Immunomodulatory News and Research

RSS

Does vitamin D deficiency increase COVID-19 risk?

A new paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 reports the first evidence that vitamin D deficiency and inadequate treatment could increase the chances of testing positive for COVID-19. This could shape the way for screening individuals at risk for vitamin D deficiency.

14 May 2020

New clinical trial to investigate the efficacy of ivermectin against COVID-19

Clínica Universidad de Navarra and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation, have launched a clinical trial to investigate the efficacy of ivermectin against COVID-19.

14 May 2020

Could JAK blockers help treat COVID-19?

A new study published in the journal Science Immunology in May 2020 reports that compounds that safely inhibit the JAK protein could be useful in treating COVID-19.

12 May 2020

Clinical trial launched to evaluate experimental COVID-19 therapies

Clinical leaders from the University of Kentucky's Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine and College of Pharmacy have launched a clinical trial for experimental therapies to treat patients infected with COVID-19.

11 May 2020

COVID-19 could accelerate activation of dormant tuberculosis (TB)

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has thrown much of the world into disarray, with over 4 million people reported infected and well over 282,000 deaths. A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in May 2020 suggests that the long-term impact of the virus could include activation of dormant bacterial infections like tuberculosis (TB).

10 May 2020

COVID-19 progression linked to B cell activation

The disease course of COVID-19 is diverse, ranging from asymptomatic to fatal respiratory failure. Scientists have been working to uncover the immunological reasons behind this heterogeneity. A recent study on B cells, published on the preprint server medRxiv in April 2020, shows that extrafollicular B cells could be a marker of severe infection in the early stages, predicting the need for earlier immunomodulatory therapy.

4 May 2020

A new model for identifying the most effective treatments for respiratory viral infection

When a person contracts a respiratory viral infection like COVID-19 or influenza, the immune system responds in a myriad of ways to eliminate the virus.

29 Apr 2020

Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin treatment in 80 COVID-19 patients: short-term outcomes

The COVID-19 pandemic is still spreading around the world and affecting nearly 2.4 million people, with over 164,000 dead so far. With neither vaccine nor proven therapeutic drug being available so far, the need of the hour is for effective treatment. Now, a new study reports the potential usefulness of a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin as a treatment in mild cases of COVID-19 infection and urges the need for further evaluation and widespread use if its findings are confirmed.

19 Apr 2020

Diet influences multiple sclerosis disease course

The short-chain fatty acid propionic acid influences the intestine-mediated immune regulation in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

11 Mar 2020

Levels of sBTLA proteins may be a marker of overall survival in patients with HCC

In the 2020 February 25 issue of Scientific Reports, a research group from the Department of Hepatology in Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan reported that levels of a circulating soluble immune checkpoint protein can be used as a potential marker to predict overall survival in patients with advanced HCC.

9 Mar 2020

The research and development costs of a new drug

Many recent studies have focused on how much it costs to bring a new drug to market in the light of increasing drug prices. Estimates range from $314 million to $2.8 billion. Most of this was based on proprietary data and was, therefore, not verifiable independently, attracting much criticism.

3 Mar 2020

First evidence of rare amino acid in the fruit of durian tree

Researchers at the Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich have confirmed the presence of the rare amino acid ethionine in a plant - or more precisely, in the fruit of the durian tree.

28 Feb 2020

Nanoparticles containing gliadin could allow celiac disease patients to eat a normal diet

Celiac disease affects 0.3-2.4% of people in most countries world-wide, and approx. 2% in Finland. Celiac patients suffer from a variety of symptoms, typically intestinal complaints, such as diarrhea, but are often symptom-free.

27 Feb 2020

Researchers develop new isolated limb infusion method for melanoma treatment

Worldwide, the incidence rates of skin cancer, like other types of cancer, is increasing. People in Europe and the Nordic countries are, compared to other areas of the world, at a higher risk of developing skin cancer due to their predominantly light and sun-sensitive skin type. The number of new cases of cancer in Estonia and Nordic countries has reached the same level as in sunny Australia, New Zealand and Florida. The increasing trend among Estonians to travel to southern counties is also likely to play a role in this.

27 Jan 2020

New standards needed for improving the design of clinical trials for MS patients

How can the perspectives of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) be given more consideration in clinical trials? This question was investigated and corresponding recommendations were developed by a working group of the Drug Commission of the German Medical Association, the Charité University Hospital Berlin, and the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.

17 Dec 2019

New combination therapy can lead to durable responses in patients with multiple myeloma

An experimental, off-the-shelf immunotherapy that combines a targeted antibody and chemotherapy can lead to potentially durable responses in multiple myeloma patients whose disease has relapsed or is resistant to other standard therapies.

17 Dec 2019

Breakthrough research develops novel vaccine poised to cure peanut allergies

Peanut allergies could become a thing of the past as breakthrough research from the University of South Australia develops a radically novel vaccination that's poised to cure the potentially life threatening condition.

6 Dec 2019

$Novel agent opens up new treatment option for patients with refractory myeloma$

Novel agent opens up new treatment option for patients with refractory myeloma

A novel agent called Selinexor has opened up new options for the treatment of patients with refractory myeloma. This was the conclusion of a major international clinical trial in which also the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Krems, Austria participated.

6 Dec 2019

BrainStorm publishes NurOwn ALS Phase 2 randomized clinical trial results in Neurology

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc., a leader in the development of innovative autologous cellular therapies for highly debilitating neurodegenerative diseases, today announced publication of "NurOwn Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial in ALS: Safety, Clinical and BioMarker Results," in the international, peer-reviewed journal Neurology.

20 Nov 2019

Cancer patients with RA treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors likely to experience a flare

A new study found that cancer patients with a pre-existing autoimmune disease receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors as treatment are likely to experience a flare.

11 Nov 2019