Immune System News and Research

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Peptimmune granted US patent for PI-2301 peptide copolymer in treatment of multiple sclerosis

Peptimmune, Inc. a privately held biotechnology company, announced today the grant of US Patent Number 7,655,221 (the '221 patent) which protects the target product profile for its PI-2301 peptide copolymer for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, and other autoimmune diseases.

6 Mar 2010

New anti-tumour vaccine for mesothelioma shows promising results

A vaccine against mesothelioma, a cancer associated with exposure to asbestos, has shown early promise in its first clinical trial.

5 Mar 2010

Investigators disprove reports that well-fed children are more vulnerable to dengue virus

A new study led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators disproves reports that well-fed children are more vulnerable to the dengue virus. Mosquitoes spread the virus, which can cause severe flu-like symptoms and sometimes lethal complications.

5 Mar 2010

Gluten intolerance: Hereditary risk factors and link to virus infections

A research project in the Academy of Finland's Research Programme on Nutrition, Food and Health (ELVIRA) has brought new knowledge on the hereditary nature of gluten intolerance and identified genes that carry a higher risk of developing the condition. Research has shown that the genes in question are closely linked with the human immune system and the occurrence of inflammations, rather than being connected with the actual breakdown of gluten in the digestive tract.

5 Mar 2010

FDA takes steps to protect consumers from potential Salmonella infection

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to protect the public following the early identification of Salmonella Tennessee in one company's supply of hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP). This is a common ingredient used most frequently as a flavor enhancer in many processed foods, including soups, sauces, chilis, stews, hot dogs, gravies, seasoned snack foods, dips and dressings.

5 Mar 2010

TLR's role in HIV-1 reactivation induced by periodontal pathogens

Today, during the 39th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research, convening at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, lead researcher O.A. Gonzalez (University of Kentucky, Lexington) will present a poster of a study titled "TLR2 and TLR9 Activation by Periodontal Pathogens induce HIV-1 Reactivation."

5 Mar 2010

Worm proteins may provide option in management of gastrointestinal inflammation in IBD patients

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) suffer from chronic inflammation of the gut leading to gastrointestinal motility alterations with symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramps and diarrhea that profoundly affect their quality of life. The lack of exposure to worm infections, as a result of improved living standards and medical conditions, might have contributed to the increased incidence of IBD in the Western world.

5 Mar 2010

Proper treatment can help control psoriasis in most cases

For the approximately 7.5 million Americans affected by psoriasis, the thick, red, scaly, itchy plaques it causes only scratch the surface when it comes to the overall implications of this disease. Now, ongoing research linking psoriasis to other serious medical conditions and the incredible toll it can take on a person's overall quality of life are shifting the way psoriasis is viewed - from a common skin disease to a complex systemic condition.

5 Mar 2010

Endothelial cells can produce copious amounts of adult stem cells: Study

In a leap toward making stem cell therapy widely available, researchers at the Ansary Stem Cell Institute at Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered that endothelial cells, the most basic building blocks of the vascular system, produce growth factors that can grow copious amounts of adult stem cells and their progeny over the course of weeks.

5 Mar 2010

Gene involved in susceptibility and resistance to TB identified

University of Washington researchers have identified a gene involved in susceptibility and resistance to tuberculosis. This same gene, they have found, has a role in the severity of leprosy, which is caused by a related pathogen. The researchers also have learned why this gene is important for susceptibility.

5 Mar 2010

Advaxis' Listeria based fusion protein granted U.S. patent

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued Advaxis, Inc.,, the live, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) immunotherapy company, patent #7662396 titled “Compositions and Methods for Enhancing the Immunogenicity of Antigens” for the use of fusion proteins that have been found to be effective in numerous models for the treatment of cancer in the presence of immune tolerance.

5 Mar 2010

South West Liver Unit researchers receive grants for developing Hepatitis C vaccine

Researchers at the South West Liver Unit, based at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust and supported by the Peninsula Medical School, are working to save more lives and improve the health of Hepatitis C sufferers around the world by developing a vaccine for the disease.

5 Mar 2010

Chikungunya: Experimental vaccine successfully tested in monkeys

Imagine a mosquito-borne virus that has already infected millions of people in recent outbreaks in South and Southeast Asia, the islands of the Indian Ocean, Africa and northern Italy. Although seldom fatal, it causes highly painful arthritis-like symptoms that can linger for months or even years. It's capable of adapting to spread through a mosquito species common in much of North America. And no vaccine or treatment exists to protect humans from its effects.

5 Mar 2010

Risk of MS increases by many folds following infection with EBV: Study

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and a team of collaborators have observed for the first time that the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) increases by many folds following infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

5 Mar 2010

Argos Therapeutics' AGS-004 immunotherapy for HIV demonstrates clinical and commercial potential

Argos Therapeutics today announced the publication of a manuscript in the February edition of Clinical Immunology, detailing positive immune response, safety and manufacturing data for its AGS-004 immunotherapy for HIV. AGS-004 is a product of the Company’s Arcelis™ technology, and is a personalized, RNA-loaded dendritic cell-based immunotherapy that is perfectly matched to each patient’s unique HIV viral burden. The manuscript details a clinical study in which AGS-004 was evaluated in type-1 HIV-infected adults who were being treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART).

5 Mar 2010

Study: Genetic variant of LTA4H offers protection against TB and leprosy

A study into why some people are more resistant than others to diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy has identified a new genetic variant which affects susceptibility to these diseases. The findings, published today in the journal Cell, may have implications for future treatments for the two conditions.

5 Mar 2010

FDA approves CSL Behring's Hizentra for PI

CSL Behring announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing approval for HizentraTM, Immune Globulin Subcutaneous (Human), 20% Liquid, for treating patients diagnosed with primary immunodeficiency (PI). A once weekly immunoglobulin (Ig) replacement therapy, Hizentra provides effective protection against infection by maintaining a steady and normal level of immunoglobulin in the body.

4 Mar 2010

Dermatologist speaks about common forms of hair loss and treatment options at 68th Annual Meeting

For many women, unexplained hair loss can take a significant psychological toll on their overall quality of life. From altering their hairstyle to hide a thinning part to scaling back their hair care regimen in an effort to halt further hair loss, women try countless ways to cover up this problem - and the results are often lukewarm at best.

4 Mar 2010

BioVex commences dosing in Phase 1 study of ImmunoVEX live attenuated genital herpes vaccine

BioVex Inc, a private biotechnology company developing new generation biologics for the treatment of cancer and prevention of infectious disease, announced today that the first subject had been dosed in the Phase 1 study of its live attenuated genital herpes vaccine, ImmunoVEXHSV2. The Phase 1 study is an open label ascending dose trial, assessing safety and immune response in healthy volunteers. The study is taking place in the UK at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London and will involve up to 42 already identified subjects.

4 Mar 2010

Celldex Therapeutics reports net loss of $13.5M for fourth-quarter of 2009

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009. Celldex reported a net loss of $13.5 million, or $0.43 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2009 compared to a net loss of $7.5 million, or $0.47 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2008.

4 Mar 2010