Immune System News and Research

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Study confirms link between GI and autism

An article published today in the journal Pediatrics confirms what parents and advocacy organizations have been saying for years: many individuals with autism suffer from gastrointestinal disease that can contribute to behaviors and symptoms associated with autism.

5 Jan 2010

"Nanoworms" and doxorubicin loaded hollow nanoparticles to fight cancer

A team of researchers in California and Massachusetts has developed a "cocktail" of different nanometer-sized particles that work in concert within the bloodstream to locate, adhere to and kill cancerous tumors.

5 Jan 2010

Protein interaction linked to AMD

Researchers at University College London say they have gleaned a key insight into the molecular beginnings of age-related macular degeneration, the No. 1 cause of vision loss in the elderly, by determining how two key proteins interact to naturally prevent the onset of the condition.

5 Jan 2010

Study examines relationship between parental vaccine refusal and risk of varicella infection in children

Children of parents who refuse vaccines are nine times more likely to get chickenpox compared to fully immunized children, according to a new study led by a vaccine research team at Kaiser Permanente Colorado's Institute for Health Research.

5 Jan 2010

H1N1 vaccine available at Walgreens pharmacies and Take Care Clinics

Every Walgreens pharmacy, every day. The once-scarce H1N1 vaccine is now available daily at all of the more than 7,100 Walgreens pharmacies and 350 Take Care Clinics throughout the country.

5 Jan 2010

A 'cocktail' to kill cancerous tumors

5 Jan 2010

NYC physical therapist encourages women to incorporate physical activity to manage stress levels

Life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations and demands. Stress can take its toll on a woman’s health and spill into the home during the holiday season. In these economic times, tightening budgets during the ‘season to be jolly’ brings additional stress.

31 Dec 2009

Lakeshore General Hospital restricts patient visits as a result of bacterial outbreak

Lakeshore General Hospital, a West Island HSSC facility, is restricting patient visits in the 4-West medical unit as a result of a bacterial outbreak. Other services provided by this hospital centre will not be affected. This preventive measure will remain in place until January 5.

30 Dec 2009

CSL Behring awards four advocacy grants to patient organizations in the U.S.

CSL Behring, a global leader in the plasma-protein biotherapies industry and a subsidiary of CSL Limited, has awarded four advocacy grants totaling $87,000 to patient organizations in the United States through the Local Empowerment for Advocacy Development (LEAD) program.

29 Dec 2009

Advaxis reports 3-year survival data from its ADXS11-001 Phase I trial for cervical cancer

The Phase I trial of ADXS11-001, the lead vaccine candidate of Advaxis, Inc., the company that pioneered the live, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) vaccine, has shown thirty-six (36) month survival in two (2) of the thirteen (13) evaluable patients treated with Advaxis’ therapeutic cancer vaccine, indicating the possibility of persistent immune protection, from only a two (2) dose initial regimen.

29 Dec 2009

Promising results from Soligenix' RiVax vaccine against ricin toxin

Soligenix, Inc., formerly known as DOR BioPharma, Inc., a late-stage biotechnology company, announced today the publication of an article in the January 2010 edition of Infection and Immunity, detailing the characteristics of several immunodominant regions of ricin A chain, the antigenic component of RiVax((TM)). RiVax((TM)) is Soligenix's vaccine to protect against exposure to ricin toxin and is currently being evaluated in Phase 1 human safety and immunogenicity trials, as well as nonhuman primate trials for efficacy.

29 Dec 2009

Nutrient-rich foods for weight loss

For the majority of Americans who are unhappy with their weight at any given moment, the New Year brings mixed emotions: the renewed resolution to shed pounds and the challenge of learning how to eat right to reach those goals.

29 Dec 2009

Nanoscaffolds could play a central role in tissue and organ reconstruction

Researchers from the University of Hong Kong and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have published a study in the current issue of Cell Transplantation (18:9), now freely available on line at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct, that explores ways to successfully keep stem cells "forever young" during implantation by slowing their growth, differentiation and proliferation.

28 Dec 2009

Infecting mosquitoes with Wolbachia bacteria increases their resistance to human disease-causing viruses

Earlier this year, researchers showed that they could cut the lives of disease-carrying mosquitoes in half by infecting them with a bacterium they took from fruit flies. Now, a new report in the December 24th issue of Cell, a Cell Press publication, suggests that their strategy might do one better: The Wolbachia bacteria also makes the mosquitoes more resistant to infection by viruses that are a growing threat to humans, including those responsible for dengue fever and Chikungunya.

28 Dec 2009

Disinfectants can promote growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Using disinfectants could cause bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics as well as the disinfectant itself, according to research published in the January issue of Microbiology.

28 Dec 2009

Researchers unveil complete genetic make-up of cavity-causing bacterium

Researchers have uncovered the complete genetic make-up of the cavity-causing bacterium Bifidobacterium dentium Bd1, revealing the genetic adaptations that allow this microorganism to live and cause decay in the human oral cavity.

24 Dec 2009

Fluzone High-Dose inactivated influenza virus vaccine receives FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Fluzone High-Dose, an inactivated influenza virus vaccine for people ages 65 years and older to prevent disease caused by influenza virus subtypes A and B.

24 Dec 2009

Gene's role in immune system may suggest new treatments for childhood asthma

Pediatric researchers have identified a novel gene involved in childhood asthma, in one of the largest gene studies to date of the common respiratory disease. Because the gene, called DENND1B, affects cells and signaling molecules thought to be instrumental in the immune system overreaction that occurs in asthma, the discovery may have singled out an important target for new treatments.

23 Dec 2009

Tips to achieve fitness and weight loss goals

More than 100 million Americans made New Year resolutions for 2009, and four out of five were not able to stick with them, according to the third annual Franklin Covey New Year’s Resolution survey released in January 2009.

23 Dec 2009

National MS Society calls for grant applications to examine the impact of CCSVI hypothesis

2009 saw exciting research progress, unprecedented opportunities on the horizon, and more scientists than ever working on resolving important questions. Despite the year's economic and financial challenges, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society continues to propel research forward to end MS. In 2009 the Society provided over $33.5 million to support 345 new and ongoing projects in its research portfolio, plus $1.5 million for Fast Forward, the Society's drug development subsidiary which continues to attract new funding streams.

23 Dec 2009