Inflammatory Disease News and Research

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Gaps in the intestinal barrier could be a cause of inflammatory diseases of the gut such as Crohn's Disease

Their research, led by Professor Alastair Watson in the University's Faculty of Medicine, could have important implications for the treatment of patients with diseases like Crohn's - an inflammatory bowel disorder that causes severe ulceration in the intestine, leading to pain, bleeding and diarrhoea.

20 Sep 2005

Nuclear receptor proteins could change anti-inflammatory treatments

Several nuclear receptor proteins appear to overlap in their ability to exert anti-inflammatory effects, according to new research by scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

12 Sep 2005

Is the disease course of rheumatoid arthritis becoming milder?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease, marked with joint pain and erosion. The course of RA can vary considerably, from mild to crippling, and is difficult to predict.

4 Sep 2005

Study reveals functional link between emotion processing centers in the brain and certain physiological processes relevant to disease

The mere mention of a stressful word like "wheeze" can activate two brain regions in asthmatics during an attack, and this brain activity may be associated with more severe asthma symptoms, according to a study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers and collaborators.

29 Aug 2005

Disease modifying activity of 2ME2 demonstrated in preclinical rheumatoid arthritis studies

EntreMed a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics primarily for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases, has announced the presentation of positive preclinical results for its lead compound, 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME2), in models of rheumatoid arthritis.

24 Aug 2005

Good bacteria helps ease symptoms of ulcerative colitis

New research suggests that consuming a mixture of eight good or "probiotic" bacteria reduces symptoms in patients with ulcerative colitis which doesn't respond to conventional medications.

31 Jul 2005

Mixture of 8 bacteria (VSL#3) for 6 weeks helps ulcerative colitis

A mixture of bacteria developed in part by University of Alberta researchers has been proven highly effective in treating people suffering from ulcerative colitis.

25 Jul 2005

Disruption of a single gene, Nrf2, plays a critical role in determining the susceptibility to asthma

A research team led by Shyam Biswal , PhD, at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found the absence of Nrf2 exacerbated allergen-mediated asthma in mice models.

5 Jul 2005

Scientists identify inhibitors of the anthrax toxin

A collaborative team of scientists led by The Burnham Institute's Maurizio Pellecchia, Ph.D., has identified inhibitors of the anthrax toxin, termed lethal factor ("LF") that could be developed into an emergency treatment for exposure to inhalation anthrax.

21 Jun 2005

Early exposure to inflammatory disease multiplies Alzheimer's risk

A new study of dementia in identical twins suggests that exposure to inflammation early in life quadruples one's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

19 Jun 2005

New start-up to market test that predicts heart attack risk

PrognostiX, a start-up company based on Cleveland Clinic technology, has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin selling a diagnostic test capable of identifying patients who are in imminent danger of heart attack or death.

9 Jun 2005

Home test kits provide young women with a safe and effective means for protecting their sexual reproductive health

Researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have evidence that more than one-third of young women are willing and able to use a free, easily available home test kit to privately and accurately learn if they are infected with Chlamydia trachomatis, the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) in this group.

8 Jun 2005

Study links TNF to androgen deficiency in rheumatoid arthritis patients and suggest a novel pathway in inflammation

A protein involved in multiple cell functions, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is perhaps best known for provoking destructive inflammation. Recently, drugs blocking the action of TNF have shown promise in the early treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

2 Jun 2005

Measuring hormone procalcitonin cuts antibiotic use in half in pneumonia patients

Measuring a hormone in the blood can help doctors greatly reduce the number of days pneumonia patients have to take antibiotics to cure their infection, according to a study to be presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference.

25 May 2005

Molecular switch may help fight off MRSA

The discovery of a 'molecular switch' could lead to new ways of treating infections such as MRSA, and inflammatory diseases like arthritis.

27 Apr 2005

Short segments of sugar chains useful in search for new drugs for Alzheimer's

Heparansulfate, which is needed for normal fetal development among other things, is also important for the build-up of amyloid, morbid protein deposits that appear in several serious diseases. This is shown by Uppsala scientists in an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

19 Apr 2005

Stress can give the immune system a beneficial boost

New research in mice provides more evidence that a brief bout of stress can give the immune system a beneficial boost – under certain conditions.

19 Apr 2005

Animi-3 may offer hope for rheumatoid arthritis

Animi-3, a prescription medication from PBM Pharmaceuticals, Inc., contains ingredients that may have a beneficial, protective effect in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

7 Apr 2005

Why smokers lung is resistant to steroid treatment

UK researchers think they are close to finding the first effective treatment to fight one of the biggest killer diseases in the UK. Professor Peter Barnes will present the work at the British Endocrine Societies 2005 meeting in Harrogate.

4 Apr 2005

Mutations in the HFE gene directly associated with chronic joint disease

Mutations in the HFE gene, which is involved in iron regulation, seem to be directly associated with chronic joint disease (or haemophilic arthropathy) among haemophilic patients, claim a team of Portuguese scientists in the April issue of the journal Blood.