Immune System News and Research

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Pegasys with ribavirin combo may best for reducing hepatitis C viral levels

Interim study results indicate a certain drug combination treatment may suppress the hepatitis C virus more quickly than another.

1 Nov 2004

Routine screening of blood samples would reduce the risk of disease transmission among transplant recipients

Results of a study in this week’s issue of THE LANCET suggest that routine screening of blood samples to detect viral RNA among organ and tissue donors who do not have obvious signs of clinical disease would reduce the risk of disease transmission among transplant recipients.

29 Oct 2004

Scientists decode the genome sequence of Cryptosporidium hominis, one of the most common causes of waterborne diseases in humans

A team of scientists at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine has helped decode the genome sequence of Cryptosporidium hominis, an insidious parasite identified as one of the most common causes of waterborne diseases in humans and classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a potential bioterrorist agent.

29 Oct 2004

Scientists have uncovered a significant new link in the chain of immune system events through which estrogen prevents bone loss

Through research in mice, the scientists discovered that an immune signaling molecule called type b transforming growth factor (TGFb) is responsible for a cascade of events that leads estrogen to prevent bone loss.

29 Oct 2004

Fetal tissue restores lost sight from retinitis pigmentosa

Three years ago Elisabeth Bryant believed she would be blind for the rest of her life. "I couldn't see anything," she says. Now, although her vision is not perfect, she can see well enough to read, play computer games and check emails.

28 Oct 2004

Babies who are breastfed have a lower risk of developing childhood leukemia

The paper, to be published November in the journal Public Health Reports, found that breastfeeding was linked to lower risks of both acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common of the childhood cancers, and acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML).

28 Oct 2004

Umbilical cord blood may hold clue to childhood allergy and asthma

High levels of antibodies to allergens in a baby's umbilical cord blood might be more important in the development of childhood allergies and asthma than exposure to allergens, or lack of them, after birth, suggests research in Thorax.

28 Oct 2004

An immune system in a bottle would allow faster and easier production of a flu vaccine

University of Michigan associate professor Nicholas Kotov believes that one day, the cells in those honeycombs can be used to grow spare parts for our bodies, or even an entire artificial immune system in a bottle.

26 Oct 2004

Easy-to-make vaccine tackles a range of illnesses

Australian researchers have created a totally synthetic vaccine that is effective against viruses, harmful bacteria and tumours and could lead to a powerful new arsenal of vaccines for humans and animals.

26 Oct 2004

Anxiety helps memory recall, but stress hinders complex problem solving

Researchers at Ohio State University gave a battery of simple cognitive tests to 19 first-year medical students one to two days before a regular classroom exam – a period when they would be highly stressed. Students were also given a similar battery of tests a week after the exam, when things were less hectic.

26 Oct 2004

Genetic double-agents unmasked

Babraham Institute and Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered that certain enzymes with a key activity in the immune system may be important in stem-cell development, but may also work against us by contributing to the occurrence of cancer.

26 Oct 2004

Arizona will receive 22,500 additional doses of flu vaccine

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano announced today that Arizona will receive 22,500 additional doses of flu vaccine as early as Wednesday, and will distribute the vaccine to local health departments in the next week.

25 Oct 2004

Researchers investigate new treatment options, including ways to boost immune responses to better control HIV

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for the treatment of individuals infected by HIV-1 is limited by high costs, drug resistance, and drug-related toxicities. This has led researchers to investigate new treatment options, including ways to boost immune responses to better control HIV.

25 Oct 2004

The first new TB vaccine for more than 80 years has successfully come through safety trials in the UK

The first new TB vaccine for more than 80 years has successfully come through safety trials in the UK. The vaccine, devised by a team led by Dr Helen McShane in Oxford’s Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine (CCVTM), is designed to be used in tandem with the tried and tested BCG inoculation – first introduced in 1921 – and not to replace it.

25 Oct 2004