Autoimmune Disease News and Research

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Autoimmune Disease is a condition in which the body recognizes its own tissues as foreign and directs an immune response against them.

National Psoriasis Foundation awards grants to support psoriatic disease research

The National Psoriasis Foundation awarded eight researchers each a one-year, $75,000 Discovery Grant to support the advancement of psoriatic disease research. By gaining a better understanding of the fundamentals of psoriatic disease--what causes psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and what happens in the body when these diseases are present--scientists can work on better treatments and a cure.

3 Jun 2015

National Psoriasis Foundation’s online research community receives second-year of funding from PCORI

The National Psoriasis Foundation received a second-year of funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) for its patient-driven, online research community.

1 Jun 2015

FVCG portfolio companies selected to present research at Bio International 2015

Actinobac Biomed, NovoPedics, Inc. and MentiNova, Inc., three biotech start-up companies originally funded with investments from Foundation Venture Capital Group (FVCG), have been selected to present their research at Bio International 2015 as part of the Start-Up Stadium and Company Presentation forums offered at the Conference, announced FVCG President James M. Golubieski.

30 May 2015

Patient characteristics may guide TKI use in CML

The likelihood of complications associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia may be reduced by considering patient factors and differences in the toxicity profiles of the different drug options, a review suggests.

29 May 2015

Monoclonal antibody nivolumab improves survival rates of melanoma patients

The monoclonal antibody nivolumab has shown promise as a therapeutic agent, particularly by improving the survival rates of melanoma patients. Jeffrey S. Weber, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Donald A. Adam Comprehensive Melanoma Research Center at Moffitt Cancer Center will be presenting data from a retrospective analysis of the safety of nivolumab in 4 ongoing phase I-III studies in melanoma patients at the 2015 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago.

29 May 2015

Novel discovery offers new insight into why women more likely than men to develop MS

An innocent mistake made by a graduate student in a Northwestern Medicine lab (she accidentally used male mice instead of female mice during an experiment) has led scientists to a novel discovery that offers new insight into why women are more likely than men to develop autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS).

28 May 2015

New Health Union study finds severe impact of rheumatoid arthritis on patients' quality of life

In a new national survey of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, Health Union found a severe impact on quality of life, employment, and ability to afford treatment. The autoimmune condition attacks the body, resulting in joint inflammation, pain, stiffness, and swelling, but may also harm other organs. About 1.3 million Americans or about one percent of the global population have RA.

27 May 2015

Novel drug target identified for treating rheumatoid arthritis

Researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, in collaboration with colleagues the University of California, San Diego, identified a novel drug target for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis that focuses on the cells that are directly responsible for the cartilage damage in affected joints.

21 May 2015

Ground-breaking discovery could revolutionise lupus treatments

A ground-breaking discovery by Monash University researchers could revolutionise treatments given to lupus sufferers, saving thousands of people each year from serious illness or death caused by secondary infections.

14 May 2015

TSRI researchers find interferon beta protein as prime suspect in persistent viral infections

Interferon proteins are normally considered virus-fighters, but scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found evidence that one of them, interferon beta (IFNβ), has an immune-suppressing effect that can help some viruses establish persistent infections.

14 May 2015

Research finding could lead to better treatments for inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) afflicts 1.6 million people in the United States, causing abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, rectal bleeding and other potentially debilitating symptoms.

14 May 2015

Major breakthrough in understanding development of type 1 diabetes

Joslin researchers have uncovered the action of a gene that regulates the education of T cells, providing insight into how and why the immune system begins mistaking the body's own tissues for targets. The gene, Clec16a, is one of a suite of genes associated with multiple autoimmune disorders, suggesting it is fundamental to the development of autoimmunity.

13 May 2015

Australian researchers discover rogue germinal centre B cells that trigger autoimmune disease

Australian researchers believe they have discovered a group of cells that trigger autoimmune disease, as well as the molecular 'trigger guard' that normally holds them in check.

13 May 2015

Catatonia may cause regression in Down syndrome patients

Down syndrome, the most common chromosomal disorder in America, can be complicated by significant deterioration in movement, speech and functioning in some adolescents and young adults. Physicians previously attributed this regression to depression or early-onset Alzheimer's, and it has not responded to treatments.

13 May 2015

Misperceptions about miscarriage are widespread, survey finds

A survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults has found that misperceptions about miscarriage and its causes are widespread. Results of the survey, conducted by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and Montefiore Health System, show that feelings of guilt and shame are common after a miscarriage and that most people erroneously believe that miscarriages are rare.

12 May 2015

Raising lupus awareness: an interview with Professor Ramsey-Goldman, MD

Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease, with many different symptoms so it is hard to diagnose. It affects each person differently and it has an unpredictable disease course with flare ups and quiet time. Some patients describe lupus as if they are riding a roller coaster with blinders on because they cannot always tell when they will feel well or sick...

11 May 2015

JDRF, Lilly partner to make life better for people with type 1 diabetes

JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, and Eli Lilly and Company, a global leader in diabetes care announced a two-year partnership that will provide $1.8 Million in support of JDRF's mission to improving the lives of people with T1D.

6 May 2015

23andMe, Pfizer jointly launch Lupus Research Study

23andMe, Inc., the leading personal genetics company, today announced the launch of the Lupus Research Study in collaboration with Pfizer Inc. The companies aim to enroll 5,000 individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus, more commonly known as lupus, into the study to help better understand the genetics of lupus.

5 May 2015

Researchers identify mechanism responsible for steroid resistance in leukemia patients

Researchers led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have identified a mechanism that helps leukemia cells resist glucocorticoids, a finding that lays the foundation for more effective treatment of cancer and possibly a host of autoimmune diseases.

5 May 2015

Gladstone researchers identify way to prevent MS development in mice

Scientists from the Gladstone Institutes have discovered a way to prevent the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) in mice. Using a drug that blocks the production of a certain type of immune cell linked to inflammation and autoimmunity, the researchers successfully protected against the onset of MS in an animal model of the disease.

28 Apr 2015