Immune System News and Research

RSS

NCMLS organises immunology congress at Nijmegen

How do cells in our immune system recognise dangerous invaders and hazardous cells, such as cancer cells? Answers to this and similar questions are evolving rapidly. A large contributor worldwide to the field of immunology is the NCMLS, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences of the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre. The NCMLS is organising an important scientific congress on this very topic, for which the absolute world top immunology experts are coming to Nijmegen.

27 Oct 2009

Adenosine deaminase enzyme therapy offers hope for priapism

For men coping with painful erections lasting for long periods of time, or priapism, new research published online in The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) offers hope. That's because researchers from the United States and China show that the enzyme adenosine deaminase may prevent priapism from progressing to penile fibrosis, a condition associated with the build up of scar tissue and eventual impotence.

27 Oct 2009

Comprehensive, risk-based screening guidelines for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers

Drawing on years of experience in cancer research and patient care, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center released today the most comprehensive, risk-based screening guidelines publicly available to date for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers.

27 Oct 2009

Issuance of patents for Idera Pharmaceuticals' TLR-targeted compounds announced

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDRA) today announced the issuance of patents covering its novel Toll-like Receptor (TLR) - targeted compounds. The Company’s TLR-targeted compounds are based on synthetic DNA and RNA, which it refers to as immune modulatory oligonucleotides, or IMO®.

27 Oct 2009

Mechanisms to control protein organization and cell-cell interaction in the immune system discovered

In a process essential to the immune system's response to infection, dendritic cells responsible for identifying pathogens communicate with the T-cells that destroy the infectious agents. To achieve this, the dendritic cells must be correctly activated and migrate to the lymph nodes where they must adhere firmly to T-cells.

27 Oct 2009

Arzerra drug approved by FDA for treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Arzerra (ofatumumab) for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a slowly progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

27 Oct 2009

Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease may be at risk for developing non-melanoma skin cancer

Findings from a new retrospective cohort study presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's 74th Annual Scientific meeting in San Diego indicate that patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), especially those receiving the thiopurine class of medications to treat IBD, may be at risk for developing non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).

27 Oct 2009

Sperm can transmit HIV to macrophages and dendritic cells

Sperm, and not just the fluid it bathes in, can transmit HIV to macrophages, T cells, and dendritic cells (DCs), report a team led by Ana Ceballos at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina.

27 Oct 2009

FDA files complaint against sandwich manufacturer; company allegedly failed to correct violations

The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has filed a complaint for permanent injunction against Rel's Foods Inc. (Rel's), of Oakland, Calif., seeking to stop the company from manufacturing, producing, and selling adulterated food products.

27 Oct 2009

Inhibikase Therapeutics to illustrate the utility of IkT-001 and IkT-041 to treat multiple infectious diseases

Inhibikase Therapeutics, a specialty pharmaceutical company based in Atlanta, Georgia, will discuss simultaneous antiviral and antibacterial activity from small molecule agents at the 2009 BIOCOM Investor Conference. Employing a host-factor targeted approach, Inhibikase will illustrate the utility of IkT-001 and IkT-041 to treat multiple infectious diseases in humans.

27 Oct 2009

Dartmouth explores glucorticoid side effects on bladder-cancer patients

In her most recent study of possible triggers of cancer among northern New England residents, Dartmouth epidemiologist Margaret R. Karagas, Ph.D., and her team identified an enhanced risk to the bladders of patients taking drugs that suppress the immune system.

27 Oct 2009

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics to present Phase I clinical trial data of ICT-107 vaccine in New Orleans

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. (OTCBB: IMUC), a clinical-stage biotechnology company that is developing immune-based therapies for the treatment of brain and other cancers, today announced that it will be presenting today, at the Annual Meeting of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons in New Orleans, Louisiana at 3:15pm central time, data from its Phase I clinical trial investigating the role that its ICT-107 vaccine may play in increasing patient survival and inhibiting tumor progression in patients with glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive type of primary brain tumor.

26 Oct 2009

Anti-viral drug development programs progress successfully, reports NanoViricides

NanoViricides, Inc. (the "Company"), reports that the Company is well financed and its game changing anti-viral drug development programs are progressing successfully. As such, Management knows of no reason for the recent decline in stock price and associated volatility.

26 Oct 2009

Probiotic therapy can be effective for treating intestinal disorders

The probiotic, Bacillus polyfermenticus, can help mice recover from colitis, a new study has found. Mice treated with B. polyfermenticus during the non-inflammatory period of the disease had reduced rectal bleeding, their tissues were less inflamed and they gained more weight than mice that did not receive the treatment.

26 Oct 2009

Scientists discover new way to help save lives threatened by traumatic injuries

A discovery by scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation could help save lives threatened by traumatic injuries like those sustained in car crashes or on the battlefield. The work also holds potential for treating severe infectious diseases and diabetes.

26 Oct 2009

Inhaling carbon nanotubes can affect outer lining of the lungs

Carbon nanotubes are being considered for use in everything from sports equipment to medical applications, but a great deal remains unknown about whether these materials cause respiratory or other health problems.

26 Oct 2009

Doctoral candidate sheds new light on the biology of Leishmania parasites

Professor Albert Descoteaux's team at Centre INRS - Institut Armand-Frappier has gained a better understanding of how the Leishmania donovani parasite manages to outsmart the human immune system and proliferate with impunity, causing visceral leishmaniasis, a chronic infection that is potentially fatal if left untreated.

24 Oct 2009

Study on Pten's tumour suppressive functions published

Sanford Barsky, M.D., who holds faculty positions at the University of Nevada School of Medicine as chair of the pathology department and Nevada Cancer Institute chief of pathology, is part of a team that has a paper on transgenic mouse mammary tumors with direct relevance to human breast cancer published in the October 22 issue of the scientific journal Nature.

24 Oct 2009

Pregnant women unsure about getting H1N1 flu shot, shows new survey

Despite majorities expressing concern about getting the novel H1N1 (or swine) flu this year, only about one in four pregnant women or new mothers plan to get the H1N1 flu shot, according to findings from a new survey conducted on behalf of HealthyWomen by Harris Interactive.

24 Oct 2009

MPI Research to assist Kineta in autoimmune drug development program

MPI Research, a preclinical Contract Research Organization (CRO), announced that it will be collaborating with Kineta, Inc, a Seattle-based privately held biotechnology company specializing in clinical advancement of drugs that modulate and enhance the human immune system.

24 Oct 2009