Immune System News and Research

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Enzyme protein neutrophil elastase may be key contributor to development of muscular dystrophy

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have discovered that muscle cells affected by muscular dystrophy contain high levels of an enzyme that impairs muscle repair. This finding provides a new target for potential drug treatments for the disease, which currently has no cure.

2 Jun 2016

Prenatal mild viral assault may cause central nervous system malfunctions in children

Babies born to mothers whose immune systems had to grapple with a viral assault -- even a mild one -- have increased risk of brain and central nervous system abnormalities, according to a new study.

2 Jun 2016

Experts urge cancer researchers to use old, obese mice for preclinical immunotherapy studies

Researchers should include laboratory mice that are old and obese in their studies of immunotherapy treatments for cancer, according to a review article by Saint Louis University scientists.

2 Jun 2016

Clinical trial to test safety, efficacy of Roswell Park-developed SurVaxM in multiple myeloma patients

An immune-based therapy developed at Roswell Park Cancer Institute is moving forward with its third clinical trial. The early-stage clinical trial will assess whether SurVaxM — a cancer vaccine developed at Roswell Park — is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with multiple myeloma, a rare type of blood cancer.

1 Jun 2016

Cigarette smoke promotes bacteria colonization, immune invasion

The mouth is one of the "dirtiest" parts of the body, home to millions of germs. But puffing cigarettes can increase the likelihood that certain bacteria like Porphyromonas gingivalis will not only set up camp but will build a fortified city in the mouth and fight against the immune system.

1 Jun 2016

Researchers identify potential therapeutic target against oncogenic viral infection

A benign virus normally found in the skin can lead to a type of rare, lethal skin cancer. Specifically, infection by the Merkel cell polyomavirus can lead to Merkel cell carcinoma in immune-compromised individuals.

1 Jun 2016

Researchers design ProAgio protein that may potentially treat cancer, other illnesses

A protein designed by researchers at Georgia State University can effectively target a cell surface receptor linked to a number of diseases, showing potential as a therapeutic treatment for an array of illnesses, including cancer, according to the research team.

1 Jun 2016

New, inexpensive blood test helps detect low levels of mycobacteria that causes bTB

A new blood test to detect Mycobacteria in blood has been developed by a team at The University of Nottingham led by Dr Cath Rees, an expert in microbiology in the School of Biosciences and Dr Ben Swift from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science.

1 Jun 2016

Cryptococcus research: an interview with Associate Professor Kirsten Nielsen

Cryptococcus is a fungus found in the environment throughout the world that is able to cause disease in humans. While most fungal pathogens don’t receive as much press as their bacterial or viral counterparts, they can be just as deadly.

1 Jun 2016

New study explores sexual assault victimization among bisexual, gay college students

A new study of sexual assault on college campuses found that nearly 2 of every 5 bisexual female college students experienced sexual assault after four years in college. About 1 in 4 gay and bisexual men are victims of sexual assault during college, which is similar to the frequency reported by heterosexual women, according to the study published in the journal Violence and Gender, from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

1 Jun 2016

Short-term use of opioids implicated in protracted pain, new study finds

Painkillers such as morphine, oxycodone and methadone could actually prolong and increase pain even after only a few days’ use, according to research conducted on rats by scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder in the US.

31 May 2016

Brief opioid exposure can cause increase in chronic pain

The dark side of painkillers - their dramatic increase in use and ability to trigger abuse, addiction and thousands of fatal overdoses annually in the United States is in the news virtually every day.

31 May 2016

Oncologists combine two different types of immunotherapy to successfully treat metastatic melanoma

Oncologists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have successfully treated a patient with metastatic melanoma by combining two different types of immunotherapy. Cassian Yee and colleagues describe their approach in a paper, "Combined IL-21-primed polyclonal CTL plus CTLA4 blockade controls refractory metastatic melanoma in a patient," that will be published online May 30 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.

30 May 2016

New study sheds light on link between gut microbiome and the brain

Intestinal bacteria that can boost bravery or trigger multiple sclerosis: An increasing body of research results confirms the importance of the "gut-brain axis" for neurology and indicates that the triggers for a number of neurological diseases may be located in the digestive tract.

30 May 2016

Slime mold provides key to understanding directional ability of immune cells

How white blood cells in our immune systems home in on and engulf bacterial invaders--like humans following the scent of oven-fresh pizza--has long been a mystery to scientists.

28 May 2016

Researchers demonstrate decisive role of cholesterol in T cell activation

T cell receptors are an important part of the human immune system. They are able to switch their conformation from an inactive to an active state spontaneously without any antigens present.

28 May 2016

Certain HLA genes may increase ovarian cancer risk in women

Researchers in the Center for Immunotherapy at Roswell Park Cancer Institute have evaluated the human leukocyte antigen (HLA), a group of genes that help regulate the body's immune system, for underlying differences in ovarian cancer patients' response to therapy.

28 May 2016

New player in calcium signalling pathways acts as molecular brake to Orai activation

Information flow in cells relies on calcium as a key agent in several signalling pathways. Calcium dependent signalling is crucial in nearly every aspect of life - muscle movement, immune reactions, nerve function, light sensing and many such processes.

28 May 2016

Scientists discover how Zika virus replicates in the placenta

Zika virus can infect and replicate in immune cells from the placenta, without killing them, scientists have discovered. The finding may explain how the virus can pass through the placenta of a pregnant woman, on its way to infect developing brain cells in her fetus.

28 May 2016

Combining VCA with organ transplants improves patient outcomes

Simultaneous transplantation of a "composite" skull and scalp flap plus a kidney and pancreas—all from the same donor—provided excellent outcomes for a patient with a non-healing scalp defect and declining organ kidney and pancreas function, according to a report in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

28 May 2016

Immune System News and Research

Enzyme protein neutrophil elastase may be key contributor to development of muscular dystrophy

Prenatal mild viral assault may cause central nervous system malfunctions in children

Experts urge cancer researchers to use old, obese mice for preclinical immunotherapy studies

Clinical trial to test safety, efficacy of Roswell Park-developed SurVaxM in multiple myeloma patients

Cigarette smoke promotes bacteria colonization, immune invasion

Researchers identify potential therapeutic target against oncogenic viral infection

Researchers design ProAgio protein that may potentially treat cancer, other illnesses

New, inexpensive blood test helps detect low levels of mycobacteria that causes bTB

Cryptococcus research: an interview with Associate Professor Kirsten Nielsen

New study explores sexual assault victimization among bisexual, gay college students

Short-term use of opioids implicated in protracted pain, new study finds

Brief opioid exposure can cause increase in chronic pain

Oncologists combine two different types of immunotherapy to successfully treat metastatic melanoma

New study sheds light on link between gut microbiome and the brain

Slime mold provides key to understanding directional ability of immune cells

Researchers demonstrate decisive role of cholesterol in T cell activation

Certain HLA genes may increase ovarian cancer risk in women

New player in calcium signalling pathways acts as molecular brake to Orai activation

Scientists discover how Zika virus replicates in the placenta

Combining VCA with organ transplants improves patient outcomes

Understanding the DNA Damage Response in Innate Immunity eBook

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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