Interleukin 6 News and Research

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Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the "IL6" gene. IL-6 is an interleukin that acts as both a pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine. It is secreted by T cells and macrophages to stimulate immune response to trauma, especially burns or other tissue damage leading to inflammation.

Combination produces more proliferative, enduring central memory T cells for cellular therapy

Treating T cells harvested from a patient with a combination of an epigenetic drug and a cytokine while expanding the cells in the lab re-programs them into a stronger T cell type that persists longer than its comrades, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

25 Mar 2020

New understanding of signaling molecule interleukin-2 can guide drug discovery efforts

The signaling molecule interleukin-2 (IL-2) has long been known to have powerful effects on the immune system, but efforts to harness it for therapeutic purposes have been hampered by serious side effects.

17 Mar 2020

Researchers discover a new mechanism of long-lasting pain relief

A group of researchers from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin has discovered a new mechanism of long-lasting pain relief.

16 Mar 2020

Visceral fat gives signal to the brain that damages cognition

Excessive weight around our middle gives our brain's resident immune cells heavy exposure to a signal that turns them against us, setting in motion a crescendo of inflammation that damages cognition, scientists say.

3 Mar 2020

Boosting immune cells to treat eczema

A new drug regimen is reported to have marked benefits in treating the troublesome and distressing skin condition called eczema. The study, published in February 2020 in the journal Science Translational Medicine, shows that boosting the levels of a type of immune cell called natural killer cells can be a more effective way to treat eczema in a mouse study.

27 Feb 2020

Reduced stress associated with changes in plasma metabolite profile

Reduced stress is linked to changes in the profile of plasma metabolites, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows.

25 Feb 2020

Using newly discovered immune cell type to fight pancreatic cancer

Immunotherapy is showing great promise for treating cancer. But so far, this approach has been effective in only about 20% of all cancers. To advance those results, researchers are looking for new ways to mobilize the immune system to destroy tumors.

23 Feb 2020

Researchers identify a protein that aids in colorectal cancer metastasis

A protein that helps colorectal cancer cells spread to other parts of the body could be an effective treatment target.

20 Feb 2020

Study identifies precise receptor chain involved in atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis, a chronic inflammatory disorder, affects some 30 million Americans every year. It is the most common cause of eczema, a condition marked by unbearably itchy, flaky patches of skin.

19 Feb 2020

Mediterranean diet promotes healthy aging with healthier gut microbiome

A new study published online in the journal Gut in February 2020 reports the striking health-promoting effects of switching to a Mediterranean diet for just one year. The results were due to an increase in the health and number of gut bacteria that favor a healthy diet.

17 Feb 2020

Simple blood test measures the body's immune response to improve ovarian cancer diagnosis

Researchers have developed a simple blood test that measures the body's own immune response to improve diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

17 Feb 2020

Novel formulation allows use of toxin from rattlesnake venom to control neuropathic pain

Crotoxin, extracted from the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus, has been studied for almost a century for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities and as an even more powerful muscle paralyzer than botulinum toxin.

16 Feb 2020

Georgia State researcher receives $1.67 million federal grant to study gut immunity

Dr. Tim Denning, professor and associate director of the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University, has received a four-year, $1.67 million federal grant to study how an immunological pathway influences inflammatory signaling in the intestine that can lead to chronic human diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease.

9 Feb 2020

Blood test can be used to gauge a person's risk for cerebral small vessel disease

A UCLA-led study has found that levels of six proteins in the blood can be used to gauge a person's risk for cerebral small vessel disease, or CSVD, a brain disease that affects an estimated 11 million older adults in the U.S. CSVD can lead to dementia and stroke, but currently it can only be diagnosed with an MRI scan of the brain.

3 Feb 2020

New combination treatment could help fight advanced melanoma

A study by researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center suggests that using an immunotherapy drug called NKTR-214, also known as bempegaldesleukin, in combination with an infusion of anti-tumor immune cells, or T cells, may produce a stronger immune response that could help fight advanced melanoma.

31 Jan 2020

A new study reveals the secrets of mucus production that could be applied to cancer biology

The cells that produce mucus are known to be involved in serious health conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and even cancer.

31 Jan 2020

Study reveals how the gut's protective mechanisms ramp up with food intake

A new study has revealed how the gut's protective mechanisms ramp up significantly with food intake, and at times of the day when mealtimes are anticipated based on regular eating habits.

29 Jan 2020

Interleukin-1-beta-induced chronic inflammation promotes lung cancer metastasis

The study reveals a detailed epigenetic mechanism for how interleukin-1-beta, a common cytokine that helps fight infections during inflammation, plays a critical role in cancer metastasis.

29 Jan 2020

Specific gut microbes have the capacity to affect normal skeletal growth and maturation

Microbes are often seen as pathogens that cause disease, but the picture is actually more complex than that limited view.

28 Jan 2020

Breakthrough discovery could lead to more effective immunotherapies

Scientists at UCL have discovered how immune cells, essential for tackling life-threatening infections and cancers, are able to 'recycle' material within themselves in order to stay healthy and function, a breakthrough finding which could lead to more effective immunotherapies.

21 Jan 2020