Immune System News and Research

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Rett Syndrome, the first identified epigenetic disease - linked to specific defects in the three-dimensional folding of chromatin

Sometime between the age of 6 and 18 months, after a period of seemingly normal development, girls affected with Rett Syndrome lose interest in play; they gradually become withdrawn and anxious, develop autistic-like behaviors, and acquire specific symptoms like repetitive teeth-grinding and hand-wringing.

20 Dec 2004

Risk of tuberculosis infection doubles within one year of HIV infection

Scientists previously assumed that there was no increase in tuberculosis risk within the first few years of HIV infection. Pam Sonnenberg of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and colleagues were therefore surprised by the results of their research on the two infections, which they conducted in South African gold miners.

20 Dec 2004

Key advance in understanding the proteins and mechanisms involved in the spread of Lyme Disease

Virginia Commonwealth University scientists have made a key advance in understanding the proteins and mechanisms involved in the spread of Lyme Disease, a finding that could lead to a vaccine against the tick-borne illness that affects thousands of people each year.

16 Dec 2004

Millennium Pharmaceuticals discovers protein biomarkers that could play a role in the early detection of rheumatoid arthritis

Researchers at Millennium Pharmaceuticals today announced the discovery of a panel of protein biomarkers that could play a role in the early detection, prognosis and monitoring of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

14 Dec 2004

Vaccinating mice against Lyme disease could help reduce the risk of transmission of the disease to humans

Vaccinating large populations of white-footed mice against the bacterium that causes Lyme disease could help reduce the risk of transmission of the disease to humans, says a study supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

14 Dec 2004

Parasitic worms, or helminths, may be an effective treatment for Crohn's disease

Helminths, such as roundworms and threadworms, are rare in developed countries, where rates of Crohn's disease are high. But in developing countries where corresponding rates of the disease are low, many people carry these parasitic worms.

13 Dec 2004

Start today of human tests for a preventive vaccine against the respiratory disease SARS

Powerful research tools that speed up vaccine development have led to the start today of human tests for a preventive vaccine against the respiratory disease SARS. The disease killed hundreds of people around the world before it was brought under control in 2003 with aggressive conventional public health measures.

13 Dec 2004

Celebrex like gene suppresses the growth of colon cancer

Cancer researchers at the Case Western Reserve University (Case) School of Medicine, University Hospitals of Cleveland (UHC) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have found a "Celebrex-like" gene that suppresses the growth of colon cancer.

13 Dec 2004

Novel anti-rejection protocol should allow major improvement efficacy and quality of life after intestinal and multivisceral transplants

Transplant researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute have dramatically improved intestinal transplant graft survival, and reduced rejection and infection rates by successfully using a novel immunosuppression minimization protocol, thus improving patients' overall quality of life and avoiding the use of several anti-rejection drugs, which can cause serious infections and major complications.

13 Dec 2004

Model may explain how alcohol stimulates tumor growth

The investigators found that compared to the saline control group, the embryos exposed to ethanol experienced increases in tumor size, tumor blood vessel density, cancer cell infiltration of blood vessels, and VEGF levels.

13 Dec 2004

Discovery of key immune system molecules that helps determine how effectively a person resists HIV infection

A team of researchers based partly in South Africa has identified a key set of immune system molecules that helps determine how effectively a person resists infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

8 Dec 2004

Chronic stress may speed up the onset of skin cancer

Does stress speed up the onset of skin cancer? The answer, in mice anyway, appears to be "yes." Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say that chronic stress may speed up the process in those at high-risk for the disease.

8 Dec 2004

New technology will advance our understanding of role of complex sugar chains decorating the surface of cells in the body

An international consortium of scientists lead by Dr. James Paulson of The Scripps Research Institute has created a technology that will advance our understanding of the role of complex sugar chains (glycans or carbohydrates) that decorate the surface of cells in the body.

8 Dec 2004

Thiazolidinedione (TZD) class of anti-diabetic drugs may be a potential targeted therapy for myeloma patients

In laboratory tests on multiple myeloma cells, University of Rochester researchers found that this type of cancer expresses a protein that makes it an easy target for an existing class of diabetes drugs. After more investigation, they hope the discovery will lead to a new, targeted therapy for myeloma patients.

8 Dec 2004

Revlimid clinical data in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma presented

Celgene Corporation announced today that data evaluating clinical results on Revlimid (lenalidomide) as a new therapeutic approach for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) was presented at the American Society of Hematology 46th Annual Meeting in San Diego.

7 Dec 2004

New advances in sickle cell disease

Excruciating pain episodes, recurrent pneumonias, strokes, severe infections, chronic hemolytic anemia, and secondary pulmonary hypertension are common complications of sickle cell disease, a life-threatening inherited defect in blood that causes normally disc-shaped red blood cells to take on a sickle shape.

6 Dec 2004

Month of birth linked to risk of multiple sclerosis

In the northern hemisphere, being born in May is linked to an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis later in life, while being born in November carries the lowest risk, finds a new study published on bmj.com today.

6 Dec 2004

First live imaging of specialized immune system cells reveals new clues about body’s security system

To keep the body safe, the immune system enlists more than one form of protection. A circulating task force of immune system cells monitors the body’s periphery, and sends information back to field command centers — the lymph nodes — located at pivotal traffic points.

6 Dec 2004

Fossil record of the human immune system reveals antibodies that block cancer metastasis

A team of researchers at The Scripps Research Institute has reconstructed the "fossil record" of the immune systems of a group of human cancer patients to investigate if they had ever produced antibodies against their disease.

4 Dec 2004

Why our immune system worsens with age

Scientists at the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute at Oregon Health & Science University have made a discovery that helps explain why our immune system worsens with age. The work was led by Janko Nikolich-Zugich, M.D., Ph.D., a senior scientist at the VGTI.

2 Dec 2004

Immune System News and Research

Rett Syndrome, the first identified epigenetic disease - linked to specific defects in the three-dimensional folding of chromatin

Risk of tuberculosis infection doubles within one year of HIV infection

Key advance in understanding the proteins and mechanisms involved in the spread of Lyme Disease

Millennium Pharmaceuticals discovers protein biomarkers that could play a role in the early detection of rheumatoid arthritis

Vaccinating mice against Lyme disease could help reduce the risk of transmission of the disease to humans

Parasitic worms, or helminths, may be an effective treatment for Crohn's disease

Start today of human tests for a preventive vaccine against the respiratory disease SARS

Celebrex like gene suppresses the growth of colon cancer

Novel anti-rejection protocol should allow major improvement efficacy and quality of life after intestinal and multivisceral transplants

Model may explain how alcohol stimulates tumor growth

Discovery of key immune system molecules that helps determine how effectively a person resists HIV infection

Chronic stress may speed up the onset of skin cancer

New technology will advance our understanding of role of complex sugar chains decorating the surface of cells in the body

Thiazolidinedione (TZD) class of anti-diabetic drugs may be a potential targeted therapy for myeloma patients

Revlimid clinical data in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma presented

New advances in sickle cell disease

Month of birth linked to risk of multiple sclerosis

First live imaging of specialized immune system cells reveals new clues about body’s security system

Fossil record of the human immune system reveals antibodies that block cancer metastasis

Why our immune system worsens with age

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