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Early HIV treatment reduces death, likelihood of TB, study finds

"Early treatment for HIV cuts patients' risk of death by about 75 percent," according to a study conducted in Haiti and published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. The study also demonstrated that "early antiretroviral treatment reduces the likelihood of tuberculosis, a leading cause of death among HIV patients, by 50 percent," the news service writes (Aquino, 7/14).

16 Jul 2010

New findings on macrophage activation can facilitate development of early diagnosis tools

Immune system cells called macrophages spring into action to surround and destroy threats such as viruses or cancer cells. But sometimes the would-be protective response leads to persistent inflammation, which, in turn, can cause disease.Scientists don't know exactly how macrophages cross the line from being good cops to bad cops, but researchers at the University of Florida recently unearthed several clues about the mechanisms involved. Through the lens of two inflammation-related diseases, HIV and rheumatoid arthritis, they identified changes in specific proteins linked to the action of macrophages, white blood cells that are key to the body's natural defenses.

16 Jul 2010

National Jewish Health named #1 respiratory hospital in the nation

For the 13th consecutive year, National Jewish Health has been named the #1 respiratory hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

15 Jul 2010

Nitto Denko, Quark collaborate to develop siRNA therapeutics for fibrotic diseases

Nitto Denko Corporation, Japan's leading diversified materials manufacturer and Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a world leader in the discovery and development of RNAi-based therapeutics, today announced the initiation of a collaboration and license agreement for the development of siRNA therapeutics for the treatment of fibrotic diseases.

15 Jul 2010

Fatness drives inactivity, not the other way around

According to a recent longitudinal study in children, inactivity does not lead to fatness! Moreover, the authors concluded that fatness is driving inactivity, and not the other way around. The authors noted that this "reverse causality" explains the observed association between inactivity and fatness. It also explains the repeated failures of the attempts to reduce childhood obesity by increasing physical activity. The study was published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood by Dr. Brad Metcalf and colleagues from Plymouth, UK.

15 Jul 2010

NIH awards MacroGenics $9.8 million grant for three projects

MacroGenics, Inc, a privately held biotechnology company that develops immunotherapeutics to treat autoimmune disorders, cancer and infectious diseases, today announced that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded the company three new grants representing total funding of $9.8 million.

15 Jul 2010

Cigarette smoking affects entire networks of gene interaction: Research

The effects of smoking cigarettes on gene activity have been investigated in the largest study of its kind. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Medical Genomics studied white blood cells taken from 1,240 people to identify 323 unique genes whose expression levels were significantly correlated with smoking behavior.

15 Jul 2010

Activities of TAT fully consolidated into Geron

Geron Corporation today announced that the activities of TA Therapeutics, its joint venture with Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, are being fully consolidated into Geron.

15 Jul 2010

Scientists comment on two clinical trials that use Rituximab to treat small-vessel vasculitis

Two UNC School of Medicine faculty authored an editorial in the July 15, 2010 New England Journal of Medicine commenting on results from two clinical trials using the drug Rituximab to treat small-vessel vasculitis, a rare autoimmune disease.

15 Jul 2010

First 1M doses of smallpox vaccine for immune-compromised populations delivered

Delivery to the Strategic National Stockpile of the first 1 million doses of the nation's first smallpox vaccine for certain immune-compromised populations is now complete, the result of a Project BioShield contract.

15 Jul 2010

NIH announces 5 more years of funding for Consortium of Food Allergy Research

Today, the National Institutes of Health announce that the Consortium of Food Allergy Research (CoFAR), established in 2005, will be funded for five more years. CoFAR will continue to foster new approaches to prevent and treat food allergies and also expand in scope to include research on the genetic causes underlying food allergy and studies of food allergy-associated eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs).

15 Jul 2010

UNC research to be presented at International AIDS Society conference

Dozens of UNC researchers are heading to Vienna, Austria to participate in the world's preeminent AIDS conference this week. The International AIDS Society conference brings together top scientists, advocates and government officials to discuss progress and chart a course for stemming the spread and impact of AIDS. Speakers including President Bill Clinton will address an estimated 25,000 attendees at this year's event.

15 Jul 2010

Aduro BioTech announces issuance of two important patents

Aduro BioTech, a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, announced today the issuance of two important patents, the formation of a distinguished scientific advisory board, the addition of key members to its Board of Directors, and the reporting of preliminary top line long-term survival data from a Phase 1 clinical trial with 2 year follow-up.

15 Jul 2010

University of Louisville ophthalmology professor receives $60,000 RPB Special Scholar Award

Qingxian Lu, PhD, assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, has received the $60,000 William and Mary Greve Special Scholar Award from the Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) organization. The funds will go toward Lu's research in retinitis pigmentosa, a group of genetic disorders that can lead to night blindness, loss of peripheral vision and total blindness.

15 Jul 2010

Pennsylvanians should take steps to reduce exposure to mosquitoes, Secretary of Health advises

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reminds Pennsylvanians to take precautions to reduce exposure to mosquitoes as the season arrives for West Nile virus, or WNV, infections.

15 Jul 2010

Florida Medicaid recipients make fewer trips to doctors; Calif. payments to health clinics in jeopardy; Texas addresses nursing shortage

Northeast Florida's Medicaid recipients are making fewer trips to the doctor for chronic illnesses since state officials outsourced the government-subsidized health insurance program to private managed care companies. But it remains unclear from the analysis performed by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which oversees the state's Medicaid program, whether they're healthier for it. Medicaid reform was launched in 2006 in Duval and Broward counties to test whether HMOs could rein in the state's Medicaid spending.

15 Jul 2010

Babies fed cow's milk in first 15 days of life are protected from dangerous allergies later on

Many doctors suggest that whole cow's milk be avoided in the early months of an infant's feeding. Lactation specialists go even further, counseling "mother's milk only" until baby starts eating solid food. But new research from Tel Aviv University says that mothers who feed their babies cow's milk in the first 15 days of life may be protecting their children from dangerous allergies later on.

15 Jul 2010

Summer campaign to combat crimes against fashion, dangerous sunburn

FASHION-LOVING Brits have denounced 'socks and sandals' as the ultimate summer fashion faux pas, in a poll released today (13th July) to celebrate the launch of 'Fashion Forecast' from Cancer Research UK's SunSmart campaign and fashion retailer ASOS.com, which provides tailored online fashion advice to help people be stylish while avoiding sunburn this summer.

14 Jul 2010

Scientists discover three human antibodies that neutralize HIV

Scientists have discovered three previously unknown human antibodies that neutralize HIV, two of which target a broad range of HIV strains. The findings, reported online July 8 in two Science papers, add a level of encouragement to the AIDS vaccine research field.

14 Jul 2010

New biological scaffolds will provide off-the-shelf tissue transplants

Professor John Fisher from The University of Leeds is speaking today (14 July) at the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting in Nottingham about his team's research into how biological scaffolding will pave the way for off- the-shelf tissue transplants.

14 Jul 2010

Immune System News and Research

Early HIV treatment reduces death, likelihood of TB, study finds

New findings on macrophage activation can facilitate development of early diagnosis tools

National Jewish Health named #1 respiratory hospital in the nation

Nitto Denko, Quark collaborate to develop siRNA therapeutics for fibrotic diseases

Fatness drives inactivity, not the other way around

NIH awards MacroGenics $9.8 million grant for three projects

Cigarette smoking affects entire networks of gene interaction: Research

Activities of TAT fully consolidated into Geron

Scientists comment on two clinical trials that use Rituximab to treat small-vessel vasculitis

First 1M doses of smallpox vaccine for immune-compromised populations delivered

NIH announces 5 more years of funding for Consortium of Food Allergy Research

UNC research to be presented at International AIDS Society conference

Aduro BioTech announces issuance of two important patents

University of Louisville ophthalmology professor receives $60,000 RPB Special Scholar Award

Pennsylvanians should take steps to reduce exposure to mosquitoes, Secretary of Health advises

Florida Medicaid recipients make fewer trips to doctors; Calif. payments to health clinics in jeopardy; Texas addresses nursing shortage

Babies fed cow's milk in first 15 days of life are protected from dangerous allergies later on

Summer campaign to combat crimes against fashion, dangerous sunburn

Scientists discover three human antibodies that neutralize HIV

New biological scaffolds will provide off-the-shelf tissue transplants

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