Immune Response News and Research

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Sleep loss influences cholesterol metabolism, study finds

Lack of sleep has previously been found to impact the activation of the immune system, inflammation, carbohydrate metabolism and the hormones that regulate appetite. Now University of Helsinki researchers have found that sleep loss also influences cholesterol metabolism.

22 Apr 2016

Naturally-occurring molecule can cause immune cells to go into hyperactive state

Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital report that a fatty chemical naturally found in damaged tissues can induce an unexpected kind of immune response, causing immune cells to go into a "hyperactive" state that is highly effective at rallying infection-fighting T-cells. The findings, published online by Science on April 21, could enhance vaccines and make them much more effective.

22 Apr 2016

Infected mice can be better models for human diseases

Vaccines and therapeutics developed using mice often don't work as expected in humans. New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis points to the near-sterile surroundings of laboratory mice as a key reason.

21 Apr 2016

Blocking IL-1 signalling molecule could alleviate asthma symptoms

Scientists have made a discovery that could lead to improved treatment for asthma sufferers.They have found that blocking a certain signalling molecule can alleviate symptoms such as mucus production, swelling (edema), and constriction of the airways in the lungs.

21 Apr 2016

Scientists map core genes involved during DNA uptake in strep bacteria

Bacteria possess the ability to take up DNA from their environment, a skill that enables them to acquire new genes for antibiotic resistance or to escape the immune response. Scientists have now mapped the core set of genes that are consistently controlled during DNA uptake in strep bacteria, and they hope the finding will allow them to cut off the microbes' ability to survive what doctors and nature can throw at them.

21 Apr 2016

TNF-alpha protein involved in autoimmune diseases may also promote tissue healing

As its name suggests, inflammatory bowel disease, which afflicts more than 1.6 million Americans, involves chronic inflammation of all or some of the digestive tract. An autoimmune disease known to have a strong genetic component, its symptoms are abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, and fever and, sometimes, weight loss. IBD, which is a group of inflammatory conditions, includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

21 Apr 2016

Novel gene therapy can improve symptoms of Bubble Boy disease in young adults

Adolescents and young adults with a severe inherited immunodeficiency disorder improved following treatment with novel gene therapy developed at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. The results of this study appear today in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

21 Apr 2016

Non-invasive test to diagnose EoE could replace need for repeated endoscopy

A non-invasive test to diagnose and monitor an inflammatory disease that injures the esophagus - called eosinophilic esophagitis or EoE - would replace the need for repeated endoscopy for a growing number of children and adults with this relatively new condition.

21 Apr 2016

Two Ebola vaccine candidates show promise in clinical trial

An immunization regimen using two Ebola vaccine candidates was safe and well-tolerated and induced an immune response in healthy adult volunteers in a Phase 1 clinical trial.

20 Apr 2016

Researchers develop new mathematical model to evaluate best treatment protocol to clear infection

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most challenging problems in modern medicine. A new study by Erida Gjini and Patricia H. Brito from the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, provides a new mathematical model to evaluate the best treatment protocol to clear an infection, by taking into account the role of the host immune system.

20 Apr 2016

Study evaluates influence of midwife-led antenatal care on VBAC rates

Women who had a caesarean section in a previous pregnancy are much more likely to have a safer vaginal birth if their antenatal care is led by a midwife, according to a new study from The University of Manchester.

20 Apr 2016

New clinical study to evaluate inexpensive drug to prevent type 1 diabetes

A clinical study evaluating a new hypothesis that an inexpensive drug with a simple treatment regimen can prevent type 1 diabetes will be launched in Dundee tomorrow.

20 Apr 2016

New study suggests re-evaluation of long-held method to predict effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccine

The long-held approach to predicting seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness may need to be revisited, new research suggests. Currently, seasonal flu vaccines are designed to induce high levels of protective antibodies against hemagglutinin (HA), a protein found on the surface of the influenza virus that enables the virus to enter a human cell and initiate infection.

20 Apr 2016

Immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab shrinks tumors in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma

In a clinical trial of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, half of 25 patients with a rare type of virus-linked skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma experienced substantial tumor shrinkage lasting nearly three times as long, on average, than with conventional chemotherapy.

20 Apr 2016

Small piece of detoxified E. coli wall makes mice lose natural sweet tooth, study finds

Putting just a tiny piece of the wall of detoxified E. coli into their gut make mice lose their natural sweet tooth, researchers report.

20 Apr 2016

Researchers identify biological pathway that explains why current asthma therapies fail in many cases

Asthma is an enormous public health problem that continues to grow larger, in part because scientists don't fully understand how it is caused. Existing therapies don't cure the disease and often don't even significantly alleviate the symptoms. Now, scientists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University have identified a biological pathway that potentially explains why current asthma therapies don't work well in many cases—and might be targeted to help those patients.

19 Apr 2016

Therapies based on alpha defensins could help treat rheumatoid arthritis

Arthritis and other inflammatory conditions could be helped by new insights into how the immune response is switched off.

19 Apr 2016

Oxidized mitochondrial nucleoids released from neutrophils may contribute to SLE pathogenesis

Researchers at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research have discovered that the neutrophils of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients release oxidized DNA from their mitochondria that can stimulate an unwanted immune response.

19 Apr 2016

NanoString launches new nCounter Vantage assays that power 3D Biology experiments in cancer research

NanoString Technologies, Inc., a provider of life science tools for translational research and molecular diagnostic products, today announced the introduction of nCounter Vantage, a portfolio of assays that power 3D Biology™ experiments in cancer research, including immuno-oncology.

From NanoString Technologies 19 Apr 2016

First-ever nivolumab drug trial for rare, malignant SCCA shows positive results

A rare malignancy known as squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCA) is on the increase, and now researchers have reported results of the first-ever phase II clinical trial results for treatment with the immunotherapy drug nivolumab.

18 Apr 2016

Immune Response News and Research

Sleep loss influences cholesterol metabolism, study finds

Naturally-occurring molecule can cause immune cells to go into hyperactive state

Infected mice can be better models for human diseases

Blocking IL-1 signalling molecule could alleviate asthma symptoms

Scientists map core genes involved during DNA uptake in strep bacteria

TNF-alpha protein involved in autoimmune diseases may also promote tissue healing

Novel gene therapy can improve symptoms of Bubble Boy disease in young adults

Non-invasive test to diagnose EoE could replace need for repeated endoscopy

Two Ebola vaccine candidates show promise in clinical trial

Researchers develop new mathematical model to evaluate best treatment protocol to clear infection

Study evaluates influence of midwife-led antenatal care on VBAC rates

New clinical study to evaluate inexpensive drug to prevent type 1 diabetes

New study suggests re-evaluation of long-held method to predict effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccine

Immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab shrinks tumors in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma

Small piece of detoxified E. coli wall makes mice lose natural sweet tooth, study finds

Researchers identify biological pathway that explains why current asthma therapies fail in many cases

Therapies based on alpha defensins could help treat rheumatoid arthritis

Oxidized mitochondrial nucleoids released from neutrophils may contribute to SLE pathogenesis

NanoString launches new nCounter Vantage assays that power 3D Biology experiments in cancer research

First-ever nivolumab drug trial for rare, malignant SCCA shows positive results

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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