Immune System News and Research

RSS

Researchers identify immune dysfunction in melanoma patients

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have begun to shed light on why the human immune system isn't able to stop such cancers as melanoma, suggesting answers that could pave the way for better treatment of this often-fatal illness.

9 May 2007

Fluorescent nanoparticles open up new possibilities for cellular imaging

Scientists from the University of Twente, the Netherlands, have successfully exploited the optical properties of fluorescent nanoparticles to broaden the scope of single-cell microscopy.

9 May 2007

Green tea may reduce the risk of skin cancer

Green tea just keeps getting better. To add to the abundance of health-improving qualities of the beverage, UAB Researcher Santosh Katiyar, Ph.D., associate professor of dermatology, claims that it can reduce the risk of skin cancer.

9 May 2007

FluMist may help reduce the burden of seasonal influenza

MedImmune, Inc. has announced research results showing that use of FluMist(R) (Influenza Virus Vaccine Live, Intranasal) in daycare and school settings may help reduce the burden of seasonal influenza.

9 May 2007

Promising new target for brain tumor therapy

A drug that targets the body's immune cells may be effective in treating malignant brain tumors, according to a new study led by researchers from Duke's Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center.

9 May 2007

Researchers create agent that protects cells from the lethal effects of radiation

No drugs exist to protect the public from the high levels of radiation that could be released by a "dirty" bomb or nuclear explosion.

9 May 2007

Abbott seeks U.S. and E.U. approvals for Humira as a treatment for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Abbott has announced it has simultaneously submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a Type II Variation to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) seeking approval to market HUMIRA (adalimumab) as a treatment for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) in the U.S. and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in the European Union (EU).

9 May 2007

Adult stem cells play no role in insulin production

Diabetes researchers, investigating how the body supplies itself with insulin, discovered to their surprise that adult stem cells, which they expected to play a crucial role in the process, were nowhere to be found.

8 May 2007

Simple blood test could predict relapse or survival for children and young adults with acute leukemias

A review of young leukemia patients over the past decade has shown that the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), a measure of normal immune cells found on every complete blood count report, is a powerful predictor of survival for young patients with leukemia.

8 May 2007

How inhaled anthrax paralyzes the body's defenses

University of Florida researchers have revealed how the inhaled form of anthrax paralyzes the body's defenses and prevents immune cells from reaching the site of infection.

8 May 2007

Facts about rheumatoid arthritis and aging

For the better part of three decades, Sherrie Kossoudji has endeavored each day to manage the inflammation, chronic pain, tight joints and other types of physical strife caused by rheumatoid arthritis.

8 May 2007

Hepatitis C increases risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Researchers in the U.S. have found that an infection with the hepatitis C virus increases the risk of a person developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

8 May 2007

Custom stents hold microcapsules to treat diabetes

Johns Hopkins undergraduates have invented a device to improve cell therapy for diabetes patients by anchoring transplanted insulin-producing cells inside a major blood vessel.

7 May 2007

Molecule that destroys bone also protects it

An immune system component that is a primary cause of bone destruction and inflammation in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis actually protects bone in the oral cavity from infectious pathogens that play a major role in periodontal disease in humans, research at the University at Buffalo has shown.

7 May 2007