Interleukin 2 News and Research

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Newly published manuscripts enhance understanding of the immune system

MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, today announced that it has achieved a significant scientific milestone by publishing three manuscripts in Nature Immunology that advance the understanding of the immune system and highlight underlying mechanisms in two little-understood disease areas -- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

26 Apr 2016

Blocking IL-1 signalling molecule could alleviate asthma symptoms

Scientists have made a discovery that could lead to improved treatment for asthma sufferers.They have found that blocking a certain signalling molecule can alleviate symptoms such as mucus production, swelling (edema), and constriction of the airways in the lungs.

21 Apr 2016

LAP defects may lead to lupus-like autoimmune disorder

A casual observation about size differences in mice has led to the discovery that defects in a process for digesting dead cells called LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP) may lead to a lupus-like autoimmune disorder. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists led the research, which appears as an advance online publication today in the scientific journal Nature.

21 Apr 2016

Pre-TKI cytokine profiling predicts CP-CML outcome

Measuring levels of transforming growth factor-α and interleukin-6 may help identify patients with newly diagnosed chronic phase-chronic myeloid leukaemia at risk of a poor outcome from tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy, research suggests.

20 Apr 2016

Cigarette smoking, viral infections may reduce effectiveness of COPD symptom-reliever medication

New study backs up observations in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients showing reduced effectiveness of symptom-reliever medication (β2-adrenoceptor agonists) in flare-ups linked to cigarette smoking and infection with viruses such as influenza.

11 Apr 2016

Baricitinib drug shows significant success in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

In a clinical phase-3-study, an international research cooperation of MedUni Vienna and Stanford University has achieved significant success with the drug Baricitinib for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The test persons exhibited significantly less symptoms of the disorder. The results are now published in the top scientific journal "New England Journal of Medicine".

31 Mar 2016

LMU-led researchers define previously unknown signaling pathway that triggers inflammation

Using a combination of newly developed methods, researchers led by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich immunologist Veit Hornung have defined a previously unknown pathway that triggers inflammation.

31 Mar 2016

Oral administration of cyclotide may improve symptoms of multiple sclerosis

MedUni Vienna has made a crucial development in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Together with his team and the research group led by Gernot Schabbauer, international partners from Australia, Germany and Sweden, Christian Gruber, Chief Researcher at the Center for Physiology and Pharmacology has demonstrated in an animal model that, following treatment with a specially synthesized plant peptide (cyclotide), there is no further progression of the usual clinical signs of multiple sclerosis.

29 Mar 2016

Cinqair (reslizumab) approved for treatment of severe asthma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Cinqair (reslizumab) for use with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of severe asthma in patients aged 18 years and older. Cinqair is approved for patients who have a history of severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) despite receiving their current asthma medicines.

23 Mar 2016

Targeted therapies suppress T cell activity that could actually help fight tumors

In many cases, targeted therapies for cancer are preferred as treatments over chemotherapy and surgery because they attack and kill cancer cells with specific tumor-promoting mutations while sparing healthy, normal cells that do not express these mutations.

23 Mar 2016

Immunoproteasome inhibits repair function of alveolar macrophages

Scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum München, a partner in the German Center for Lung Research, have observed that the immunoproteasome inhibits the repair function of alveolar macrophages.

22 Mar 2016

Biomarkers may provide novel approaches to monitoring immunosuppressive therapy in organ transplant patients

Recently discovered biomarkers may provide valuable new approaches to monitoring immunosuppressive drug therapy in organ transplant recipients--with the potential for individualized therapy to reduce organ rejection and minimize side effects, according to a special article in the April issue of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, official journal of the International Association of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Clinical Toxicology.

17 Mar 2016

Kanazawa University researchers identify molecular mechanism that links liver disease and obesity

Kanazawa University researchers find similarities in the impeded signalling between central insulin activity and glucose production in the liver for both obese mice and mice that have had the vagus nerve removed.

16 Mar 2016

Southampton researchers explore ADAM33 gene's association with asthma, airway 'twitchiness'

Researchers at the University of Southampton are to study why some people are more likely to develop asthma.

11 Mar 2016

PAH role proposed for left heart failure biomarker

Levels of galectin-3 are elevated in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and correlate with disease severity, research shows.

10 Mar 2016

HIV-positive individuals in Africa with certain genetic variant have lower chance of developing TB

In the first known discovery of its kind, a Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine-led team has found that HIV patients in Africa with a certain genetic variant have a 63-percent lower chance of developing tuberculosis than HIV patients without the genetic variant.

10 Mar 2016

Metabolic syndrome treatment benefits MS patients

Oral antidiabetic medications have beneficial anti-inflammatory effects in patients with multiple sclerosis and metabolic syndrome, providing support for a link between metabolism and autoimmunity, researchers report.

9 Mar 2016

Protein p62 acts as molecular brake to keep inflammation in check, avoid collateral damage

Inflammation is a Catch-22: the body needs it to eliminate invasive organisms and foreign irritants, but excessive inflammation can harm healthy cells, contributing to aging and sometimes leading to organ failure and death. Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that a protein known as p62 acts as a molecular brake to keep inflammation in check and avoid collateral damage.

26 Feb 2016

Study provides window into the brain changes that link mindfulness meditation with health-related benefits

Over the past decade, mindfulness meditation has been shown to improve a broad range of health and disease outcomes, such as slowing HIV progression and improving healthy aging. Yet, little is known about the brain changes that produce these beneficial health effects.

5 Feb 2016

Certain viral infections during pregnancy could cause behavioral changes in offspring

A study published in the journal Science found that activation in pregnant mice of a particular immune response, similar to what may occur with certain viral infections during pregnancy, alters the brain structure of the mouse offspring and causes behavioral changes, reminiscent of those observed in humans with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

30 Jan 2016