Immune System News and Research

RSS

Massage therapy: A natural way to strengthen the immune system this flu season

As seasons change our bodies become more susceptible to cold and flu. Massage therapy is a natural way to strengthen the immune system at this vulnerable time, especially if it is already weakened by stress, fatigue or poor nutrition.

4 Dec 2014

New technology reveals cellular gene transcription process in detail

A new technology that reveals cellular gene transcription in greater detail has been developed by Dr. Daniel Kaufmann of the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre and the research team he directed. "This new research tool offers us a more profound view of the immune responses that are involved in a range of diseases, such as HIV infection. At the level of gene transcription, this had been difficult, complex and costly to do with current technologies, such as microscopy," explained the University of Montreal professor.

4 Dec 2014

Scientists report new approach to defeating asthma by targeting allergen

Current asthma treatments can alleviate wheezing, coughing and other symptoms felt by millions of Americans every year, but they don't get to the root cause of the condition. Now, for the first time, scientists are reporting a new approach to defeating asthma by targeting the trigger -- the allergen -- before it can spark an attack. They describe their new compound, which they tested on rats, in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

3 Dec 2014

Joint therapy to counter HIV and HCV increases chance of success

A Spanish researcher has collaborated on a mathematical analysis, recently published in the journal 'Science Translational Medicine', which concludes that joint therapy to counter HIV in patients who also have hepatitis C increases the chance of success in the fight against both infections. Between eight and nine million people worldwide simultaneously suffer from AIDS and hepatitis C.

3 Dec 2014

Blue light can knock circadian rhythms off-kilter, study finds

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health is unraveling the mystery of how blue light from residential and commercial lighting, electronic devices, outdoor lights and billboards can throw off-kilter the natural body clock of humans, plants and animals, leading to disease.

3 Dec 2014

SAFit-ligands provide foundation for novel treatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders

The FK506-binding protein 51 (FKBP51) is an established risk factor for stress-related psychiatric disorders such as major depression. Drug discovery for FKBP51 has been hampered by the inability to pharmacologically differentiate against the very similar functional counterplayer FKBP52.

3 Dec 2014

Abnormal activation of cell death pathways may lead to inflammatory skin diseases

Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis may result from abnormal activation of cell death pathways previously believed to suppress inflammation, a surprise finding that could help to develop new ways of treating these diseases.

3 Dec 2014

InnaVirVax receives DSMB recommendation to pursue VAC-3S Phase 2 study in HIV

InnaVirVax, a biopharmaceutical company specialized in research and development on therapeutic and diagnostic solutions for diseases linked to immune dysregulation, today announces the recommendation of its independent Data Safety and Monitoring Board (DSMB) to pursue the Phase 2 study (IPROTECT1) of VAC-3S according to the planned protocol.

2 Dec 2014

Researchers identify possible prognostic biomarker in triple-negative breast cancer

"Triple-negative" breast cancer (TNBC) occurs in patients whose cells do not express receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and/or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (ER-/PR-/HER2-).

2 Dec 2014

Apellis Pharmaceuticals completes $33M private placement of Series C Preferred Stock

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading biotechnology company applying immunotherapy to autoimmune disease, today announced that it has completed a $33M private placement of its Series C Preferred Stock.

2 Dec 2014

New therapeutic targets can prevent scarring within transplanted kidneys

Kidneys donated by people born with a small variation in the code of a key gene may be more likely, once in the transplant recipient, to accumulate scar tissue that contributes to kidney failure, according to a study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

2 Dec 2014

HIV's ability to cause AIDS is declining, finds new research

The rapid evolution of HIV, which has allowed the virus to develop resistance to patients' natural immunity, is at the same time slowing the virus's ability to cause AIDS, according to new research funded by the Wellcome Trust.

2 Dec 2014

Ligand indazole chloride improves motor function, study shows

Multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease of the brain and spinal cord, affects about 2.3 million people worldwide (400,000 in the United States). Affecting more women than men, it can be seen at any age, although it is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40.

2 Dec 2014

Scientists investigate Veto Cell technology to treat blood cancers, bone marrow transplants

Overcoming graft rejection is the main obstacle when it comes to stem cell regeneration or organ transplantation.

2 Dec 2014

U of T professor wins GSK's 2014 Discovery Fast Track Challenge devoted for cancer research

University of Toronto (U of T) Professor Tania Watts is a winner of GSK's 2014 Discovery Fast Track Challenge, which is designed to accelerate the translation of academic research into novel therapies.

2 Dec 2014

CHFA reveals top five healthy holiday gift ideas

Finding that perfect gift for health-conscious friends and family can be hard, but this holiday season, you can put those fears to rest.

1 Dec 2014

Australian Prescriber publishes top 10 subsidised drugs in Australia

The annual publication of the top 10 subsidised drugs appears in the December edition of Australian Prescriber. Statins (cholesterol-lowering medicines) top the lists again.

1 Dec 2014

CCR5 receptor plays key role in driving prostate cancer metastases

Although prostate cancer can be successfully treated in many men, when the disease metastasizes to the bone, it is eventually lethal. In a study published online December 1st in the journal Cancer Research, researchers show that the receptor CCR5 best known for its role in HIV therapy, may also be involved in driving the spread of prostate cancer to the bone.

1 Dec 2014

New vaccine shows promise in patients with metastatic breast cancer

A breast cancer vaccine developed at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is safe in patients with metastatic breast cancer, results of an early clinical trial indicate. Preliminary evidence also suggests that the vaccine primed the patients' immune systems to attack tumor cells and helped slow the cancer's progression.

1 Dec 2014

Phenotyping human diseases in mice: an interview with Professor Carola Vinuesa

One of the main obstacles to finding effective therapies for human diseases has been our limited understanding of disease pathogenesis: we lack detailed knowledge of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that lead to the development of disease.

30 Nov 2014