Immune System News and Research

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lncRNA in placenta may help protect unborn baby from invading pathogens

The human placenta is an organ unlike any other. During the course of nine months it is formed by the embryo, sustains life and then is shed.

10 May 2016

Pathogen-selective approach to antibiotic development less disruptive to gut microbiome

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists report the first evidence that a pathogen-specific antibiotic was less disruptive to the gut microbiome than broad-spectrum antibiotics.

10 May 2016

Study links lower concentration of heat-shock proteins to recurrence of thymic tumors

In most cases, tumors of the thymus gland are removed by surgical resection. However, they recur after a few years in up to one third of patients. A research team headed up by thoracic surgeon Bernhard Moser of the Thoracic Surgery Department at MedUni Vienna has successfully demonstrated that these tumors form heat-shock proteins. The lower the concentration of these proteins, the more quickly tumors recur. The study has been published in the leading journal Scientific Reports.

10 May 2016

Caltech researchers discover new potential cause for Crohn's disease

The community of beneficial bacteria that live in our intestines, known as the gut microbiome, are important for the development and function of the immune system. There has been growing evidence that certain probiotics--therapies that introduce beneficial bacteria into the gut--may help alleviate some of the symptoms of intestinal disorders such as Crohn's disease.

10 May 2016

Research shows spleen MZ B cells produce signaling proteins involved in inflammatory responses

The inability to adequately respond to infection can cause a whole-body state of inflammation known as sepsis. This can eventually lead to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and even death.

9 May 2016

Study hints at new therapeutic approach to mitigate effects of prenatal Zika virus infection

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently concluded that Zika virus infection in pregnant women can stunt neonatal brain development, leading to babies born with abnormally small heads, a condition known as microcephaly. Now, for the first time, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have determined one way Zika infection can damage developing brain cells.

9 May 2016

Researchers find way to selectively deliver drugs to placenta without harming fetus

Nearly 10 percent of babies born in the United States are born premature, according to the March of Dimes. The underlying cause of many complications during pregnancy is often a poorly functioning placenta, the organ that nourishes and maintains the fetus.

9 May 2016

New antibody-based therapy may provide better strategy for long-term control of HIV

The development of antiretroviral therapy, a combination of drugs that slows the replication of HIV in the body, has transformed the treatment of this infection. What was once a certain death sentence is now a chronic condition that people can live with for decades.

9 May 2016

Study provides vital information regarding four diagnostic PD-L1 assays

A pre-competitive consortia of pharmaceutical companies, diagnostic companies, and academic associations, including the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, announced phase I results of the "BLUEPRINT PD-L1 IHC ASSAY COMPARISON PROJECT" at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research on April 19.

6 May 2016

Genetic variations that prevent beneficial gut bacteria from working may lead to Crohn's disease

A major type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may be caused in part by genetic variants that prevent beneficial bacteria in the gut from doing their job, according to a new study published today in the journal Science.

6 May 2016

T cell gives precise mechanical tugs to detect friends and foes

T cells, the security guards of the immune system, use a kind of mechanical "handshake" to test whether a cell they encounter is a friend or foe, a new study finds.

6 May 2016

Study sheds light on development of ILCs that play vital role in body's immune defense

Through the use of powerful genomic techniques, researchers at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases have found that the development of immune cells, called innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), gradually prepares these cells for rapid response to infection. This work, which appeared online today in Cell, sheds light on the development and function of a cell type that is increasingly recognized as having an important role in the body's immune defense. NIAMS is part of the National Institutes of Health.

6 May 2016

Bim protein may hold clue for immunotherapy response in metastatic melanoma patients

A protein called Bim may hold the clue to which patients may be successful on immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma, according to the results of a study by Mayo Clinic researchers led by senior author Haidong Dong, M.D., Ph.D., and published online in the May 5 edition of JCI Insight.

6 May 2016

Female sex hormone estradiol may protect women against sexually transmitted viral infections

A team of researchers led by McMaster University's Charu Kaushic has revealed for the first time how estradiol, a female sex hormone present during the menstrual cycle and found in oral contraceptives, may work to protect women against sexually transmitted viral infections.

6 May 2016

Implantable brain device shows promising results in animal study

An implantable brain device that literally melts away at a pre-determined rate minimizes injury to tissue normally associated with standard electrode implantation, according to research led by a team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

6 May 2016

Duke scientists develop human-derived antibody that preferentially attacks cancer cells

A research team from Duke Health has developed an antibody from the body's own immune system that preferentially attacks cancer cells.

6 May 2016

UA researchers one step closer to preventing asthma in children

Efforts to improve the health of children at increased risk for asthma will receive a major boost with the launch of a new University of Arizona Health Sciences-led, federally funded national clinical study. For Fernando D. Martinez, MD, and his colleagues at the UA Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, this study follows 30 years of research to prevent and cure this chronic disease.

6 May 2016

Common misconception about penicillin allergies

It's time for your primary care check-up, and the doctor asks you to list any known drug allergies. "Penicillin," you say immediately, although you can't remember actually taking the drug or having a reaction to it—it was your parents who said so. According to a Texas A&M Health Science Center allergist, many people who believe they're allergic to this antibiotic may not actually be allergic at all.

5 May 2016

Older adults become more sensitive to pain, study shows

When older relatives complain about their pains, show a little empathy, because new research suggests that as we age, we may all become more sensitive to pain. A small, preliminary University of Florida Health study has suggested for the first time that inflammation may occur more quickly and at a higher magnitude -- and stays around longer -- when older adults experience pain versus when younger adults experience pain.

5 May 2016

Scientists discover how immune system molecule hijacks brain circuit to reduce appetite during illness

Loss of appetite during illness is a common and potentially debilitating phenomenon--in cancer patients, especially, it can even shorten lifespan.

5 May 2016

Immune System News and Research

lncRNA in placenta may help protect unborn baby from invading pathogens

Pathogen-selective approach to antibiotic development less disruptive to gut microbiome

Study links lower concentration of heat-shock proteins to recurrence of thymic tumors

Caltech researchers discover new potential cause for Crohn's disease

Research shows spleen MZ B cells produce signaling proteins involved in inflammatory responses

Study hints at new therapeutic approach to mitigate effects of prenatal Zika virus infection

Researchers find way to selectively deliver drugs to placenta without harming fetus

New antibody-based therapy may provide better strategy for long-term control of HIV

Study provides vital information regarding four diagnostic PD-L1 assays

Genetic variations that prevent beneficial gut bacteria from working may lead to Crohn's disease

T cell gives precise mechanical tugs to detect friends and foes

Study sheds light on development of ILCs that play vital role in body's immune defense

Bim protein may hold clue for immunotherapy response in metastatic melanoma patients

Female sex hormone estradiol may protect women against sexually transmitted viral infections

Implantable brain device shows promising results in animal study

Duke scientists develop human-derived antibody that preferentially attacks cancer cells

UA researchers one step closer to preventing asthma in children

Common misconception about penicillin allergies

Older adults become more sensitive to pain, study shows

Scientists discover how immune system molecule hijacks brain circuit to reduce appetite during illness

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