Immune System News and Research

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New, easy-to-use method for rapid testing of neutrophil chemotaxis

A team of researchers from the University of Manitoba in collaboration with local clinical scientists in Winnipeg, Canada, have developed a new method for rapid neutrophil chemotaxis test directly from a small drop of whole blood using a microfluidic system.

23 May 2016

New method helps scavenge inflammatory molecules that mediate sepsis in mice

Sepsis is a life-threatening complication of infection in which the molecules that the body releases to fight an infection trigger widespread inflammatory responses, resulting in damage to multiple organ systems.

22 May 2016

New collaborative research center to investigate promising aspects of mucosal immunology

Immunology - and the idea that many diseases can best be addressed by boosting the body's own immune response - is one of the hottest areas in medical research and clinical treatment.

22 May 2016

Wresting back control of CHI3L1 protein could stave off cancer spread in mice

For cancer to spread, the cells that take off into the bloodstream must find a tissue that will permit them to thrive. They don't just go looking, though. Instead, they actively prepare the tissue, in one case by co-opting a protein that suppresses defenses the body would otherwise mount.

21 May 2016

Research provides pathway toward creation of first broad-spectrum antiviral drug

By studying the rare person -- about one in a million -- who can fight off viral infections more effectively than everyone else, investigators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a strategy to help the rest of us achieve this enhanced anti-viral state.

21 May 2016

Specific monocyte immune cells serve as link between gut bacteria and the brain

A special kind of immune cell serves as an intermediary between gut bacteria and the brain. Dr. Susanne Wolf of the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association discovered this in tests on mice and published her findings in the journal Cell Reports.

20 May 2016

NS5 viral protein could be promising vaccine target against Zika virus

A viral protein known as NS5 is a promising target for vaccines against Zika and related viruses, according to National Institutes of Health scientists and colleagues at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine.

20 May 2016

Researchers identify hCRTh2 protein as possible therapeutic target for asthma

Patients with asthma have chronic lung inflammation that results in sporadic narrowing of the airways and difficulty breathing. Symptoms and severity are variable among individuals; however, the cells and inflammatory factors that trigger asthmatic events have been fairly well characterized and are similar regardless of the asthma-inducing stimuli.

20 May 2016

Radiation-immunotherapy combination can help treat melanoma

Combining radiation treatments with a new generation of immunotherapies is showing promise as a one-two-punch against melanoma, Loyola Medicine researchers report in a review article.

20 May 2016

Borrowed immune system may help combat cancer

A new step in cancer immunotherapy: researchers from the University of Oslo/Oslo University Hospital and the Netherlands Cancer Institute show that even if one's own immune cells cannot recognize and fight their tumors, someone else's immune cells might.

20 May 2016

Gene editing technology helps excise segment of HIV-1 DNA from genomes of living animals

Using gene editing technology, researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University have, for the first time, successfully excised a segment of HIV-1 DNA - the virus responsible for AIDS - from the genomes of living animals.

20 May 2016

SUSTAIN study to test effect of high-dose selenium on recovery of cardiac surgery patients

Queen's University researcher Daren Heyland is leading a study that aims to reduce the risk of complications and improves recovery of cardiac surgery patients.

19 May 2016

New skin test for TB infection proves safe, effective in clinical trials

A new skin test for tuberculosis infection has proven safe, easy to administer and accurate in two Phase III clinical trials, according to research presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.

19 May 2016

Penn State researchers link mutation in common virus to fatal brain disease

Why people on immunosuppressant drugs for autoimmune conditions have a higher incidence of an often-fatal brain disease may be linked to a mutation in a common virus, according to researchers at Penn State College of Medicine.

19 May 2016

New lab blood test may help identify HELLP syndrome in pregnant women

A laboratory blood test developed at Johns Hopkins for the diagnosis of a rare genetic red blood cell disorder also shows promise in identifying HELLP syndrome, a life-threatening high blood pressure condition affecting 1 percent of all pregnant women that causes hypertension along with end organ damage, researchers report in the May issue of the journal Experimental Hematology.

19 May 2016

Study shows expression of high-affinity TCRs linked with spontaneous control of HIV infection

A small number of patients infected by HIV spontaneously control viral replication without antiretroviral therapy, and do not develop the disease. The ability of these rare patients, known as "HIV controllers", to suppress HIV replication appears to be down to a highly effective immune response.

19 May 2016

Understanding antibody transport mechanisms in the brain

Diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), such as stroke, brain cancer, and Alzheimer's disease, are a serious threat affecting over 50 million Americans with an associated cost of over $750 billion per year, which is expected to grow significantly over the coming decades.

19 May 2016

Fluorescent proteins help trace viral infections

Researchers at Umea University have developed a new method to directly follow viral infections in living organisms. This method can make infected cells produce fluorescent proteins, which means that they light up and become easier to identify.

19 May 2016

Tecentriq drug gets FDA approval to treat urothelial carcinoma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Tecentriq (atezolizumab) to treat the most common type of bladder cancer, called urothelial carcinoma. This is the first product in its class (PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors) approved to treat this type of cancer.

19 May 2016

Landmark study characterizes evolution of symptoms, signs of acute HIV infection

Acute HIV infection (AHI) contributes significantly to HIV transmission and may be important for intervention strategies seeking to reduce incidence and achieve a functional cure.

19 May 2016