Immune System News and Research

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Gold nanoparticles for rapid, accurate diagnosis of flu

Arriving at a rapid and accurate diagnosis is critical during flu outbreaks, but until now, physicians and public health officials have had to choose between a highly accurate yet time-consuming test or a rapid but error-prone test.

4 Aug 2011

Aggressive medication leads to growth of drug-resistant pathogens

New research raises troubling concerns about the use of aggressive drug therapies to treat a wide range of diseases such as MRSA, C. difficile, malaria, and even cancer.

4 Aug 2011

New research highlights urgent need to develop specific guidelines for HIV-infected children

Children with HIV have persistently high levels of cholesterol and other lipids during treatment with antiretroviral medications, according to a pair of studies in JAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.

4 Aug 2011

NIH, NanoBio sign licensing agreement to develop vaccine against RSV infections

NanoBio Corporation today announced a licensing agreement with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that represents a significant step forward in developing the first vaccine to protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections.

4 Aug 2011

ImmunoCellular receives new patent for ICT-69 to treat multiple myeloma, ovarian cancer

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd., a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel immune-based cancer therapies, announced the issuance of a patent in France and the United Kingdom relating to the treatment and detection of multiple myeloma and ovarian cancer.

4 Aug 2011

Instituto Bioclon receives FDA approval for Anascorp to treat Centruroides scorpion sting

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Anascorp, the first specific treatment for a scorpion sting by Centruroides scorpions in the United States.

4 Aug 2011

36 million pounds of ground turkey recalled due to Salmonella

Meat manufacturer Cargill Inc. is recalling nearly 36 million pounds of ground turkey linked to a California death and at least 78 other salmonella illnesses nationwide, company officials said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the Class I recall, with the highest health risk, late Wednesday. All of the recalled products were produced at the company's Springdale, Ark., plant.

4 Aug 2011

Study finds HIV epidemics emerging in the Middle East and North Africa among gays

HIV epidemics are emerging in several countries in the Middle East and North Africa among men who have sex with men, a term that encompasses gay, non-gay identified homosexual men, and transgendered and bisexual men.

3 Aug 2011

Celldex second quarter net loss increases to $10.2 million

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2011. Celldex reported a net loss of $10.2 million, or $0.27 per share, for the second quarter of 2011 compared to a net loss of $9.5 million, or $0.30 per share, for the second quarter of 2010.

3 Aug 2011

Double-lung transplant survivor stays busy since retirement

Fewer than half of lung transplant patients survive for five years. But nearly 14 years after receiving a double-lung transplant at Loyola University Medical Center, Damian Neuberger's lungs continue to function normally. He breathes easily while walking four or five miles a day.

3 Aug 2011

Study evaluates humor and laughter in patients with COPD

Having a sense of humor is associated with improved emotional functioning and an enhanced quality of life among patients with a chronic lung illness, but the actual act of laughing out loud can reduce lung function, at least in the short term, research suggests.

3 Aug 2011

New alternative to immunosuppressive treatment after kidney transplants without severe side effects

There is now a new alternative to immunosuppressive treatment after kidney transplants which comes without the usual severe side effects. The Medical University was significantly involved in the clinical development of the active ingredient Belatacept and a suitable preparation has now been given EU-wide authorisation.

3 Aug 2011

Needle-free nanopatch vaccine delivery system

The needle-free nanopatch vaccine delivery system is coming soon after a consortium of investors put up $15 million for its development. The money will enable University of Queensland's Professor Mark Kendall to continue his work on the technology. It is described as the biggest breakthrough in vaccine delivery since the invention of the syringe more than 150 years ago.

3 Aug 2011

Antibody discovery leads researchers one step closer to universal influenza A vaccine

"The first human antibody that can knock out all influenza A viruses has been shown effective in lab mice, an exciting step forward in the hunt for a universal vaccine, researchers said Friday," Agence France-Presse reports.

2 Aug 2011

Azithromycin may predispose cystic fibrosis patients to mycobacterial infection

Azithromycin is an antibiotic that also has antiinflammatory properties. It is these antiinflammatory properties that are thought to account for the improvement in clinical outcome observed when patients with chronic lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis are treated long-term with azithromycin.

2 Aug 2011

Lack of TLR1 surface expression linked with increased susceptibility to tuberculosis

Are you genetically predisposed to tuberculosis? Scientists may now be able to answer this question and doctors may be able to adjust their therapeutic approach based on what they learn. That's because new research presented in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that two frequent mutations in an immune system gene called TLR1 are responsible for cellular changes that ultimately make us less likely to resist the disease.

2 Aug 2011

New liquid material shows promise for people with facial deformities

Biomedical engineers at Johns Hopkins have developed a new liquid material that in early experiments in rats and humans shows promise in restoring damaged soft tissue relatively safely and durably.

2 Aug 2011

Pregnancy and electromagnetic fields linked to asthma in kids

According to American researchers, children whose mothers had high exposure to electromagnetic fields while pregnant may have an increased risk of developing asthma. Many prior studies have failed to consistently show that chronic exposure to electromagnetic fields - from power lines and appliances such as microwaves ovens, hair dryers and vacuum cleaners - are harmful to human health.

1 Aug 2011

DHA during pregnancy prevents colds in babies: Study

A new study suggests that pregnant mothers who take DHA supplements with the intent of boosting their babies' brains are also giving them some added protection against common colds.

1 Aug 2011

Femta files IND with FDA for FM101 monoclonal antibody against RA

Femta Pharmaceuticals announced today that it has submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate a clinical development program for FM101, a high-affinity, humanized monoclonal antibody against Interleukin-6 (IL-6), in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

1 Aug 2011