Immune System News and Research

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Phase 1 clinical trial examining topical cream plus influenza vaccine is underway

A Phase 1 clinical trial examining whether a topical cream can enhance the immune response conferred by a "pre-pandemic" influenza vaccine is underway at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

6 Sep 2018

Immune system may join battle against opioid addiction

The same immune system that fights infection and the flu could join the battle against opioid addiction, new research out of the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research indicates.

6 Sep 2018

Researchers find bacterial DNA in intestine of newborn calves

Researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland have found bacterial DNA in the intestine of newborn calves, representing quite a diverse variety of bacterial species.

6 Sep 2018

Scientists shed light on new possibilities for prevention of preterm birth

A team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre has shed light on new possibilities for the prevention of preterm birth.

5 Sep 2018

Researchers discover key aspect in pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis

A team of researchers the University of Zurich and the University Hospital Zurich has shown that in multiple sclerosis, it is not only specific T cells that cause inflammation and lesions in the brain.

4 Sep 2018

Stanford researchers show how to prevent immune response to gene therapy in mouse model

Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have demonstrated that gene therapy can be effective without causing a dangerous side effect common to all gene therapy: an autoimmune reaction to the normal protein, which the patient's immune system is encountering for the first time.

4 Sep 2018

Scientists identify 'Achilles heel' of anaplastic large-cell lymphomas

Anaplastic large-cell lymphomas are rare cancers of the white blood cells. New research from the international ERIA consortium, led by scientists in Vienna, has now shown that the same signaling pathway is essential to the growth of cancer cells in various forms of ALCL: TYK2 (tyrosine kinase 2, an important component of the immune system) prevents apoptotic cell death by increasing the production of Mcl1, a special type of protein belonging to the BCL2 family.

3 Sep 2018

Breakthrough study sheds light on mechanism underlying Warsaw Breakage Syndrome

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University and the FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology in Italy have uncovered a previously unknown function of the DDX11 helicase enzyme.

3 Sep 2018

Care for older adults with multiple chronic health conditions

In the United States, four out of five older adults have multiple chronic health conditions. Many of these people rely on the active support of a family caregiver to help manage their conditions.

3 Sep 2018

Novel method using big data tools shows promising routes for research

A group of researchers affiliated to the University of São Paulo - campus Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, used big data tools such as data mining and network analysis to develop a method to help scientists and companies identify technological routes, trends and partnerships in any knowledge area. For this purpose, it collected information from patent databases around the world.

3 Sep 2018

UQ researchers discover new immune defense pathway deployed against bacteria

A new understanding of one of the body’s immune defense mechanisms could lead to the development of novel therapeutic targets for conditions such as cancer and autoimmune diseases, a University of Queensland study has revealed.

31 Aug 2018

Cryptosporidiosis worsened by commonly used probiotic

Researchers have found that infection with the intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium parvum is worsened in mice that have been administered a probiotic.

31 Aug 2018

Neurons play active role in triggering a defense mechanism that leads to their own damage

Rasmussen's encephalitis is a rare autoimmune disease that primarily affects children and can lead to seizures.

31 Aug 2018

Gut bacteria helps develop more beige fat with restricted calorie intake

Mice with a lower calorie intake live longer and are both healthier and leaner. A team of researchers funded by the SNSF may have found the reason for this positive effect: much of it is down to gut microbial communities and how they affect the immune system.

31 Aug 2018

KU Leuven study: Macrophages in the intestine can survive for a long time

Macrophages are specialized immune cells that destroy bacteria and other harmful organisms. KU Leuven scientists, Belgium, have come to the surprising conclusion that some macrophages in the intestines of mice can survive for quite some time.

30 Aug 2018

TGHRI scientists detail role of insulin as a boost to the immune system

The role of insulin as a boost to the immune system to improve its ability to fight infection has been detailed for the first time by Toronto General Hospital Research Institute scientists.

30 Aug 2018

Modified T lymphocytes prevent nerve cell damage in encephalitis

Scientists have found a way to prevent neuron death in Rasmussen’s encephalitis, by exploiting T lymphocytes in the immune system.

30 Aug 2018

Study adds more evidence to underlying autoimmune mechanisms in type 1 diabetes

Immune reactions are usually a good thing - the body's way of eliminating harmful bacteria and other pathogens. But people also rely on molecular "brakes," or checkpoints, to keep immune systems from attacking their own cells and organs and causing so-called autoimmune disease.

29 Aug 2018

Soluble versions of immune cell protein could help treat Alzheimer's disease, study reveals

Researchers at the University of Florida have discovered that a modified version of an important immune cell protein could be used to treat Alzheimer's disease.

29 Aug 2018

Using novel gene therapy to cure infants born with severe combined immunodeficiency

Out of every 60,000 births, a baby arrives to face the world without a fully functioning immune system leaving them unequipped to fight even the most common infections.

29 Aug 2018