Antibody News and Research

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An antibody is a blood protein that is produced in response to and counteracts an antigen. Antibodies are produced in response to disease and help the body fight against the particular disease. In this way, antibodies help the body develop an immunity to disease.

Clinical study of MDX-010/MDX-1379 combination shows durable responses in patients with metastatic melanoma

Medarex, Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced today that complete or partial responses in seven of 56 patients with metastatic melanoma showed durability ranging from four months to the longest still ongoing at over 34 months, with five of the seven responses ongoing for more than two years.

20 Apr 2005

Breast cancer gene may play a major role in the recurrence of prostate cancer

A gene associated with breast cancer also may play a major role in the recurrence of prostate cancer, according to new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

20 Apr 2005

Antibiotic treatment does not reduce risk of secondary cardiac events

Taking antibiotics weekly for one year does not reduce the risk of a heart attack or other cardiac event for patients with stable coronary artery disease, according to a study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. It is published in the April 21, 2005, edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

20 Apr 2005

Experimental vaccine targeting West Nile virus

A small trial testing the safety of an experimental vaccine targeting West Nile virus (WNV) opened today at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD.

19 Apr 2005

Allergic diseases have increased

The rate of allergic diseases (atopy) in adults has steadily increased over the last quarter of the 20th century, but the reason for the increase is still unknown, according to a study published online by the BMJ.

19 Apr 2005

Researchers discover mechanism by which tumours support their own growth

In a recent issue of the American Journal of Pathology, the Bremen researchers report their findings on a signalling molecule called "High Mobility Group Protein B1" (HMGB1). As a signal sent by tumour cells HMGB1 proteins induce sprouting of blood vessels that supply tumours with oxygen, thus promoting tumour growth.

11 Apr 2005

Increased scrutiny of new multiple sclerosis-fighting drugs after Tysabri withdrawal

The removal of Tysabri from the market soon after its introduction is expected to increase scrutiny of other similar drugs in development for multiple sclerosis (MS), says ECRI, a leading, independent health services research agency.

11 Apr 2005

Malaria's secret weapon revealed

A US-led international team of scientists have discovered how the deadliest malaria parasite is able to "hide" from the body's immune system.

10 Apr 2005

Research helps understand how the malaria parasite disguises itself to avoid detection by the immune system

Scientists are making strides in understanding how the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum disguises itself to avoid detection by the immune system. The findings could lead to the development of new drugs for a disease that causes more than 300 million acute illnesses and at least one million deaths each year, most of them in developing countries.

7 Apr 2005

Infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae may increase the risk of heart attack in young men

Preliminary research suggests infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae may increase the risk of heart attack in young men, according to an article in the April 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

7 Apr 2005

Epstein-Barr virus may increase risk of lupus

Almost everyone has been infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a member of the herpes family and one of the most common human viruses.

7 Apr 2005

Stress might actually be beneficial to health

New research has surprisingly shown that stress, generally thought to be bad for the immune system by lowering the body's ability to fight off disease, on a short-term basis might actually be beneficial.

6 Apr 2005

Researchers have identified a new clinical syndrome

Researchers have identified a new clinical syndrome that produces serious and sometimes fatal symptoms in a variety of seemingly unrelated diseases. The syndrome, described in the April 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, is caused by hemolysis, the destruction of red blood cells.

5 Apr 2005

EvoGenix expands capabilities through US acquisition

EvoGenix and Absalus own complementary technologies which, when combined, are capable of streamlining the identification of new antibody drug candidates and improving the development of safe and effective human therapeutic antibodies.

4 Apr 2005

Infants under one year of age can accept heart transplants from donors of different blood groups

A study showing that infants under one year of age can accept heart transplants from donors of different blood groups without the risk of organ rejection means a better chance of survival for infant patients and more efficient use of donor organs overall.

4 Apr 2005

Rabies, HIV, cancer and malaria could all be prevented with pills in the future

Rabies, HIV, cancer and malaria could all be prevented with pills in the future, if a new technique using specially modified viruses to deliver vaccines is adopted, according to scientists speaking today (Tuesday, 05 April 2005) at the Society for General Microbiology's 156th Meeting at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

4 Apr 2005

Unravelling the Ebola virus’s biological cycle

Ebola virus infection in humans provokes a violent haemorrhagic fever. It usually flares up as intense epidemics. These kill 80 % of the people infected. Seven such outbreaks have hit Gabon and the Republic of Congo since 1994, leading to 445 cases resulting in 361 deaths.

4 Apr 2005

Tarvacin shows significant anti-viral activity

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals today announced that there will be two presentations, April 4 and 6, at the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) annual meeting in San Diego, California, indicating the anti-viral potential of its Tarvacin antibody. Dr. Melina Soares of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas will present pre-clinical data titled "Targeting inside-out phospholipids on viruses in a guinea pig model of Lassa fever."

4 Apr 2005

Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-alpha) blocking agents cause skin disease

Members of the second most important family of drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis can cause serious dermatological conditions in a quarter of patients under treatment, reveals a study published in the journal Arthritis Research and Therapy.

3 Apr 2005

Novel strategy to create a genetic vaccine against P. aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium that can cause respiratory tract infections, which can be life threatening in patients who have cystic fibrosis. It is therefore important to develop a vaccine against this pathogen.

3 Apr 2005