Immunodeficiency News and Research

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Immunodeficiency (or immune deficiency) is a state in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious disease is compromised or entirely absent.

Novel research determines the prevalence of chronic kidney disease

A new study looking at nearly three decades of data from some 54,000 people has determined that the overall prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) for several racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups in the United States has stabilized in recent years, except Mexican Americans.

24 Jul 2020

Researchers identify specific target sites for DNA methylases

DNA methylation performs an essential function in mammalian ontogeny. It is also known that abnormalities in this process cause the development of cancers such as leukemia.

22 Jul 2020

New tools developed to test the ability of anti-coronavirus antibodies

Researchers at The Rockefeller University in New York have developed new tools to rapidly test the ability of antibodies to neutralize SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

21 Jul 2020

How immune cells switch to attack mode

Unraveling a key motif: The T lymphocytes of the immune system work to destroy infected cells or cancer cells. To do so, they have to identify the threat: Molecules perceived as foreign - so-called antigens - bind to the T-cell receptor on the T cell surface.

20 Jul 2020

Pioneering method reveals the dynamics of HIV Gag lattice structure

Viruses are scary. They invade our cells like invisible armies, and each type brings its own strategy of attack. While viruses devastate communities of humans and animals, scientists scramble to fight back.

16 Jul 2020

Likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 transmission may depend on blood type of spreader and recipient

A modeling study by Dr. Peter Ellis from the University of Kent indicates that ABO incompatibility between infected patients and susceptible individuals may actually decrease the transmissibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by 60% or more. His detailed investigation of such "ABO-interference" can be found on the medRxiv preprint server.

15 Jul 2020

New study identifies challenges and opportunities to promote nurse- and midwife-led HIV services

"Nurse-initiated and managed antiretroviral therapy" (NIMART) is an innovative approach to making effective medications more accessible to people living with HIV (PLWH) in low-resource countries.

9 Jul 2020

Study shows how the brain's auditory system is affected by HIV

Even with effective antiretroviral therapy, patients infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) sustain central nervous system damage.

30 Jun 2020

Whole genome sequencing can improve diagnosis and treatment of patients with rare diseases

A research programme pioneering the use of whole genome sequencing in the NHS has diagnosed hundreds of patients and discovered new genetic causes of disease.

24 Jun 2020

A highly sensitive and specific antibody test for COVID-19

A new proof-of-concept study by UK researchers, currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server, describes the development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that can be used when lower levels of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) specific-antibodies are present in serum and saliva samples.

21 Jun 2020

New test will help better manage patients with severe combined immunodeficiency

A new test developed at CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal will enable better management of patients with severe combined immunodeficiency.

17 Jun 2020

Research team generates comprehensive developmental map of human T-cells

Chintan Parekh, MD, of The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles, has led a team of investigators that generated a comprehensive roadmap for how T-cells develop in the human thymus.

16 Jun 2020

Tocilizumab in Critical COVID-19 Patients

A new study by scientists at Metro Infectious Disease Consultants and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in June 2020 reports that the cytokine blocker tocilizumab is a useful adjunct to supportive medical care in severe COVID-19, with increased survival and a lower requirement for mechanical ventilation.

10 Jun 2020

Protease inhibition could help defeat SARS-CoV-2

As the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to spread around the world, many researchers are studying epidemiological models to predict its propagation. As of yet, there are no effective vaccines that could counter the SARS- CoV-2 infection or drugs to treat COVID-19 disease

9 Jun 2020

Octapharma extends support for COVID-19 study following promising preliminary data

Following positive preliminary data, Octapharma USA is extending funding for an investigator-initiated study (IIS) focused on treating the most critical patients at the heart of the coronavirus pandemic, those experiencing hypoxia and who are at the highest risk of requiring mechanical ventilation.

3 Jun 2020

CSL Behring and Seattle Children's partner to develop gene therapies for primary immunodeficiency diseases

Seattle Children's Research Institute, one of the top pediatric research institutions in the world, and global biotechnology leader CSL Behring announced a strategic alliance to develop stem cell gene therapies for primary immunodeficiency diseases.

2 Jun 2020

Studies call for reforms to improve nutritional programs in HIV care settings

HIV management in developing countries varies with socioeconomic and structural circumstances, with two Flinders University studies finding examples of key ways to close the gap for those worst affected in developing countries.

1 Jun 2020

Low albumin levels could predict poor outcome in COVID-19

A Spanish study has revealed that COVID-19 patients who have a low level of albumin have a poorer outcome compared to those with normal levels of blood albumin. The study titled, “Low albumin levels are associated with poorer outcomes in a case series of COVID-19 patients in Spain: a retrospective cohort study,” was released prior to peer-review on the open-access preprint server site Medrxiv*.

13 May 2020

Study reveals antiviral properties of glycosaminoglycans against SARS-CoV-2

Glycosaminoglycans can inhibit cell invasion by acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and other coronaviruses, which supports the utilization of such therapeutics in the fight against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – reports a new study available on the preprint server bioRxiv.

3 May 2020