Immune System News and Research

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Scientists and clinicians address diagnosis and treatment for autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases

Autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases are a major health issue. The National Institutes of Health reports that up to 23.5 million Americans are afflicted. The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association reports the number is closer to 50 million. Scientists and clinicians at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston can address the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions, as well as the latest advances in research.

8 Jan 2010

Researchers devise method to pinpoint key genetic variations under positive natural selection that may impact human health

Fossils may provide tantalizing clues to human history but they also lack some vital information, such as revealing which pieces of human DNA have been favored by evolution because they confer beneficial traits - resistance to infection or the ability to digest milk, for example. These signs can only be revealed through genetic studies of modern humans and other related species, though the task has proven difficult.

8 Jan 2010

Preliminary studies show cancer vaccine may reduce tumor cells in CML patients

Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers say preliminary studies show that a vaccine made with leukemia cells may be able to reduce or eliminate the last remaining cancer cells in some chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients taking the drug Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec).

8 Jan 2010

Young men with HIV infection have coronary atherosclerotic plaques: MGH study

A Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) study has found that relatively young men with longstanding HIV infection and minimal cardiac risk factors had significantly more coronary atherosclerotic plaques - some involving serious arterial blockage - than did uninfected men with similar cardiovascular risk.

8 Jan 2010

LSUHSC receives $2.1 million grant for pneumonia research

Dr. Jay Kolls, Professor and Chairman of Genetics at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine, has been awarded a $2.1 million grant over five years by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health to further his work on a discovery that plays a critical role in the body's defense against pneumonia.

8 Jan 2010

Additional birth weight decreases risk of developing tuberculosis later in life

Researchers at the University of Michigan looked at how much protection additional birth weight added against developing the disease years later. They found that every 1.1 pounds of birth weight decreases the risk of developing tuberculosis later by 46 percent among identical twins.

7 Jan 2010

UAB issues updated guidelines for childhood and teen immunization schedule

The co-director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases is a member of the committee that this week issued updated guidelines for childhood and teen immunizations to include formal recommendations that children older than 6 months get the H1N1 influenza vaccine to guard against swine flu, and that combination vaccines are generally preferred over separate injections.

7 Jan 2010

Tel Aviv University finds Mozart's music induces weight gain in premature babies

The music they listen to doesn't have any lyrics that tell them to grow, but new research from Tel Aviv University finds that premature babies who are exposed to music by 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart gain weight faster -- and therefore become stronger -- than those who don't.

7 Jan 2010

Rituximab treatment reduces patients' response to pneumonia vaccine

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University determined that immune responses to the tetanus vaccine were not changed when rituximab in combination with methotrexate (MTX) was compared with MTX alone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

7 Jan 2010

Researchers seek to defeat Alzheimer's disease by modifying mice's immune system

Using laboratory mice that had been bred to have brain changes similar to Alzheimer's disease, scientists were able to reduce two characteristic features of the disease by modifying the mice's immune systems with a special peptide (MOG45D) related to the myelin sheath that insulates nerve cells and nerve fibers. As a result, anti-inflammatory cells were recruited from the blood into the brain, dampening the local inflammatory response.

7 Jan 2010

Flu vaccine safe but ineffective for RA patients treated with rituximab

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are partially protected by the influenza vaccine 6-10 months after treatment with rituximab. Researchers determined that while the flu vaccine is safe, it is ineffective for RA patients in the first 6 months following rituximab treatment.

7 Jan 2010

Toxic chemicals make us susceptible to a wide range of diseases

From the Industrial Revolution and onward, the world has become an environment that is overflowing with dangerous toxins. Mass manufacturing has resulted in thousands of chemical pollutants being released in the atmosphere, water, and soil. As well, there has been a widespread increase of chemicals being added to almost every type of food and retail product.

6 Jan 2010

Innexus Biotechnology designs new psoriasis product

InNexus Biotechnology Inc. (TSX.V: IXS) (www.ixsbio.com), a drug development company commercializing the next generation of antibodies based on its groundbreaking Dynamic Cross Linking (DXL™) technology, today announced the development of a new psoriasis product based on its proprietary dermal permeating Transmab™ technology.

6 Jan 2010

NXT Nutritionals Holdings provides 2010 outlook for investors

NXT Nutritionals Holdings, Inc. (“NXT Nutritionals”) developer and marketer of SUSTA™ Natural Sweetener, the great tasting, all-natural, healthier sweetener, today released a Letter to Shareholders from Michael McCarthy, president and Chief Executive Officer, providing investors and the investment community with its outlook for 2010.

6 Jan 2010

Health Canada approves Zyclara Cream for multiple actinic keratoses

Health Canada has approved Zyclara™ (imiquimod) Cream 3.75%, a topical prescription treatment for multiple actinic keratoses (AK) located on the face or balding scalp in adults. Actinic Keratosis is a common skin condition that can lead to squamous cell carcinoma, a form of non-melanoma skin cancer, if left untreated.

6 Jan 2010

Cancer Research UK and CRT to undertake phase I clinical trial of DI-B4

CANCER RESEARCH UK and Cancer Research Technology (CRT), the charity's development and commercialisation arm, are to undertake a phase I clinical trial of an investigational monoclonal antibody1 drug from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, called DI-B4 - it is announced today (Monday).

6 Jan 2010

Circumcision lowers HIV risk; changes bacterial community on penis microbiome

Circumcision, which substantially lowers HIV risk in men, also dramatically changes the bacterial communities of the penis, according to a study led by scientists at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Johns Hopkins University and published Jan. 6 in the scientific journal PLoS ONE.

5 Jan 2010

Phase 2 study evaluating VBL Therapeutics' lead compound VB-201 initiated

VBL Therapeutics today announced the initiation of a Phase 2 efficacy and safety study evaluating lead compound VB-201 for the treatment of patients with psoriasis. VB-201 is poised to be a first-in-class, orally-administered immune response modifier expected to reduce inflammation in a broad range of conditions such as psoriasis.

5 Jan 2010

Fish oil supplement now available in water-soluble drink

Nordic Naturals, the industry leader in omega-3 fish oil, introduces Omega-3 Effervescent, an innovative way to enjoy fish oil supplementation via a water-soluble drink mix containing EPA and DHA in a delicious orange flavor.

5 Jan 2010

Annelie Wendeberg presents protocol for identification of environmental microbes

Metagenomics, the study of DNA isolated from samples of naturally occurring microbial populations, is rapidly growing. Improvements to cloning and sequencing techniques are allowing researchers to study microorganisms in environmental samples, and new knowledge of species interactions and community dynamics is emerging.

5 Jan 2010