Immune System News and Research

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Chemotherapy drug bortezomib packs a one-two punch

Cancer can be wily, and those who treat the disease have amassed a wide array of weapons with which to fight it and kill tumors.

20 Feb 2007

siRNA delivery into human T cells and primary cells with carbon-nanotube transporters

A promising approach to gene therapy involves short DNA fragments (interfering RNA) that bind to specific genes and block their "translation" into the corresponding, disease-related protein.

20 Feb 2007

How T cells attack tumors

Our immune system struggles to eliminate tumors effectively. By unraveling its strategies, we can enhance its effects on tumor cells and so improve the clinical prospects of cancer immunotherapy.

20 Feb 2007

Scientists label cells with magnetic nanoparticles

Investigators at the German Cancer Research Center have developed silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles that allow for cell tracking in a live animal using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

20 Feb 2007

Food scare number 4 this week - chicken breast meat

In yet another food scare in the United States a nationwide recall of 52,650 pounds of Oscar Mayer ready to eat chicken breast strips is suspected to be contaminated.

19 Feb 2007

RNAi shows promise in gene therapy

Three years ago Mark Kay, MD, PhD, published the first results showing that a biological phenomenon called RNA interference could be an effective gene therapy technique. Since then he has used RNAi gene therapy to effectively shut down the viruses that cause hepatitis and HIV in mice.

19 Feb 2007

More evidence that inflammation can fuel cancer

As evidence mounts that the body's normally protective inflammation response can drive some precancerous tissues to become fully malignant, UCSF scientists report discovering an apparent trigger to this potentially deadly process.

19 Feb 2007

Scientists discover vulnerable area on HIV that could lead to development of HIV/AIDS vaccine

Scientists on Wednesday announced they had identified a vulnerable area on HIV that might be susceptible to antibodies and could prevent the virus from infecting human cells, Reuters Health reports. The findings are published in the Feb. 15 issue of the journal Nature.

19 Feb 2007

Norwalk virus closes Canadian hospital

A hospital in Toronto, Canada has been closed to patients and visitors following an outbreak of the Norwalk virus.

18 Feb 2007

Researchers determine a critical factor in workings of proteins

Scientists know that a better understanding of how proteins bond could lead to more effective treatments for genetic disorders and other life-threatening conditions.

18 Feb 2007

The present and future for influenza vaccines

The near inevitability that influenza will explode into a pandemic in the coming few years has kept researchers searching for a way to prevent the worst effects of infection. The ultimate prize is a highly effective vaccine that could be produced and deployed rapidly.

18 Feb 2007

Insulin-like growth factor receptor implicated in development of Graves' disease

Investigators at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) have found evidence that continues to implicate insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) in the development of Graves' disease.

18 Feb 2007

Promising results on avian influenza vaccines

Experts meeting this week at the World Health Organization (WHO) on advances in pandemic influenza vaccine development reported encouraging progress.

18 Feb 2007

Nasal spray vaccine gives kids more protection from flu than shots

In a new study involving thousands of children across the world, a new version of the nasal spray vaccine FluMist has been found to be more effective at preventing influenza than traditional flu shots.

18 Feb 2007

Latest food scare in the U.S.- Salmonella in peanut butter

In the latest food scare to hit the United States the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers not to eat some brands of peanut butter.

18 Feb 2007

Primary targets of HIV-1 infection in human vagina identified

The primary targets of HIV-1 infection in the human vagina have been definitively identified in a new study published in the February 2007 issue of the journal Immunity. The findings are likely to guide development of new strategies that will prevent HIV-1 transmission.

15 Feb 2007

Active lifestyle reduces risk of invasive breast cancer

Six or more hours per week of strenuous recreational activity may reduce the risks of invasive breast cancer by 23 percent, according to researchers from the University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center (UWCCC).

15 Feb 2007

Body Shop founder Roddick reveals she has Hepatitis C

Anita Roddick the founder of the Body Shop has revealed she is suffering from the disease Hepatitis C.

14 Feb 2007

Vasectomy linked to dementia

Researchers in the United States have linked male sterilization surgery to a certain form of dementia.

14 Feb 2007

Seasonal flu vaccine offers some protection from H5N1

The yearly influenza vaccine that health officials urge people to get each fall might also offer certain individuals some cross protection against the H5N1 virus commonly known as bird flu, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

13 Feb 2007