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Blockade of a protein increases surveillance activity of blood-patrolling monocytes, study shows

Researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), led by Dr. Alicia G. Arroyo, have identified a function of a protease that could be targeted for the treatment of some infections and even tumor metastasis.

2 Mar 2018

Study suggests novel approach for protecting diabetes patients from vascular disease

Recent findings suggest a novel approach for protecting people with diabetes from their higher risk of advanced blood vessel disease, which sets the stage for early heart attacks and strokes.

27 Feb 2018

Scientists discover new treatment approach to curb severe myocarditis

The outcome of viral myocarditis is closely associated with the immune response of the affected individual. An inhibitor of the immunoproteasome, a protein degradation complex in immunocompetent cells, reduces the extent of the inflammation and thus also the damage to the heart during myocarditis.

22 Feb 2018

Study provides new insights on why healthy children die from flu

With this year's severe flu season, one statistic is especially chilling. Each year, around 50 percent of all children under 5 years old who die from the flu were previously healthy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

16 Feb 2018

MGH researchers discover that macrophages contribute to untreatable type of heart failure

A team of Massachusetts General Hospital investigators has discovered, for the first time, that the immune cells called macrophages contribute to a type of heart failure for which there currently is no effective treatment.

14 Feb 2018

Endogenous peptide improves glucose and insulin tolerance and reduces body weight in mice

Treating obese mice with catestatin, a peptide naturally occurring in the body, showed significant improvement in glucose and insulin tolerance and reduced body weight, report University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers.

7 Feb 2018

Popular allergy drug may reduce relapses in patients with neuromyelitis optica

The addition of cetirizine (the popular allergy medication sold under the brand name Zyrtec) to standard therapy is safe, well-tolerated, and may reduce relapses in patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a rare and severe disease that causes inflammation and demyelination (damage to the myelin - the protective coating of nerve cells), primarily in the optic nerve (optic neuritis), spinal cord (myelitis), and brainstem.

2 Feb 2018

Geneva researchers highlight new way to control tumor progression

For a tumor to grow, it must develop blood vessels that supply nutrients and oxygen. Preventing tumor vascularization is therefore an interesting anti-tumor therapy that has been explored over the last ten years.

2 Feb 2018

Exposure to e-cigarette flavors can cause inflammation to white blood cells, research finds

Sugar and spice are not so nice, at least when it comes to vaping or inhalation. Exposure to e-cigarette flavoring chemicals and liquids can cause significant inflammation to monocytes, a type of white blood cell -- and many flavoring compounds are also toxic, with cinnamon, vanilla and buttery flavors among the worst.

30 Jan 2018

Fast food triggers the immune system making it hyperactive

The immune system has been shown to react to fast foods containing excess salt and calories find researchers. This activation of the immune system to fast foods is similar to its reaction to bacterial infections they add.

16 Jan 2018

Scientists describe groundbreaking training effect on the innate immune system

"Training" of precursors of white blood cells leads to a sustained positive response of the hematopoietic system. This effect could help accelerate the formation of new white blood cells, which are vitally needed during chemotherapy, a process that can slow down hematopoiesis.

15 Jan 2018

Unhealthy diet makes the body's defenses more aggressive in the long term

The immune system reacts similarly to a high fat and high-calorie diet as to a bacterial infection. This is shown by a recent study led by the University of Bonn.

11 Jan 2018

Researchers develop novel organ-on-a-chip device that models atherosclerosis

When studying diseases or testing potential drug therapies, researchers usually turn to cultured cells on Petri dishes or experiments with lab animals, but recently, researchers have been developing a different approach: small, organ-on-a-chip devices that mimic the functions of human organs, serving as potentially cheaper and more effective tools.

2 Jan 2018

Researchers suggest role for MKL1 protein in development of inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including the two conditions ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, results in long-term inflammation of the gut and is associated with dysregulation of the immune system.

13 Dec 2017

Chemical found in marijuana could help HIV patients maintain their mental function

A chemical found in marijuana, known as tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, has been found to potentially slow the process in which mental decline can occur in up to 50 percent of HIV patients, says a new Michigan State University study.

12 Dec 2017

Malaria parasite employs active strategy to deceive the immune system

Global efforts to eradicate malaria are crucially dependent on scientists' ability to outsmart the malaria parasite. And Plasmodium falciparum is notoriously clever: It is quick to develop resistance against medications and has such a complex life cycle that blocking it effectively with a vaccine has thus far proved elusive.

7 Dec 2017

Immune system plays key role in amount of osteoarthritic pain and progression

The immune system plays a pivotal role in the amount of pain and disease progression experienced by patients with osteoarthritis (OA), McMaster University researchers have found.

27 Nov 2017

New research reveals possible therapeutic target for controlling inflammation in the brain

New research published online in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology showed for the first time that mature monocytes (a specific type of white blood cell) express the CXCR7 receptor on their surface.

3 Nov 2017

Researchers identify natural protective factor against chronic inflammation in diabetes patients

In type 2 diabetes, chronic inflammation drives cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death among people with the condition. Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center now have identified an unexpected natural protective factor that works against this inflammation.

20 Sep 2017

MGH researchers identify potential strategy for improving efficacy of angiogenesis inhibitors

A Massachusetts General Hospital research team has identified a potential strategy for improving the efficacy of angiogenesis inhibitors, drugs that help fight cancer by blocking the formation of new blood vessels.

13 Sep 2017