immunity News and Research

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Novel immunotherapy could potentially work like a vaccine against metastatic cancers

Preclinical, laboratory studies suggest a novel immunotherapy could potentially work like a vaccine against metastatic cancers, according to scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center.

28 Feb 2013

U.N.'s legal immunity, refusal to compensate Haitians for cholera claims 'cheapens its larger mission'

Noting the U.N. last week "announced that Haitian claims for compensation weren't receivable under article 29 of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations," Armin Rosen, a writer and producer for The Atlantic's international channel, writes in an opinion piece in the magazine, "If a multinational corporation behaved the way the U.N. did in Haiti, it would be sued for stratospheric amounts of money."

28 Feb 2013

Omega-3 fish oils could help protect against skin cancer

Taking omega-3 fish oils could help to protect against skin cancer, according to researchers at The University of Manchester.

27 Feb 2013

U.N. must do more to fight cholera in Haiti

Noting U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week cited diplomatic immunity in "reject[ing] a legal claim for compensation filed in 2011 on behalf of cholera victims in Haiti," Louise Ivers, a senior health and policy adviser at Partners In Health, writes in a New York Times opinion piece, "Regardless of the merits of this argument, the United Nations has a moral, if not legal, obligation to help solve a crisis it inadvertently helped start."

26 Feb 2013

Families of Haitian cholera victims react to U.N. decision to deny compensation for deaths

"The United Nations has come under heavy political fire for its decision to deny compensation for thousands of victims of cholera in Haiti -- a deadly disease spread by U.N. peacekeepers in the troubled Caribbean nation," Inter Press Service reports.

26 Feb 2013

U.N. claims 'legal immunity' in case seeking compensation for Haiti cholera outbreak; Ban reiterates commitment to eliminating the disease

"The U.N. has taken the rare step of invoking its legal immunity to rebuff claims for compensation from 5,000 victims of the Haiti cholera epidemic, the worst outbreak of the disease in modern times and widely believed to have been caused by U.N. peacekeepers importing the infection into the country," the Guardian reports.

23 Feb 2013

Oral polio vaccine cold chain disruption in Pakistan could compromise immunization effectiveness, health officials warn

Health officials in Pakistan have formally complained to the WHO concerning the quality of oral polio vaccine (OPV) doses distributed by the U.N. body," SciDev.Net reports, noting 58 children became infected with polio in 2012 despite having received the vaccine.

22 Feb 2013

Supreme Court gives FTC more power to police hospital mergers

The decision is a win for the federal government as it seeks to monitor the trend toward consolidations around the country.

21 Feb 2013

Two studies discover new enzyme that acts as a sensor of innate immunity

Two studies by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center could lead to new treatments for lupus and other autoimmune diseases and strengthen current therapies for viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections.

16 Feb 2013

Patients with untreated depression are poorly protected by shingles vaccination

Results from a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases suggest a link between untreated depression in older adults and decreased effectiveness of the herpes zoster, or shingles, vaccine.

16 Feb 2013

Depression reduces efficacy of shingles vaccine

Research suggests that the varicella zoster, or shingles, vaccine is less effective in older people with untreated depression.

15 Feb 2013

New paper advances scientific understanding of glycoproteins’ structure and function

A Simon Fraser University chemist is the lead author on a new paper that advances scientific understanding of the structure and function of glycoproteins, in particular the number and positioning of sugars on them.

14 Feb 2013

Researchers describe novel antiviral property of cholesterol-25-hydroxylase

A team of UCLA-led researchers has identified a protein with broad virus-fighting properties that potentially could be used as a weapon against deadly human pathogenic viruses such as HIV, Ebola, Rift Valley Fever, Nipah and others designated "priority pathogens" for national biosecurity purposes by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.

13 Feb 2013

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) therapy: an interview with Charles A. Nicolette, Ph.D., CSO of Argos Therapeutics

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma is a devastating disease. There are roughly 20-25,000 new cases per year in the United States and it is increasing for some reason.

12 Feb 2013

Virginia Tech researchers reveal how 'bad' gut bacteria may help control diabetes

A stomach bacterium believed to cause health problems such as gastritis, ulcers, and gastric cancer may play a dual role by balancing the stomach's ecosystem and controlling body weight and glucose tolerance, according to immunologists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute of Virginia Tech.

10 Feb 2013

TIC10 may improve usefulness of TRAIL protein in cancer therapy

A compound that stimulates the production of a tumor-fighting protein may improve the usefulness of the protein in cancer therapy, according to a team of researchers.

9 Feb 2013

Researchers pinpoint how vitamin D3 and omega-3 may boost immunity to help fight Alzheimer's

A team of academic researchers has pinpointed how vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids may enhance the immune system's ability to clear the brain of amyloid plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

5 Feb 2013

Viracor-IBT Laboratories signs definitive agreement to purchase assets of Cylex

Viracor-IBT Laboratories, Inc. announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to purchase the assets of Cylex, Inc., a global life sciences company focused on the development, manufacturing and commercialization of in vitro diagnostic products intended to illuminate immunity in the area of transplant medicine.

5 Feb 2013

Measles: an interview with Dr. Robert Perry, World Health Organization

Measles is a disease marked by fever, rash, and cold symptoms (red eyes, cough, runny nose) that results in a temporary suppression of the immune system and a drop in vitamin A levels.

4 Feb 2013

Study examines effects of partial dose of polio vaccine on immune response

"A partial dose of polio vaccine was as good as a full one in providing a basic level of immunity against the crippling disease, according to a study that may offer poor countries a cheap, effective way of ensuring the disease doesn't return after it's eradicated in an area," Bloomberg reports.

1 Feb 2013