Immune System News and Research

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VUMC researchers aim to decode genetic underpinnings of human immune system

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center this month began recruiting volunteers to participate in a clinical trial aimed at decoding the human "immunome," the genetic underpinnings of the immune system.

22 Jun 2016

High fibre diet can help reduce food allergies

Eating a diet rich in fibre can actually shape the immune system to reduce allergies to substances such as peanuts, new research shows.

21 Jun 2016

Food allergies linked to diet and gut microbiome

The development of food allergies in mice can be linked to what their gut bacteria are being fed, reports a study published June 21 in Cell Reports. Rodents that received a diet with average calories, sugar, and fiber content from birth were shown to have more severe peanut allergies than those that received a high-fiber diet.

21 Jun 2016

Cardiac surgery patients who received omega-3 supplementation experience reduced hospital stays

A new meta-analysis published in Clinical Nutrition found that cardiac surgery patients who received omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (compared to placebo) in advance of surgery experienced reduced postoperative cardiac arrhythmias and significantly reduced the length of hospital stay by up to 2.4 days. The results are based on 11 RCT's with 1038 patients.

21 Jun 2016

Experts use next-generation genetic sequencing to diagnose suspected brain infections

In a proof-of-principle study, a team of physicians and bioinformatics experts at Johns Hopkins reports they were able to diagnose or rule out suspected brain infections using so called next-generation genetic sequencing of brain tissue samples.

21 Jun 2016

E-cigarette use modifies gene expression important for upper airway immune defense

When we smoke cigarettes, dozens of genes important for immune defense are altered in the epithelial cells that line the respiratory tract. Several of these changes likely increase the risk of bacterial infections, viruses, and inflammation.

21 Jun 2016

Study shows childhood adversities, sleep disturbances interfere with immune system regulation

Adverse childhood experiences and sleep disturbances interfere with immune system regulation, shows research from the University of Eastern Finland.

20 Jun 2016

TUM scientists identify four new risk genes altered in MS patients

Scientists of the Technical University of Munich and the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry have identified four new risk genes that are altered in German patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

20 Jun 2016

Fractional dosing approach could be used to control yellow fever outbreaks during vaccine shortages

The yellow fever vaccine given as one fifth of the regular dose could be used to control an outbreak in case of vaccine shortages.

20 Jun 2016

TUM researchers uncover molecular mechanism of thalidomide

In the 1950s, thalidomide (Contergan) was prescribed as a sedative drug to pregnant women, resulting in a great number of infants with serious malformations. Up to now, the reasons for these disastrous birth defects have remained unclear.

20 Jun 2016

People with higher levels of IgG/IgM antibodies less likely to have heart attack

Measuring antibody levels in the blood could be used to detect a person's heart attack risk after researchers, part-funded by the British Heart Foundation, discovered that higher levels of these antibodies are linked to a lower heart attack risk.

20 Jun 2016

Scientists study fundamentals of tumour surveillance by immune system in mice models

The body's defences detect and eliminate not only pathogens but also tumour cells. Natural killer cells (NK-Cells) are specifically activated by chemical messengers, the Cytokines, to seek and destroy tumour cells.

20 Jun 2016

Diabetic mothers three times more likely to have anti-fetal brain autoantibodies

Mothers of children with autism and were diagnosed with metabolic conditions during pregnancy, particularly gestational and type 2 diabetes, were more likely to have anti-fetal brain autoantibodies in their blood compared to healthy women of children with autism.

20 Jun 2016

Understanding cancer resistance in mole-rats may help advance human treatment in future

Naked mole-rats (NMR) are the longest-living rodent species and exhibit 'extraordinary' resistance to cancer. Mole-rats live up to 30 years, 10 times longer than mice, and captured colonies almost never show any type of cancer.

17 Jun 2016

Legions of immune cells play complex role to destroy Legionella bacteria

Immunologists and microbiologists from the University of Melbourne's Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity - a joint venture between the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital - have led a study that defined a new cell type responsible for turning the attack back on the bacteria.

17 Jun 2016

Delivery mode, exposure to antibiotics and feeding method linked to change in baby's microbial communities

Birth by C-section, exposure to antibiotics and formula feeding slow the development and decrease the diversity of a baby's microbes through the first year of life. That is the finding of a study led by researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center and published June 15 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

17 Jun 2016

Immune System News and Research

VUMC researchers aim to decode genetic underpinnings of human immune system

High fibre diet can help reduce food allergies

Food allergies linked to diet and gut microbiome

Cardiac surgery patients who received omega-3 supplementation experience reduced hospital stays

Experts use next-generation genetic sequencing to diagnose suspected brain infections

E-cigarette use modifies gene expression important for upper airway immune defense

Study shows childhood adversities, sleep disturbances interfere with immune system regulation

TUM scientists identify four new risk genes altered in MS patients

Fractional dosing approach could be used to control yellow fever outbreaks during vaccine shortages

TUM researchers uncover molecular mechanism of thalidomide

People with higher levels of IgG/IgM antibodies less likely to have heart attack

Scientists study fundamentals of tumour surveillance by immune system in mice models

Diabetic mothers three times more likely to have anti-fetal brain autoantibodies

Understanding cancer resistance in mole-rats may help advance human treatment in future

Legions of immune cells play complex role to destroy Legionella bacteria

Delivery mode, exposure to antibiotics and feeding method linked to change in baby's microbial communities

Elevated levels of CXCL10 protein could help diagnose cGvHD in blood, bone marrow transplant patients

Statins can lower infection risk by 58% in stroke patients

Enhanced activation of B cells may contribute to SLE severity in African Americans

Penn researchers help identify unique characteristics of reserve stem cells

Understanding the DNA Damage Response in Innate Immunity eBook

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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