Rheumatology News and Research

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Rheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Rheumatologists mainly deal with clinical problems involving joints, soft tissues and allied conditions of connective tissues.

Child health experts to gather in Italy for Excellence in Paediatrics conference

Obesity, the flu pandemic and diabetes are just three of the hot topics that will be explored when top child health experts gather in Italy for Excellence in Paediatrics from 3 to 6 December 2009.

28 Sep 2009

Event to address rheumatoid arthritis

26 men and women with RA from across europe honoured as they share their inspirational stories. Actress, artist and activist Jane Seymour will host the first My Day for RA European event in Barcelona, Spain this evening to recognise the daily challenges, hopes and achievements of people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

22 Sep 2009

Center for Hip Pain and Preservation focuses on improved understanding of hip abnormalities

Recent improved understanding of hip abnormalities, combined with advances in diagnostic imaging techniques and minimally invasive surgical treatments are giving many patients new hope for relieving chronic, misdiagnosed hip pain.

21 Sep 2009

Perceptive Informatics utilizes Optasia's KneeAnalyzer software

Perceptive Informatics, a leading eClinical solutions provider and a subsidiary of PAREXEL International Corporation, today announced that it has enhanced its capabilities to provide medical imaging measurements for osteoarthritis clinical trials through an alliance with Optasia Medical, Inc.

From Parexel 16 Sep 2009

Precise T cell correlates of protection need to be identified for vaccine design

T cells are key players in the immune response to HIV, which are able to delete infected cells. This capacity is used for vaccine development against HIV. "To date however, success of this strategy remains elusive. Our understanding of T cell efficacy is still limited, and we need to identify precise T cell correlates of protection that could guide rationale vaccine design", says Victor Appay, Group leader HIV Pathogenesis and Immunosenescence, Hopital Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris, at the 2nd European Congress of Immunology ECI 2009 in Berlin.

16 Sep 2009

Toll-like receptors that activate immune cells being developed as alternative cure to cancer

A Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist, called imiquimod, which activates dendritic cells, is in clinical use as a topical application for basal cell carcinoma. In addition, a number of TLR agonists have been evaluated in clinical trials as an adjuvant for cancer vaccines.

16 Sep 2009

Immune response at tumour site predicts cancer progression in colorectal cancer patients

The immune reaction at tumour site determines cancer evolution and clinical outcome in patients with colorectal cancer, regardless of the local extent and spread of the tumour, according to the findings of Jérôme Galon, INSERM Research Director, Paris, and co-workers.

16 Sep 2009

Stem cells - the answer to autoimmune diseases and cancer in the future

Stem cells are multipotent cells of the immune system. Scientists hope to use them for curing autoimmune diseases, cancer and innate genetic defects in the future.

16 Sep 2009

New cancer therapy involves remodelling blood vessels and activating immune cells

Reversing or re-arranging the growth of these vessels in combination with specific immune strategies is a promising new strategy for cancer therapy, says Ruth Ganss, Professor at the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, Perth, at the 2nd European Congress of Immunology ECI 2009 held in Berlin.

16 Sep 2009

Urgent vaccine requirements for treating epidemic diseases voiced at ECI 2009

As a result of dominant media coverage of new epidemic threats such as swine influenza, other infection risks receive less public attention than they deserve. "We would like to bring to everybody's attention that the infectious diseases with the most severe consequences continue to be old acquaintances such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria and hepatitis C. About six million people worldwide die of these diseases every year," says Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. Stefan H. E. Kaufmann, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin, at the 2nd European Congress of Immunology ECI 2009.

16 Sep 2009

New peptide-based cancer vaccine tested in genital cancer patients

Preventive vaccination against infectious diseases has been a major milestone for the health of modern society. The development of therapeutic vaccination against established diseases is much more difficult. For more than 100 years researchers have already tried to develop cancer vaccines and now first promising clinical results raise hopes. A summary of the most attractive new approaches gave Professor Carmen Scheibenbogen, Institut für Medizinische Immunologie, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, at a press conference in Berlin.

16 Sep 2009

Malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and HIV leads to defective immune system

The most common causes worldwide include malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection. Other causes of temporary or permanent damage to the immune system include old age, medications (e.g. cortisone, cytostatic drugs), radiotherapy, stress after surgery and malignant tumors of the bone marrow and the lymph nodes.

14 Sep 2009

Alcon to acquire ESBATech AG

Alcon (NYSE:ACL) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire ESBATech AG, a Swiss biotechnology company. Alcon will pay ESBATech shareholders $150 million in cash at closing, plus contingent payments of up to $439 million based upon the achievement of future research and development milestones that would be expected to create value for Alcon.

14 Sep 2009

Therapeutic principles of monoclonal antibodies

Professor Joachim R. Kalden, Member of the Department for Molecular Immunology, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Zentrum, University Medical School Erlangen-Nuremberg, presents therapeutic principles based on monoclonal antibodies.

10 Sep 2009

Miracles of the immune system discussed at the 2nd European Congress of Immunology

"I think it will not surprise you if I say that the immune system is one of our most important organ systems. Its relevance is obvious if only for the fact that it has been reinvented several times throughout the evolution of life," says Professor Andreas Radbruch, President of the German Society of Immunology and Director of the Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum, Berlin. He lectured about the miracle of our immune system at the Opening Press Conference of the 2nd European Congress of Immunology.

10 Sep 2009

KRYSTEXXA development and treatment failure gout to be presented

Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that five abstracts relating to KRYSTEXXA (pegloticase) development and treatment failure gout will be presented at the 2009 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting taking place in Philadelphia from October 16-21, 2009.

8 Sep 2009

Regurin XL capsule for the treatment of OAB launched in UK

Regurin(R) XL (trospium chloride), a once-daily, prolonged-release capsule to treat patients with overactive bladder (OAB) has been launched in the UK. Regurin(R) XL provides rapid, significant and consistent improvements in the symptoms of OAB1 and has a reduced potential for central nervous system (CNS) side effects(2-7).

7 Sep 2009

Novel SLE Responder Index as the primary endpoint in two Phase 3 clinical trials

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. today announced publication by the journal Arthritis Care & Research of an article describing the development and use of a novel evidence-based systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) Responder Index selected as the primary endpoint of two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials of BENLYSTA (belimumab) in serologically active patients with SLE.

4 Sep 2009

Takeda receives FDA response regarding NDA for fixed-dose combination of alogliptin and ACTOS

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited ("Takeda") today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Takeda Global Research & Development Center, Inc. (U.S.), received on September 2 (U.S. TIME), a complete response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the New Drug Application (NDA) for the fixed-dose combination (FDC) of alogliptin and ACTOS(R) (pioglitazone HCl).

4 Sep 2009

CIGNA partners with MCNT to launch a medical home type program in Texas

CIGNA (NYSE:CI) and Medical Clinic of North Texas (MCNT) are preparing to launch a pilot program that incorporates components of the medical home model based on a comprehensive, accountable and collaborative approach they believe will lead to improved patient access, better continuity and coordination of care, improved quality of care for patients, and lower medical costs.

2 Sep 2009

Rheumatology News and Research

Further Reading

Child health experts to gather in Italy for Excellence in Paediatrics conference

Event to address rheumatoid arthritis

Center for Hip Pain and Preservation focuses on improved understanding of hip abnormalities

Perceptive Informatics utilizes Optasia's KneeAnalyzer software

Precise T cell correlates of protection need to be identified for vaccine design

Toll-like receptors that activate immune cells being developed as alternative cure to cancer

Immune response at tumour site predicts cancer progression in colorectal cancer patients

Stem cells - the answer to autoimmune diseases and cancer in the future

New cancer therapy involves remodelling blood vessels and activating immune cells

Urgent vaccine requirements for treating epidemic diseases voiced at ECI 2009

New peptide-based cancer vaccine tested in genital cancer patients

Malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and HIV leads to defective immune system

Alcon to acquire ESBATech AG

Therapeutic principles of monoclonal antibodies

Miracles of the immune system discussed at the 2nd European Congress of Immunology

KRYSTEXXA development and treatment failure gout to be presented

Regurin XL capsule for the treatment of OAB launched in UK

Novel SLE Responder Index as the primary endpoint in two Phase 3 clinical trials

Takeda receives FDA response regarding NDA for fixed-dose combination of alogliptin and ACTOS

CIGNA partners with MCNT to launch a medical home type program in Texas

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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