Immunosuppression News and Research

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Immunosuppression involves an act that reduces the activation or efficacy of the immune system. Some portions of the immune system itself have immuno-suppressive effects on other parts of the immune system, and immunosuppression may occur as an adverse reaction to treatment of other conditions.

National effort to develop implantable bio-artificial kidney achieves key milestone

The Kidney Project, a national effort to develop an implantable bio-artificial kidney that could eliminate the need for dialysis, will announce a key milestone in a November 7, 2019 presentation at the American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week 2019 conference in Washington, DC.

7 Nov 2019

New stem cell transplant lowers complications for patients with acute blood cancers

The discovery of the UM171 molecule, by Dr. Guy Sauvageau and Anne Marinier, made headlines in 2014 following an article in Science. Hailed by some as a revolution, even a miracle, in the field of blood stem cell transplantation, the UM171 molecule is delivering on its promise.

5 Nov 2019

Researchers propose genetic testing and continued management of identical twin kidney transplants

Using U.S. transplant registry data, clinical researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that kidney transplants between identical twins have high success rates, but also high rates of immunosuppressant use.

5 Nov 2019

Measles wipes out other immune memories

Thanks to misinformation and anti-vaccination campaigns in some pockets, United States and several nations of Europe have seen a massive outbreak of vaccine preventable measles infection over the recent years.

3 Nov 2019

TB is not a life-long infection in most people

A new analysis challenges the longstanding notion that tuberculous infection is a life-long infection that could strike at any time and cause tuberculosis. Based on a review of clinical studies, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues show that people who test positive with immunologic TB skin or blood tests rarely develop TB.

25 Oct 2019

Link between pregnancy stress, immune activation, and postpartum depression

A new study presented at the Society for Neuroscience meeting on October 19, 2019, at Chicago, shows for the first time how postpartum depression could actually be due to abnormal immune system activation within the brain, which in turn is set off by chronic pregnancy stress. This is the earliest study to show this link in animals.

22 Oct 2019

Study uncovers brain biology behind postpartum depression

Chronic stress during pregnancy triggers an immune response in the brain that has potential to alter brain functions in ways that could contribute to postpartum depression, new research in animals suggests.

22 Oct 2019

Research shows brain's immune system gets activated by stress during pregnancy

21 Oct 2019

Eating home-cooked meals reduces exposure to harmful chemicals, researchers say

Researchers have found that people reduce their exposure to harmful synthetic chemicals if they cook home-cooked meals rather than eat takeaways or at restaurants.

10 Oct 2019

Antibody that targets CXCR6 prevents and reverses multiple sclerosis in mouse model

Multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder, is known to be driven by "helper" T cells, white blood cells that mount an inflammatory attack on the brain and spinal cord. A new study from Boston Children's Hospital pinpoints the specific subgroup of helper T cells that cause MS, as well as a protein on their surface, called CXCR6, that marks them.

4 Oct 2019

Dogs can suffer from same autoimmune encephalitis as humans, research reveals

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found that dogs can suffer from the same type of autoimmune encephalitis that people do. The finding could lead to better screening methods for diagnosis and possibly more effective treatments for canine encephalitis.

24 Sep 2019

Large-scale study maps the genetic underpinnings of early TB progression

While the vast majority of the 1.8 billion people infected with the TB bacterium never experience active disease, an estimated 5 to 15 percent do develop full-blown infections--roughly half of them within 18 months of exposure.

4 Sep 2019

Cell-free DNA identifies pathogens and quantifies injuries to organs

A common problem in diagnosing infectious disease is that the presence of a potential pathogen in the body does not necessarily mean the patient is sick. This can be particularly challenging for the treatment of organ transplant recipients, who often grapple with infection as well as complications related to immunosuppression.

29 Aug 2019

Drug combination could improve survival of lung transplant patients

Lung transplantation can prolong the lives of patients with end-stage lung disease, but the median survival rate after lung transplant is less than six years, which has improved only slightly in recent decades.

28 Aug 2019

Researchers target cancer's protective barrier

Cancer cells are notorious for their camouflage work, which enables them to escape immune targeting. Now scientists are learning how to strip away the disguise and allow the immune system to do its work, by targeting cells called myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) that shield the tumor. This would also enhance the effectiveness of newer cancer immunotherapies like Chimeric-Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR-T).

26 Aug 2019

Cancer survivors could be at greater risk of cardiovascular diseases

Over the last few decades, medical progress has led to the survival of many more people with cancer. However, a new study published in The Lancet shows that this cohort has a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than controls without cancer, due to a number of reasons.

21 Aug 2019

Racial disparities found in pregnancy rates for kidney transplant recipients

Among women who are kidney transplant recipients, Hispanic women have a higher likelihood of pregnancy than white women, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati.

12 Aug 2019

Study could open a new era in transplantation medicine

For decades, immunologists have been trying to train the transplant recipient's immune system to accept transplanted cells and organs without the long-term use of anti-rejection drugs. New University of Minnesota preclinical research shows that this is now possible.

5 Aug 2019

Research seeks to fight organ rejection in kidney transplant patients

While waiting on the transplant list, most patients are extremely sick and fighting just to stay alive.

1 Aug 2019

Study reveals how aggressive prostate cancer metastasizes by evading the immune system

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered how an aggressive form of prostate cancer called double-negative prostate cancer (DNPC) metastasizes by evading the the immune system.

18 Jul 2019