Leukocyte News and Research

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Future for magnetic nanoparticles appears even brighter

Whether it's magnetic nanoparticles (mNPs) giving an army of 'therapeutically armed' white blood cells direction to invade a deadly tumour's territory, or the use of mNPs to target specific nerve channels and induce nerve-led behaviour (such as the life-dependant thumping of our hearts), mNPs have come a long way in the past decade.

6 Nov 2009

Mechanical force switches T cell from disease-scanning to disease-fighting mode

The immune system's T cells have the unique responsibilities of being both jury and executioner. They examine other cells for signs of disease, including cancers or infections, and, if such evidence is found, rid them from the body. Precisely how T cells shift so swiftly from one role to another, however, has been a mystery.

3 Nov 2009

Bacteria use a well-studied communication system to resist antibiotics

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmark along with other collaborators in Denmark and the US found that the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa can 'switch on' production of molecules that kill white blood cells - preventing the bacteria being eliminated by the body's immune system.

1 Nov 2009

Immunotherapy, a new therapeutic area to destroy tumor cells

Targeted immunotherapy has been an attractive new therapeutic area for a number of cancers because it has the potential to destroy tumor cells without damaging surrounding normal tissue. New study results demonstrate high success rates using specialized white blood cells to prevent or treat lymphoma associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV-lymphoma) in patients who have received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT).

31 Oct 2009

Individualized MicroNutrient Testing for patients

In response to the current trend toward personalized medicine, the Beaumont Weight Control Center, affiliated with Beaumont Hospitals, a major Detroit-area health system, now offers individualized MicroNutrient Testing for patients.

31 Oct 2009

Helper T cell's effect raises possibility of cellular therapy and vaccine development

A specific type of T helper cell awakens the immune system to the stealthy threat of cancer and triggers an attack of killer T cells custom-made to destroy the tumors, scientists from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in the early online edition of the journal Immunity.

30 Oct 2009

Prospera Technologies presents data on its Gauze vs. Foam based NPWT research

Prospera Technologies announced today that, at the Clinical Symposium on Advances in Skin & Wound Care in San Antonio, Texas, Oct 22-25, 2009, Malin Malmsjo MD., Ph.D. of Lund University in Lund, Sweden, presented significant new research comparing the differences and quality of granulation tissue in foam versus gauze based NPWT.

29 Oct 2009

NCI awards UAMS Myeloma Institute $19.5M grant

The internationally known multiple myeloma program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will receive $19.5 million over five years to continue work that has already developed new treatments for this cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell present in the bone marrow.

28 Oct 2009

Pure Protein develops soluble Class II human leukocyte antigens

Pure Protein, L.L.C., a biopharmaceutical company specializing in diagnostic and therapeutic reagents for use in immunology research and development, has announced that Chief Scientist William Hildebrand, Ph.D., and his team, have developed soluble Class II human leukocyte antigens (HLA). This represents a significant technology breakthrough that can dramatically impact multiple pharmaceutical and medical sectors and has enormous market potential. Autoimmune disease is a key area of interest for HLA research and product development.

28 Oct 2009

Roche's high-throughput sequencing technology used for high-resolution HLA genotyping

A study published this month in the journal Tissue Antigens reports that researchers at Roche Molecular Systems in Pleasanton, CA have used high-throughput sequencing technology from 454 Life Sciences, a Roche Company, to carry out high-resolution human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotyping in research samples.

27 Oct 2009

Donor testing services from LABS

LABS Inc., one of the premier transplant reference and consultative laboratories in the country, announced today that it will begin offering a full range of donor testing services to the transfusion medicine and blood services industry. LABS Inc.'s acquisition of Research and Diagnostic Laboratories in October brings its expertise to blood collection programs nationwide.

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

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

Appropriate diet lessens inflammation and muscular damage, leads to higher performance in competition sports

21 male skiers with an average age of 37 were studied and the results showed normal body weight as well as fat and muscle percentage and a predominantly athletic body build.

26 Oct 2009

Strict adherence in taking HIV medication; extremely difficult for many individuals

Highly active antiretroviral therapy has increased the longevity and quality of life for people living with human immunodeficiency virus. But it requires strict adherence in taking the medicine, something that is extremely difficult for many individuals to do.

23 Oct 2009

NICE open-source software from NIST

Medical clinics the world over could benefit from new software created at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where a team of scientists has found a way to improve the efficiency of a pneumonia vaccine testing method developed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

23 Oct 2009

GeneNews announces the publication of a paper in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology

GeneNews Limited, a company focused on developing blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of diseases and personalized health management, today announced the publication of a paper in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. The paper reports data using GeneNews' proprietary Sentinel Principle(R) platform technology to identify complex changes in blood gene expression patterns that were differentially regulated between active and inactive Crohn's disease.

22 Oct 2009

Research suggests latent cytomegalovirus infection exacerbates inflammatory bowel disease

Current research suggests that latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection may exacerbate inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The related report by Onyeagocha et al, "Latent cytomegalovirus infection exacerbates experimental colitis," appears in the November 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

21 Oct 2009

Amputation prevention tips for diabetic patients

While "One Foot, Two Foot, Red Foot, Blue Foot" may be the opening line of a humorous children's book by Dr. Seuss, foot complications are no laughing matter to the 20 million Americans with diabetes. According to the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS), ulceration, infection, and gangrene are the most common foot and ankle problems of the diabetic patient.

21 Oct 2009

NCCN Guidelines for Acute Myeloid Leukemia updated

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recently made updates to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology(TM) for Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a cancer that starts inside the bone marrow and the most common acute leukemia affecting adults.

20 Oct 2009