Macrophage News and Research

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A macrophage is a type of white blood cell that surrounds and kills microorganisms, removes dead cells, and stimulates the action of other immune system cells.

Scientists discover how omega-3 fatty acids shut down inflammation and reverse diabetes

Fish oil is touted for its anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic benefits, but scientist weren't sure how the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil work. Now, according to a report in the September 3rd issue of the journal Cell, scientists have nailed how omega-3 fatty acids both shut down inflammation and reverse diabetes in obese mice.

3 Sep 2010

Discovery of omega-3 fatty acid molecular mechanism paves way for development of dietary remedy for diabetes

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified the molecular mechanism that makes omega-3 fatty acids so effective in reducing chronic inflammation and insulin resistance.

3 Sep 2010

Amino acid arginine vital in fighting infection

Richard Lamb and his post doctoral fellow Virginie Mieulet, in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, may be able to explain why proper nutrition is so vital in fighting infection.

31 Aug 2010

PFF announces $400,000 grant for pulmonary fibrosis research

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation today announced that, in partnership with the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF), $400,000 in new pulmonary fibrosis research grants as part of the 2010 ATS Partner Award Program for Pulmonary Fibrosis Research.

30 Aug 2010

David Mosser to discuss primary duty of macrophages at American Physiological Society conference

The term "macrophage" conjures images of a hungry white blood cell gobbling invading bacteria. However, macrophages do much more than that. Not only do they act as antimicrobial warriors, they also play critical roles in immune regulation and wound-healing. They can respond to a variety of cellular signals and change their physiology in response to local cues.

27 Aug 2010

Second-hand smoke triggers complex inflammatory response

Second-hand smoke is associated with a number of diseases and conditions, including cancer, heart disease, and emphysema. It is an irritant to lung tissue and blood vessels, but the processes through which the body reacts to second-hand smoke comprise a mystery scientists are only beginning to unravel. Researchers at the University of Colorado-Denver are currently studying how second-hand smoke affects the lungs of rats, and so far it appears that second-hand smoke triggers a complex inflammatory response.

27 Aug 2010

Scientists create novel map of lipid locations in single cell

In real estate, location is everything. The same might be said of lipids - those crucial cellular fats and oils that serve as building blocks for cells and as key energy sources for the body.In a paper published in the September issue of the Journal of Lipid Research, a team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has mapped for the first time the actual locations of specific lipids within a single cell.

26 Aug 2010

Research marks new direction to treat Pneumocystis, inflammatory diseases

A drug to treat inflammation plays a surprising role reducing the level of infection caused by an opportunistic bug that is deadly for AIDS and cancer patients and others with weakened immune systems.

20 Aug 2010

Researchers discover sugars that fight body's natural defenses, vaccines

A special set of sugars found on some disease-causing pathogens helps those pathogens fight the body's natural defenses as well as vaccines, say two Iowa State University researchers.This discovery may be a first step in understanding a disease family that includes tuberculosis for which there are currently no good vaccines or cures.Nicola Pohl, professor of chemistry, and Christine Petersen, assistant professor of veterinary pathology, discovered that a natural coating of sugar interacts with the body's defense cells to dampen its own immune response.

18 Aug 2010

Researchers visualize ruptures of atherosclerotic plaques with multi-color CT and gold nanoparticles

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have for the first time developed a way to visualize coronary artery plaques vulnerable to rupture using multi-color computed tomography (CT), an innovation that will lead to better and earlier diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. The data are published in the September issue of Radiology.

17 Aug 2010

Obesity diabetes link found

Melbourne researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have found that inflammatory cells in fat tissue cause the body to become resistant to the effects of insulin – a common precursor to type II diabetes.

16 Aug 2010

A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network, Institut M-rieux and bioM-rieux partner in TB research

An investment of S$3 million is being pumped into tuberculosis (TB) research by A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), bioindustrial group Institut M-rieux and its in vitro diagnostics company bioM-rieux. The project, which involves setting up a joint laboratory in Biopolis, Singapore aims to investigate and identify novel biomarkers that could allow early identification of individuals at risk of TB disease development and disease reactivation. This could lead to better diagnosis and treatment for the highly contagious disease.

13 Aug 2010

USPTO allows Regulus Therapeutics' claims of key Tuschl III patent covering Mir-155

Regulus Therapeutics Inc. announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has allowed claims in a patent application (US Serial No. 12/550,579) derived from the "Tuschl III" patent series. The allowed claims relate to human microRNA miR-155, a microRNA that is a potential target for immuno-inflammatory indications, and a lead program of the Regulus-GSK Strategic Alliance.

11 Aug 2010

New scaffold supports growth, integration of stem cell-derived cardiac muscle cells

These days people usually don't die from a heart attack. But the damage to heart muscle is irreversible, and most patients eventually succumb to congestive heart failure, the most common cause of death in developed countries.Stem cells now offer hope for achieving what the body can't do: mending broken hearts. Engineers and physicians at the University of Washington have built a scaffold that supports the growth and integration of stem cell-derived cardiac muscle cells. A description of the scaffold, which supports the growth of cardiac cells in the lab and encourages blood vessel growth in living animals, is published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

10 Aug 2010

New paradigm in TB research may lead to improved vaccination, treatment

Often causing no symptoms in carriers of the disease, worldwide tuberculosis (TB) infects eight to ten million people every year, kills two million, and it is highly contagious as it is spread through coughing and sneezing. "It's a global health disaster waiting to happen, even here in Canada, but this new paradigm in TB research may offer an immediate opportunity to improve vaccination and treatment initiatives," explains Dr. Maziar Divangahi of McGill University and of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.

30 Jul 2010

Inhibiting fatty acid synthase can reduce atherosclerosis: Study

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a way to significantly reduce atherosclerosis in mice that does not involve lowering cholesterol levels or eliminating other obesity-related problems.

26 Jul 2010

New model of inflammatory bowel disease explores interactions of cells in immune system

Scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have constructed a mathematical and computational model of inflammatory bowel disease that allows researchers to simulate the cellular and molecular changes underlying chronic inflammation in humans. The model allows scientists to explore different interactions of cells in the immune system, check how these cells are linked to inflammation in the colon, and identify intervention points to perhaps stop the disease in its tracks.

23 Jul 2010

hBD-3 biomarker helps early stage detection of oral cancer

Detecting oral cancer in its earliest stages can save the lives of the nearly 40,500 people diagnosed annually. But early detection has been difficult. Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine researchers discovered a biomarker, called human beta defensin-3 (hBD-3), which may serve as an early warning. The defensin is present in all oral cancers and associated with the early stages of oral cancer.

23 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

Plexxikon announces promising preclinical data of PLX3397

Plexxikon Inc. today announced promising preclinical data from in vivo Alzheimer's Disease studies demonstrating a dramatic reduction in activated microglia in the brains of very old (22 months) 3xTG-AD mice, a triple transgenic model for Alzheimer's Disease. This reduction of activated microglia led to significantly improved learning in the treated group.

15 Jul 2010

Macrophage News and Research

Further Reading

Scientists discover how omega-3 fatty acids shut down inflammation and reverse diabetes

Discovery of omega-3 fatty acid molecular mechanism paves way for development of dietary remedy for diabetes

Amino acid arginine vital in fighting infection

PFF announces $400,000 grant for pulmonary fibrosis research

David Mosser to discuss primary duty of macrophages at American Physiological Society conference

Second-hand smoke triggers complex inflammatory response

Scientists create novel map of lipid locations in single cell

Research marks new direction to treat Pneumocystis, inflammatory diseases

Researchers discover sugars that fight body's natural defenses, vaccines

Researchers visualize ruptures of atherosclerotic plaques with multi-color CT and gold nanoparticles

Obesity diabetes link found

A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network, Institut M-rieux and bioM-rieux partner in TB research

USPTO allows Regulus Therapeutics' claims of key Tuschl III patent covering Mir-155

New scaffold supports growth, integration of stem cell-derived cardiac muscle cells

New paradigm in TB research may lead to improved vaccination, treatment

Inhibiting fatty acid synthase can reduce atherosclerosis: Study

New model of inflammatory bowel disease explores interactions of cells in immune system

hBD-3 biomarker helps early stage detection of oral cancer

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

Plexxikon announces promising preclinical data of PLX3397

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