Immune System News and Research

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Researchers use precision genomics to search genetic mutations causing accelerated aging

Mayo Clinic researchers are using precision genomics to search for undiscovered, inheritable genetic mutations that cause accelerated aging. In a study recently published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers conducted a study assessing 17 patients with short telomere syndromes - rare conditions that result in premature DNA and cellular deterioration.

6 Jul 2018

Fight for Sight partners with CSO to support vital sight-saving Scottish research

The UK’s leading eye research charity, Fight for Sight, is partnering with the Chief Scientist Office to support Scottish researchers in developing a treatment for autoimmune uveitis, a condition that can cause blindness.

6 Jul 2018

Study finds mechanism by which amyloid beta protects the brain from herpes infection

A Massachusetts General Hospital study has found the mechanism by which amyloid beta - the protein deposited into plaques in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease - protects from the effects of herpes viruses commonly found in the brain.

6 Jul 2018

Pneumococcal genes predict course of disease

Pneumococcus is an important cause of pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis. This bacterium commonly resides in the nasal cavity.

6 Jul 2018

Scientists take a deep dive into differences between Zika and dengue virus

More than two years after reports of skyrocketing Zika rates surfaced worldwide, questions still loom about this complicated virus.

6 Jul 2018

Drug used in stem cell therapy may protect against smoke-induced lung injury

A drug used in stem cell therapy to treat certain cancers may also protect against cigarette smoke-induced lung injury.

5 Jul 2018

New small molecules offer promising new way to treat autoinflammatory diseases

EPFL scientists have discovered two small-molecule compound series that can effectively block a central pathway of the innate immune system, offering a promising new way for treating autoinflammatory diseases.

4 Jul 2018

Seeing the Unexpected: Regulatory T Cells and Basophils

Dr. Jagadeesh Bayry from INSERM discusses his recent research in the field of immunology, and how T regulatory cells activate, rather than suppress, basophils.

4 Jul 2018

Viral immunotherapy shows promise to treat pediatric brain tumors

A viral immunotherapy using a herpes virus to treat brain tumors has been shown to be safe and well-tolerated in a pediatric study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Children's of Alabama.

4 Jul 2018

New clues may lead to rapid detection of sepsis

Sepsis is an infection that kills as many Americans each year as stroke and Alzheimer's combined-about 250,000-but very little has changed in the treatment of this age-old scourge.

3 Jul 2018

Preventive treatment for recurrent pregnancy loss proved ineffective in large study

An immune response to pregnancy (in which the uterus rejects the embryo or fetus) is said to explain a large number of otherwise "unexplained" miscarriages.

3 Jul 2018

Research opens clever new way to attack cancer stem cells

Researchers are the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer are unraveling a crucial thread that explains why cancer so often becomes resistant to treatment.

3 Jul 2018

Unique virus appears to enhance our immune system rather than weakening it

Our immune system is at its peak when we're young, but after a certain age, it declines and it becomes more difficult for our bodies to fight off new infections.

3 Jul 2018

Novel, stem cell-based model mimics mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease

Scientists in Dresden, Germany, have been successful in mimicking mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease in a novel, stem cell-based model system that reproduces features of human brain tissue.

3 Jul 2018

Simple DNA test can predict risk of bad side effects to thiopurine drugs

Screening a tiny section of DNA could help East Asian patients avoid severe reactions to some medications.

2 Jul 2018

Streamlining and translating basic science discoveries into the clinic

To make sure that good ideas to enhance healthcare are not lost due to a lack of resources, a growing number of centers at Penn Medicine organize forums to pitch ideas to improve medical devices and technology, hold annual competitions to fund studies to improve patient care while keeping costs down, and sponsor seed grants for programs focused on patients who need individualized tailoring of their treatment.

2 Jul 2018