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FDA grants accelerated approval to leukemia drug for patients with MRD-positive ALL

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to Blincyto (blinatumomab) to treat adults and children with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who are in remission but still have minimal residual disease (MRD).

30 Mar 2018

Single high-fat meal can set the stage for cardiovascular disease

A single high-fat milkshake, with a fat and calorie content similar to some enticing restaurant fare, can quickly transform our healthy red blood cells into small, spiky cells that wreak havoc inside our blood vessels and help set the perfect stage for cardiovascular disease, scientists report.

29 Mar 2018

Without context or cushion, Do online medical results make sense?

As she herded her two young sons into bed one evening late last December, Laura Devitt flipped through her phone to check on the routine blood tests that had been performed as part of her annual physical. She logged onto the patient portal link on her electronic medical record, scanned the results and felt her stomach clench with fear.

27 Mar 2018

Two immunotherapies used together for the first time to fight against solid tumors

Two immunotherapies - one that enables the T-cells a patient already has to better attack a tumor and another that can produce an independent and vigorous immune response - are being given together for the first time to help more patients wage a stronger war on a wide range of solid tumors, researchers say.

26 Mar 2018

Subset of immune cells critical for ensuring healthy weight gain, study shows

Obesity and its negative impacts on health - including metabolic syndrome, type-2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular complications - are a global pandemic (Taubes, 2009).

16 Mar 2018

Lower levels of protective molecules could increase heart attack risk in the morning

Cardiovascular disease patients have lower levels of an important family of protective molecules in their blood in the morning, which could be increasing their risk of blood clots and heart attacks at those times, according to early research led by Queen Mary University of London.

9 Mar 2018

Research shows how interaction between nervous and immune systems occurs in lung infections

When the body is fighting infection, the immune system kicks into high gear. But emerging evidence hints at the involvement of another, rather surprising, player in this process: the nervous system.

5 Mar 2018

Antibiotic use may affect efficacy of cancer immunotherapies

Antibiotic use is known to have a near-immediate impact on our gut microbiota and long-term use may leave us drug-resistant and vulnerable to infection.

2 Mar 2018

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

Carnegie Mellon to help develop novel camera that peers deep beneath the skin

Carnegie Mellon University is part of a five-year, $10 million program sponsored by the National Science Foundation to develop a new type of camera that peers deep beneath the skin to help diagnose and monitor a wide variety of health conditions.

27 Feb 2018

New NK cell-based immunotherapy effective against several types of leukemia

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have explored NK cell-based immunotherapy on patients with treatment-resistant leukemia. The study, which is published in the scientific journal Clinical Cancer Research, shows that the new therapy is effective against several types of leukemia.

15 Feb 2018

CAR-T therapy saves life of cancer researcher

About a dozen years ago, Dr. Woodring Wright, a UT Southwestern Professor of Cell Biology, sneezed. It broke one of his vertebrae, the interlocking bones that make up the spinal column.

14 Feb 2018

Trial shows safety, feasibility of adding immunotherapy during chemoradiation for head and neck cancer

Analysis of a clinical trial, RTOG Foundation 3504, finds that nivolumab immunotherapy can be administered safely in conjunction with radiation therapy and chemotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed local-regionally advanced head and neck cancers.

13 Feb 2018

GlycoNet researchers to study correlation between sugars and Alzheimer's disease

Two GlycoNet Investigators are using technology to better understand how sugars in the human body are connected to Alzheimer's disease.

12 Feb 2018

Special protein improves survival and lung function of mice with influenza, study shows

GM-CSF, a protein that modifies the immune response to the flu, may also help reduce lung inflammation and improve survival during influenza, according to Penn State researchers.

8 Feb 2018

Historic study involving Simmons Cancer Center shows effectiveness of CAR-T therapy

A historic study involving researchers from UT Southwestern's Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center demonstrates the effectiveness of CAR-T therapy, which uses genetically modified immune cells to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children and young adults. The research appears in the New England Journal of Medicine.

1 Feb 2018

Scientists discover the genetic cause of immune disorders

Scientists from the Cincinnati Children’s have successfully identified a gene mutation that affects T cell function and promotes immune disorders.

1 Feb 2018

Elevated levels of chlorinated lipids linked to lung injury and death in sepsis patients

In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, Saint Louis University scientists have found that elevated levels of chlorinated lipids are linked to sepsis, lung injury and death. The finding may offer a way to diagnosis and treat sepsis earlier, saving lives and avoiding serious side effects.

31 Jan 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

Scientists discover how gene mutation affects T cell function to promote immune disorders

Scientists discovered how a gene mutation affects T cell function to promote immune disorders and then tested a treatment based on the discovery - successfully fixing donated immune cells from a 16-year-old boy with an abnormally low level of white blood cells called lymphopenia.