains of influenza

Scientists have identified a new, highly conserved molecular target on the influenza A virus and demonstrated that human antibodies against this target are protective in animal models of seasonal and highly-pathogenic avian influenza. The work was conducted by researchers at Theraclone Sciences, with collaborators at University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Tokyo and Johns Hopkins University; and is reported this week in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

29 Jun 2010

Scancell, immatics collaborate to develop ImmunoBody vaccines for colorectal cancer

Scancell Holdings Plc,, the developer of therapeutic cancer vaccines, today announces a research collaboration with immatics biotechnologies GmbH to explore the development of novel ImmunoBody® vaccines for colorectal cancer.

29 Jun 2010

Researchers use neonatal piglet model to study infant brain development

Events occurring during the development of an infant's brain can leave behind fingerprints. And researchers at the University of Illinois are interested in learning how these fingerprints can predict future behavioral problems such as cognitive deficits, anxiety disorders, depression, and even autism.

29 Jun 2010

Avila's AVL-292 demonstrates disease-modifying effects in prophylactic, therapeutic models of rheumatoid arthritis

Avila Therapeutics™, Inc., a biotechnology company developing targeted covalent drugs that treat diseases through protein silencing, today announced results of preclinical studies demonstrating that its clinical candidate, AVL-292, potently inhibits B cell receptor signaling, and demonstrates efficacy in a rodent model of rheumatoid arthritis. These new data were presented Saturday, June 26, 2010 at the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) 2010 annual meeting in Boston, MA.

29 Jun 2010

MGH, Iacocca Foundation complete Phase I BCG clinical trial in type 1 diabetes

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Iacocca Foundation announce today the completion of the Phase I BCG clinical trial in type 1 diabetes, as well as the submission of all safety reports to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the MGH data safety monitoring boards. Plans for the Phase II clinical study, which will continue the investigation of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination as a treatment for people with existing type 1 diabetes, are actively underway.

29 Jun 2010

UB study: Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange are more likely to develop Graves' disease

Vietnam War-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange appear to have significantly more Graves' disease, a thyroid disorder, than veterans with no exposure, a new study by endocrinologists at the University at Buffalo has shown.

29 Jun 2010

Cancer clues from pregnant lizards

A compound produced by a pregnant lizard may provide important information on the origins and treatment of cancer in humans, according to zoologist Bridget Murphy from the School of Biological Sciences who discovered the protein, which is pivotal to the development of the lizard placenta.

28 Jun 2010

IAVI announces Japanese pledge of $10M for AIDS vaccine research and development

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) announced today that the Government of Japan pledged a US$10 million grant to support AIDS vaccine research and development over the next five years. The grant, which will be channeled through a newly established World Bank trust fund, is the first of its kind from the Japanese government to IAVI.

28 Jun 2010

Cells in immune system react to stomach ulcer bacterium Helicobacter pylori, identify researchers

Researchers have identified cells in the immune system that react to the stomach ulcer bacterium Helicobacter pylori, one of the risk factors for the development of stomach cancer. This discovery could lead to faster diagnosis and treatment as well as a better prognosis for patients with stomach cancer, reveals a thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

28 Jun 2010

Tolerx presents preclinical data on TRX518 anti-GITR immunotherapy for cancer

Tolerx, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies to treat autoimmune diseases and cancer by modulating T cell activity, presented results from preclinical studies with TRX518, an early-stage agent Tolerx is developing as a treatment for cancer. TRX518 is a monoclonal antibody to glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR) and is designed to enhance the immune system's ability to attack tumors by activating and rendering T effector cells resistant to T regulatory cell suppression.

28 Jun 2010

TRL commences operations at San Diego facility with focus on biological drugs for autoimmune diseases

Tanabe Research Labs USA, Inc. (TRL) today announced commencement of its new operations at the TRL facility in San Diego with a focus on biological drugs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. TRL began its new activities in May with the appointment of three new senior executives: Masaki Yamada, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer; Toshihiro Hosaka, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, and Roland Newman, Ph.D., VP and Chief Scientific Officer.

28 Jun 2010

Additional results from BLISS-76 Phase 3 trial of BENLYSTA presented at International Congress on SLE

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. today announced the presentation of additional results from BLISS-76, one of two pivotal Phase 3 trials of BENLYSTA (belimumab) in seropositive patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The additional data will be presented in Vancouver at the 9th International Congress on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus on Friday and Saturday, June 25-26.

28 Jun 2010

TLR4 may provide new strategy for treating patients with PDAC: Study

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a highly malignant digestive tumor with a very poor prognosis. Hypoxia-inducible transcription factor-1α is involved in malignant progression in many solid tumors, including PDAC, upregulation of HIF-1α accelerates PDAC progression, but the exact regulatory mechanisms of HIF-1αin PDAC has not been unequivocally addressed.

28 Jun 2010

Scientists discover characteristic amyloid plaques in retinas from Alzheimer's disease patients

The nerve cell-damaging plaque that builds up in the brain with Alzheimer's disease also builds up in the retinas of the eyes - and it shows up there earlier, leading to the prospect that noninvasive optical imaging of the eyes could lead to earlier diagnosis, intervention and monitoring of the disease, according to new research.

25 Jun 2010

Researchers uncover association between free radical-mediated reactions and progression of SLE

University of Texas Medical Branch researchers have uncovered an association between free radical-mediated reactions and the severity and progression of system lupus erythematosus. Higher levels of oxidative and nitrosative stress markers were found in SLE patients with greater disease activity suggesting a causal relationship. Full findings of the study are available in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.

25 Jun 2010

IDRI signs Research Collaboration Agreement with PATH

Two global health non-profit organizations headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the Infectious Disease Research Institute and PATH, have entered into a Research Collaboration Agreement to evaluate novel adjuvants for their ability to enhance the immune response of pandemic influenza vaccines in development. The collaboration supports the goal of PATH's influenza vaccine project to advance the development of promising new influenza vaccines focusing on novel technologies that can be accessible, affordable, and available to people in low-resource countries in a global outbreak.

25 Jun 2010

Scientists report first preliminary description of bed bug's sialome

With bed bugs reemerging as a nuisance in some parts of the country, scientists are reporting the first preliminary description of the bug's sialome - the saliva proteins that are the secret to Cimex lectularius' ability to suck blood from its human victims and escape to bite again with risking a lethal slap. The findings, which could have medical applications in diagnosing bed bug bites and preventing the itch, appear in ACS' monthly Journal of Proteome Research.

25 Jun 2010

New research suggests resveratrol may inhibit pathogenic blood vessel formation

Current research suggests that resveratrol, a naturally occurring compound found in red wine, grapes, blueberries, peanuts, and other plants, inhibits pathogenic new blood vessel growth.

25 Jun 2010

Editors of Canadian Medical Association Journal warn polio outbreak in Tajikistan could spread

"A large polio outbreak in Tajikistan - Europe's first in years - has the potential to further spread the dangerous virus to other regions of the world, the [editors of] the Canadian Medical Association Journal [CMAJ] warned Wednesday" in an editorial appearing in the journal, the Canadian Press reports.

25 Jun 2010

Immune System News and Research

Study implicates cytokine molecule IL-17 in low back pain associated with herniated discs

Rare human antibodies protect mice from lethal strains of influenza

Scancell, immatics collaborate to develop ImmunoBody vaccines for colorectal cancer

Researchers use neonatal piglet model to study infant brain development

Avila's AVL-292 demonstrates disease-modifying effects in prophylactic, therapeutic models of rheumatoid arthritis

MGH, Iacocca Foundation complete Phase I BCG clinical trial in type 1 diabetes

UB study: Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange are more likely to develop Graves' disease

Cancer clues from pregnant lizards

IAVI announces Japanese pledge of $10M for AIDS vaccine research and development

Cells in immune system react to stomach ulcer bacterium Helicobacter pylori, identify researchers

Tolerx presents preclinical data on TRX518 anti-GITR immunotherapy for cancer

TRL commences operations at San Diego facility with focus on biological drugs for autoimmune diseases

Additional results from BLISS-76 Phase 3 trial of BENLYSTA presented at International Congress on SLE

TLR4 may provide new strategy for treating patients with PDAC: Study

Scientists discover characteristic amyloid plaques in retinas from Alzheimer's disease patients

Researchers uncover association between free radical-mediated reactions and progression of SLE

IDRI signs Research Collaboration Agreement with PATH

Scientists report first preliminary description of bed bug's sialome

New research suggests resveratrol may inhibit pathogenic blood vessel formation

Editors of Canadian Medical Association Journal warn polio outbreak in Tajikistan could spread

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