Inflammatory Disease News and Research

RSS

University of Maryland to establish major research enterprise for autoimmune diseases

With a new $45 million private gift from the family of a grateful patient, the University of Maryland School of Medicine is planning to establish the nation's only major research enterprise devoted to the study of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and Type 1 diabetes. The gift, from Indiana couple Ken and Shelia Cafferty, is the largest private donation in the history of the University System of Maryland.

29 Oct 2010

Amira initiates AM152 Phase 1 clinical study for fibrotic diseases

Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical study with AM152, a novel LPA1 antagonist, in normal, healthy subjects.

29 Oct 2010

Metagenics awarded two new patents for hops-derived anti-inflammatory compositions

Metagenics, Inc. has been awarded two new patents for discoveries relating to its research on the anti-inflammatory properties of reduced iso-alpha acids (RIAA) derived from hops. Metagenics is a life sciences company focused on reversing chronic illness and improving health through therapeutic nutrition and lifestyle changes. The discoveries were made by researchers at Metagenics’ wholly-owned biotechnology subsidiary, MetaProteomics® LLC.

28 Oct 2010

New global event focuses on childhood psoriasis

October 29 is World Psoriasis Day. Conceived by patients for patients, World Psoriasis Day is a truly global event focusing on the burden of living with psoriasis. There are more than 125 million people with psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis in the world. Many are children. Psoriasis is a severe chronic inflammatory disease that effects all ages, genders, races and ethnicities.

28 Oct 2010

Dietary intake of PUFAs associated with decreased prevalence of periodontitis

Periodontitis, a common inflammatory disease in which gum tissue separates from teeth, leads to accumulation of bacteria and potential bone and tooth loss. Although traditional treatments concentrate on the bacterial infection, more recent strategies target the inflammatory response.

26 Oct 2010

Protein IL-37 could help treat inflammatory diseases in adults and children

A husband and wife research team from Melbourne, Australia, have identified a protein that may be a key therapy for many inflammatory diseases, including those affecting premature babies.

21 Oct 2010

Osteoporosis drug heals bone wounds in gum disease patients

A drug marketed to grow bone in osteoporosis patients also works to heal bone wounds in gum disease patients, a University of Michigan study suggests.

20 Oct 2010

Majority of Canadians with asthma consider their disease 'well controlled'

A new survey, Asthma Insight and Management in Europe and Canada (EUCAN AIM), reveals that a majority of Canadians with asthma considered their disease "well controlled" at the time of the survey. However, in the year prior to the survey, more than half (52 per cent) required acute treatment for asthma, including seeing a doctor for worsening symptoms (45 per cent), unscheduled emergency room visits (28 per cent), and being hospitalized overnight (five per cent).

5 Oct 2010

NIH awards contract to develop nanotechnology tools for atherosclerosis treatment

Georgia Tech and Emory University have received a five-year $14.6 million contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue the development of nanotechnology and biomolecular engineering tools and methodologies for detecting and treating atherosclerosis.

5 Oct 2010

Scientists find new replicating mechanism of Salmonella bacteria

New findings by National Institutes of Health scientists could explain how Salmonella bacteria, a common cause of food poisoning, efficiently spread in people. In a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers describe finding a reservoir of rapidly replicating Salmonella inside epithelial cells. These bacteria are primed to infect other cells and are pushed from the epithelial layer by a new mechanism that frees the Salmonella to infect other cells or be shed into the intestine.

3 Oct 2010

Rigel earns $25M milestone payment from Astrazeneca for clinical development of fostamatinib

Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has earned $25 million from AstraZeneca for the fulfillment of two major milestones in the agreement the two companies have regarding the clinical development of fostamatinib (R788), a novel oral syk inhibitor. The first milestone is for initiation of the phase 3 clinical program with fostamatinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that was announced by AstraZeneca earlier today.

29 Sep 2010

Bayer’s new oral contraceptive receives FDA approval

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new oral contraceptive, Beyaz (drospirenone / ethinyl estradiol / levomefolate calcium tablets and levomefolate calcium tablets).

28 Sep 2010

Amira submits IND application for AM152 antagonist

Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for AM152, a novel LPA1 antagonist. If accepted, the IND will enable Amira to begin Phase 1 safety studies with the compound in healthy subjects.

28 Sep 2010

Phase II study: Fostamatinib improves outcomes in RA patients

AstraZeneca's new oral syk inhibitor, fostamatinib (R788), recently in-licensed from Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., significantly improved outcomes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis who responded inadequately to ongoing treatment with methotrexate, according to phase II study data published in The New England Journal of Medicine today.

23 Sep 2010

Study may help develop preventative treatments for womb infections

Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have established in mice the mechanism that detects and responds to the presence of bacteria in the womb a discovery that opens up the possibility of new preventative treatments for diseases like pelvic inflammatory disease and Chlamydia.

23 Sep 2010

Prevalence of periodontal disease in US higher than originally estimated

The prevalence of periodontal disease in the United States may be significantly higher than originally estimated. Research published in the Journal of Dental Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) suggests that the prevalence of periodontal disease may have been underestimated by as much as 50 percent. The implication is that more American adults may suffer from moderate to severe gum disease than previously thought.

22 Sep 2010

ProtAffin presents impressive efficacy data for PA401 in COPD

ProtAffin AG, a biotechnology company developing a novel class of biopharmaceutical products that act by targeting cell-surface glycan structures, today presents compelling preclinical data in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for its lead product PA401 at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona, Spain. This conference is the largest gathering of scientists and clinicians in the respiratory community in the world. The Oral Presentation will be made in the session "Pre-clinical models of airways disease".

21 Sep 2010

Researchers to conduct gene analysis for ankylosing spondylitis

A new study designed to test suspected links between genes and two immune disorders could open the door to better ways to diagnose and treat the conditions that affect a combined total of approximately 2.5 million people in the United States, report scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

16 Sep 2010

Genmab announces Phase II ofatumumab study results in RRMS patients

Genmab A/S announced today encouraging results from an ofatumumab Phase II safety and pharmacokinetics study in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

13 Sep 2010

Berries can prevent age related brain degeneration: Study

According to a new study, berries like strawberries, blueberries and acai berries help to recycle toxic proteins that are linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline.

25 Aug 2010