Immune System News and Research

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Imaxio awarded ANR funding to improve efficacy of vaccines for seasonal influenza

Imaxio, a biopharmaceutical company specialized in vaccines, today announces that it has been awarded funding of EUR 600,000 (USD 772,000) by the French National Research Agency (Agence Nationale de la Recherche, ANR) for the OPTIVAC project 'leveraging On t-cell immune resPonse To Improve influenza VACcines'.

28 Oct 2014

Bortezomib drug effective against chronic GVHD

Researchers at UC Davis have found that the drug bortezomib effectively treats chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a common and debilitating side effect from allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants.

27 Oct 2014

Salk Institute scientists identify promising target for HIV/AIDS treatment

Like a slumbering dragon, HIV can lay dormant in a person's cells for years, evading medical treatments only to wake up and strike at a later time, quickly replicating itself and destroying the immune system.

27 Oct 2014

Virginia Tech professor developing vaccine that could help smokers overcome nicotine addiction

A Virginia Tech professor is working on a vaccine that could help smokers conquer their nicotine addiction, making many smoking-related diseases and deaths relics of the 21st century.

27 Oct 2014

Research could pave way for more effective drugs to treat inflammation

Six Case Western Reserve scientists are part of an international team that has discovered two compounds that show promise in decreasing inflammation associated with diseases such as ulcerative colitis, arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

25 Oct 2014

Growth factor boosts natural defence against auto-immune diseases

Our immune system defends us from harmful bacteria and viruses, but, if left unchecked, the cells that destroy those invaders can turn on the body itself, causing auto-immune diseases like type-1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis. A molecule called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) boosts the body's natural defence against this 'friendly fire', scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Monterotondo, Italy, have found.

25 Oct 2014

Medicinal plant market goes untested for health hazards, shows study

Medicinal plant market goes untested for health hazards, according to a recent study published in journal Fungal Biology

24 Oct 2014

MIT researchers develop new way to model effects of cancer-causing genetic mutations

Sequencing the genomes of tumor cells has revealed thousands of genetic mutations linked with cancer. However, sifting through this deluge of information to figure out which of these mutations actually drive cancer growth has proven to be a tedious, time-consuming process.

24 Oct 2014

Aseptika launches Contactless Thermometer and Pulse Oximeter

With the winter flu and cold season almost upon us we can stock up and take some steps to prepare at home for this eventuality. Having a flu jab, eating well, getting lots of exercise and sleep, and maintain good personal hygiene all help in preventing flu and colds.

23 Oct 2014

New test could help physicians predict people who are at early stages of sepsis

A new test, developed by University of British Columbia researchers, could help physicians predict within an hour if a patient will develop severe sepsis so they can begin treatment immediately.

23 Oct 2014

Human trial of second investigational Ebola vaccine candidate under way

Human testing of a second investigational Ebola vaccine candidate is under way at the National Institutes of Health's Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

23 Oct 2014

Novel approach may help detect invasive aspergillosis

Many different microbes can cause pneumonia, and treatment may be delayed or off target if doctors cannot tell which bug is the culprit. A novel approach—analyzing a patient's breath for key chemical compounds made by the infecting microbe—may help detect invasive aspergillosis, a fungal infection that is a leading cause of mortality in patients with compromised immune systems, according to a proof-of-concept study now online in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

23 Oct 2014

Innovative treatment option for children with plastic bronchitis

A case study published recently in the journal Pediatrics describes an innovative, minimally invasive procedure that treated plastic bronchitis, a potentially life-threatening disease, in a six-year-old boy with a heart condition. Using new lymphatic imaging tools and catheterization techniques, physician-researchers eliminated bronchial casts, which are an accumulation of lymphatic material that clogged the child's airway.

22 Oct 2014

Crown Bioscience announces U.S. expansion with new translational oncology center

Crown Bioscience, Inc., a leading global drug discovery and development service company, has announced the opening of the Crown Bioscience US Research Center to be located at the David H. Murdock Research Institute (DHMRI), in Kannapolis, N.C. The new center, which will open in the 3rd quarter of 2014, represents significant U.S. market expansion for Crown.

21 Oct 2014

Research: MHCI protein moonlights in nervous system to regulate synapses

When it comes to the brain, "more is better" seems like an obvious assumption. But in the case of synapses, which are the connections between brain cells, too many or too few can both disrupt brain function.

21 Oct 2014

YEDA and XL-protein sign deal to commercialize PASylated IFN superagonis

YEDA Research and Development Company Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, and XL-protein GmbH, Germany, a privately owned biopharmaceutical company, have signed a business collaboration agreement to commercialize a PASylated interferon superagonist -- PAS-YNSα8 -- which has been jointly developed by scientists at the Weizmann Institute and XL-protein.

21 Oct 2014

Couple renews multi-million dollar commitment to screen newborn babies for SCID disorders

Frustrated with the slow pace of implementation of Newborn Screening for Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID), Vicki and Fred Modell renewed a multi-million dollar commitment to screen every baby born in every state for this life threatening condition, often referred to as "Bubble Boy" disease.

21 Oct 2014

Flu vaccines have protective effect against heart disease

Flu vaccines are known to have a protective effect against heart disease, reducing the risk of a heart attack. For the first time, this research, published in Vaccine, reveals the molecular mechanism that underpins this phenomenon. The scientists behind the study say it could be harnessed to prevent heart disease directly.

21 Oct 2014

Study reveals that people with stress-related inflammation may suffer from depression

Preexisting differences in the sensitivity of a key part of each individual's immune system to stress confer a greater risk of developing stress-related depression or anxiety, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published October 20 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

21 Oct 2014

Infection with herpes simplex virus increases Alzheimer's risk

Infection with herpes simplex virus increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, claim this in two studies in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia.

20 Oct 2014