Interferon News and Research

RSS

Scientists elucidate which mechanisms block natural killer cells and how this could be lifted

Natural killer cells of the immune system can fend off malignant lymphoma cells and thus are considered a promising therapeutic approach. However, in the direct vicinity of the tumor they lose their effect.

8 Jul 2015

Bacterial biofilms play role in development of systemic lupus erythematosus

Lupus, multiple sclerosis, and type-1 diabetes are among more than a score of diseases in which the immune system attacks the body it was designed to defend. But just why the immune system begins its misdirected assault has remained a mystery.

7 Jul 2015

Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir combination approved for hepatitis C treatment does not require antiviral drug

The drug approved to treat patients infected with the hepatitis C virus needs no help from other antivirals, according to a study released online this week in the journal Hepatology.

2 Jul 2015

dlDNA marks progression of HBV-related liver disease

The level of serum duplex-linear DNA increases markedly with liver disease progression and development of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, suggests research published in Gut.

30 Jun 2015

Study could point the way to new treatments for people with severe asthma

The immune response that occurs in patients with severe asthma is markedly different than what occurs in milder forms of the lung condition, according to researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Those unique features could point the way to new treatments, they said in an article published online today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

30 Jun 2015

Scientists reveal new combination method that efficiently destroys cancer cells

Scientists at the Institut Pasteur and Inserm have successfully increased the infiltration of immune cells into tumors, thus inducing the immune system to block tumor growth. In an article published in Nature Immunology, the scientists show that, in combination with existing immunotherapies, this process efficiently destroys cancer cells.

18 Jun 2015

Researchers uncover new mechanism that innate immune system uses to curb viral infections

An innovative mechanism that the innate immune system uses to control viral infections has been uncovered by researchers at the University Medical Centers in Mainz and Freiburg. Central to this is the discovery that two different but related elements of the immune system can act together in concert to fight, for example, rotavirus infections.

16 Jun 2015

Meta-analysis sheds light on effectiveness of chronic HBV treatments

A meta-analysis of treatments for chronic hepatitis B virus infection suggests that tenofovir disoproxil fumarate is the most effective option for patients positive and negative for hepatitis B e antigen, but the latter group may also benefit from entecavir treatment.

1 Jun 2015

Novartis launches ‘24 Life Hacks in 24 hours’ showing commitment to help people with MS access guidance and advice

World MS Day was created by the Multiple Sclerosis International Foundation (MSIF) in 2009 to raise global awareness of MS...

28 May 2015

AbbVie announces new results from Phase 3 GIFT-I study in GT1b HCV infected Japanese patients

AbbVie presented new results from the Phase 3 GIFT-I study of its investigational, all-oral, interferon (IFN)- and ribavirin (RBV)-free, two direct-acting antiviral treatment with ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir at the Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Hepatology in Kumamoto, Japan.

27 May 2015

Investing in new hepatitis C therapies may have significant economic impact

While a new generation of safer, more effective oral medications to treat hepatitis C patients may cost tens of thousands of dollars for a 12-week regiment, investing in these new therapies could generate savings estimated at more than $3.2 billion annually in the U.S. and five European countries, according to a new study (abstract 228) released today at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2015.

18 May 2015

TSRI researchers find interferon beta protein as prime suspect in persistent viral infections

Interferon proteins are normally considered virus-fighters, but scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found evidence that one of them, interferon beta (IFNβ), has an immune-suppressing effect that can help some viruses establish persistent infections.

14 May 2015

Simple blood test could help predict effectiveness of interferon-based therapy in HCV-infected patients

A simple blood test can be used to predict which chronic hepatitis C patients will respond to interferon-based therapy, according to a report in the May issue of Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the basic science journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

13 May 2015

Researchers reveal mechanisms involved in development of metabolic complications linked to obesity

Metabolic complications of obesity and overweight, such as type 2 diabetes, are an important challenge to public health. Teams led by Nicolas Venteclef, Inserm Research Fellow (Cordeliers Research Centre, Inserm/Pierre and Marie Curie University Joint Research Unit 1138, Paris, France) and Irina Udalova (Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, UK) in collaboration with several teams, have succeeded in elucidating part of the mechanisms involved in the development of these metabolic complications associated with obesity.

8 May 2015

Investigational three-drug combination clears hepatitis C in 93% of patients with liver cirrhosis

A 12-week dose of an investigational three-drug hepatitis C combination cleared the virus in 93 percent of patients with liver cirrhosis who hadn't previously been treated, according to a study in the May 5, 2015, issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

7 May 2015

Antigen-loaded porous silicon microparticles can boost effectiveness of breast cancer vaccines

The effectiveness of cancer vaccines could be dramatically boosted by first loading the cancer antigens into silicon microparticles, report scientists from Houston Methodist and two other institutions in an upcoming Cell Reports (early online).

6 May 2015

Pre-POINT trial raises hope for Type 1 diabetes prevention

Giving oral insulin to children at genetic high risk of diabetes stimulates a regulatory immune response without inducing hypoglycaemia, show the findings of the Pre-POINT study.

1 May 2015

Cytokine GM-CSF likely plays important role in MS

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is caused by immune cells that activate a cascade of chemicals in the brain, attacking and degrading the insulation that keeps neuronal signals moving. These chemicals, called cytokines, drive the inflammation in the brain, attracting more immune cells, and causing the debilitating disease marked by loss of neurological function.

30 Apr 2015

Will new hepatitis C treatments strain payers’ budgets? An interview with Dr Chhatwal

Our analysis shows that these drugs would not save overall healthcare money, but would add to the budget. When something is cost effective, it does not necessarily mean it is going to save money. It essentially implies that we're willing to spend additional money to gain additional benefits...

28 Apr 2015

Sofosbuvir in combination with ribavirin/peginterferon achieves highest SVR rates in GT-3 HCV patients

Results presented today at The International Liver Congress 2015 demonstrate that hepatitis C (HCV)-infected genotype-3 (GT-3) patients, with and without cirrhosis, receiving 24 weeks of sofosbuvir (SOF) in combination with ribavirin (RBV) and peginterferon (PEG) achieved the highest sustained virologic response rates at 12 weeks (SVR12), observed in a Phase 3 study, to date.

25 Apr 2015