Immune System News and Research

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Experimental immunusuppressant drug preserves transplanted kidneys

An international team of transplant physicians has shown that the investigational drug belatacept (LEA29Y) preserves transplanted kidney function as effectively as cyclosporine, the drug most commonly used to prevent the immune system from rejecting transplanted organs.

24 Aug 2005

Brain plays an important role in the maintenance of proper bone density

The results of this research, involving a study of the activity of the protein interleukin 1 in the brain, comprise not only a breakthrough in understanding the regulation of bone density by the brain but also hold promise for the development of future treatment for osteoporosis, say the researchers.

24 Aug 2005

New drug that selectively blocks immune responses protects kidneys after transplant

In an international clinical trial, a new drug that selectively blocks immune responses has proved as effective in preventing acute kidney transplant rejection as cyclosporine, the standard anti-rejection treatment.

24 Aug 2005

Hundreds of identified genes involved in the pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease

In a paper published in PLoS Medicine researchers from the German Genome Research Network have analysed the expression of thousands of genes from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease) using a genome wide approach to produce a comprehensive picture of which genes are activated in these conditions.

24 Aug 2005

First study to test the role of RNA chemical modifications on immunity

The investigators published their findings in the August issue of Immunity. "We think this study will open a new area of research in understanding how our immune systems protect us," says Weissman.

23 Aug 2005

Birth order not a factor in multiple sclerosis risk

A new Canadian study suggests that the youngest children in a family are not less likely than older siblings to develop multiple sclerosis (MS).

22 Aug 2005

Gene therapy advance shows potential for developing improved treatment for hemophilia

A virus that typically infects insects could help with the development of gene therapy treatment for Hemophilia A, a condition in which even a bump on the knee can cause serious internal bleeding in people.

22 Aug 2005

Protein thought to promote lymphoma by merely preventing cancer cells from dying appears to actively promote cancer cell growth

A protein previously thought to merely hinder the activity of a key cellular protein linked to cancer cell death, now appears to mimic the cellular signaling of that protein; potentially leading to the development of lymphoma.

22 Aug 2005

Experimental vaccine can prime the immune system to help fight an aggressive form of lymphoma

Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute have found that an experimental vaccine can prime the immune system to help fight an aggressive form of lymphoma, even though prior therapy had eliminated virtually all of the B cells thought necessary to mount such a defense.

22 Aug 2005

Non-invasive imaging may help predict type 1 diabetes and response to treatment in humans

A key obstacle to early detection of type 1 diabetes - as well as to rapid assessment of the effectiveness of therapeutic intervention - has been the lack of direct, non-invasive technologies to visualize inflammation in the pancreas, an early manifestation of disease.

22 Aug 2005

New phenomenon in which one bacterial cell can stop the growth of another on physical contact

Scientists have discovered a new phenomenon in which one bacterial cell can stop the growth of another on physical contact. The bacteria that stop growing may go into a dormant state, rather than dying. The findings have implications for management of chronic diseases, such as urinary tract infections.

22 Aug 2005

New hope for those deaf from immune system attack

A new study may one day help those deafened by immune system attack, and possibly also lead to a test that could show which patients may be helped by immediate steroid treatment.

16 Aug 2005

Adalimumab and methotrexate is about five times more effective than methotrexate alone for rheumatoid arthritis

For people with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis, combined treatment with the new "biologic" drug adalimumab and methotrexate is about five times more effective than methotrexate alone, according to a new systematic review of studies.

15 Aug 2005

Immune system more concerned with damage detected than foreign invaders, such as viruses

A well-respected researcher who is now a chief of an immunology laboratory of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has rocked the boat in the past few years for the experts in the understanding of the autoimmune system.

15 Aug 2005

Combined gene therapy eliminates glioblastoma multiforme in lab studies

Despite aggressive treatment, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) - the most common and deadly of brain cancers - usually claims the lives of its victims within six to 12 months of diagnosis. Because GBM is so aggressive, the disease has been the target of a number of laboratory and clinical studies investigating the effectiveness of gene therapy to deliver novel therapies to the brain.

15 Aug 2005

Scientists say valproic acid can eradicate dormant HIV

Early research by scientists in the U.S. suggests that valproic acid could be a potential way to eradicate dormant HIV infections.

14 Aug 2005

Infusion nurses examine need for standards of practice in immunoglobulin therapy

A review article published in the July/August 2005 Journal of Infusion Nursing examines the need for established treatment guidelines to support doctors and nurses in correctly dosing and administering intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) as replacement therapy in patients with primary immunodeficiency (PI) disorders, who do not produce adequate levels of antibodies essential in fighting infectious diseases.

13 Aug 2005

Plasma exchange treatment shown most helpful for severe attacks in subtype of MS patients

A Mayo Clinic study demonstrates that only those multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with evidence for antibody deposition or complement activation -- immune cells that can cause tissue destruction -- in their lesions are likely to respond to plasma exchange, a treatment for acute MS attacks.

11 Aug 2005

New therapeutic approach that could help eliminate dormant HIV infection

US scientists have tested a new therapeutic approach that could help eliminate dormant HIV infection that current treatments miss. The researchers report these preliminary findings in a proof-of-concept study in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

11 Aug 2005

Protein that protects the body from tissue damage also increases the risk of tumors

You win some, you lose some. A protein that protects the body from tissue damage also increases the risk of tumors, according to a study conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Moderate reduction of the protein level protects against tumor formation but increases susceptibility to tissue injury.

11 Aug 2005

Immune System News and Research

Experimental immunusuppressant drug preserves transplanted kidneys

Brain plays an important role in the maintenance of proper bone density

New drug that selectively blocks immune responses protects kidneys after transplant

Hundreds of identified genes involved in the pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease

First study to test the role of RNA chemical modifications on immunity

Birth order not a factor in multiple sclerosis risk

Gene therapy advance shows potential for developing improved treatment for hemophilia

Protein thought to promote lymphoma by merely preventing cancer cells from dying appears to actively promote cancer cell growth

Experimental vaccine can prime the immune system to help fight an aggressive form of lymphoma

Non-invasive imaging may help predict type 1 diabetes and response to treatment in humans

New phenomenon in which one bacterial cell can stop the growth of another on physical contact

New hope for those deaf from immune system attack

Adalimumab and methotrexate is about five times more effective than methotrexate alone for rheumatoid arthritis

Immune system more concerned with damage detected than foreign invaders, such as viruses

Combined gene therapy eliminates glioblastoma multiforme in lab studies

Scientists say valproic acid can eradicate dormant HIV

Infusion nurses examine need for standards of practice in immunoglobulin therapy

Plasma exchange treatment shown most helpful for severe attacks in subtype of MS patients

New therapeutic approach that could help eliminate dormant HIV infection

Protein that protects the body from tissue damage also increases the risk of tumors

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