Immune System News and Research

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Childhood poverty, demographics associated with DNA methylation patterns

A University of British Columbia and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics (CMMT) study has revealed that childhood poverty, stress as an adult, and demographics such as age, sex and ethnicity, all leave an imprint on a person's genes. And, that this imprint could play a role in our immune response.

20 Oct 2012

Study identifies critical contributors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Results of one study indicate that the risk for developing pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia increased the longer a baby was fed formula and the longer solid foods were delayed.

20 Oct 2012

Novel therapy that uses human stool is safe and highly effective in treating C.diff infection

A novel therapy that uses donated human stool to treat the deadly and contagious C.diff infection is safe and highly effective, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.

20 Oct 2012

Study describes design and effectiveness of NIR responsive gold nanorods for chemotherapy

Excitement around the potential for targeted nanoparticles (NPs) that can be controlled by stimulus outside of the body for cancer therapy has been growing over the past few years. More specifically, there has been considerable attention around near-infrared (NIR) light as an ideal method to stimulate nanoparticles from outside the body.

19 Oct 2012

Weill Cornell Medical College researcher wins 2012 William B. Coley Award

Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College and provost for medical affairs of Cornell University, is a winner of the 2012 William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic Immunology from the Cancer Research Institute for her outstanding achievements in immunology and cancer research.

19 Oct 2012

Lupus investigators receive LRI's first $1 million research grants

The Lupus Research Institute (LRI) today announced the first $1 million research grants given to lupus investigators by a private research organization.

19 Oct 2012

Quick, cheap eye scan can predict brain damage in people with multiple sclerosis

An inexpensive, five-minute eye scan can accurately assess the amount of brain damage in people with the debilitating autoimmune disorder multiple sclerosis (MS), and offer clues about how quickly the disease is progressing, according to results of two Johns Hopkins studies.

19 Oct 2012

Research to determine how genes contribute to Type 1 diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic, debilitating disease which affects nearly 26 million Americans. As many as three million people have Type 1 diabetes or juvenile diabetes that usually occurs in children or young adults.

19 Oct 2012

Ustekinumab shows positive results in decreasing debilitating effects of Crohn's Disease

Ustekinumab, an antibody proven to treat the skin condition psoriasis, has now shown positive results in decreasing the debilitating effects of Crohn's Disease, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine.

18 Oct 2012

Research may lead to new ways to identify women with breast cancer risks from low-dose radiation

Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have identified tissue mechanisms that may influence a woman's susceptibility or resistance to breast cancer after exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation, such as the levels used in full-body CT scans and radiotherapy.

18 Oct 2012

Longer period of formula feeding may increase ALL risk

Prolonged formula feeding and older age at introduction of solid foods may increase a child’s risk for developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia, suggests research.

18 Oct 2012

Cytokine levels altered in FEP, schizophrenia patients

Levels of certain cytokines are altered in patients with first-episode psychosis and patients with schizophrenia, research shows.

17 Oct 2012

HIV infection has been major driver of anal cancer burden

Rising rates of anal cancer among men in the USA have been heavily influenced by the HIV epidemic since the 1980s, a study shows.

17 Oct 2012

UMass professor receives $1 million LRI grant for lupus research

The Lupus Research Institute (LRI) has named University of Massachusetts Medical School Professor of Medicine Ann Marshak-Rothstein, MD, one of two recipients of the first LRI Distinguished Innovator Awards.

17 Oct 2012

LRRK2 inhibitors may provide neuroprotection for patients with Parkinson's

For decades, patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have had the same experience. Their hands start to shake uncontrollably, their limbs become rigid and they lose their balance. Years before those movement problems set in, many begin struggling with fainting, incontinence, sexual dysfunction, anxiety and depression. Many patients are still treated with a 42-year-old drug called L-DOPA, which temporarily staves off symptoms but can itself cause heart arrhythmias, stomach bleeding and hallucinations.

16 Oct 2012

Gravity changes affect immune system development

New research findings recently published in The FASEB Journal, show that immune system development is affected by gravity changes, as reported by researchers from the University of Lorraine and University of Luxembourg. Astronauts are exposed to stresses, during launch and landing, which disrupts their body's natural defenses against infection. Changes to the immune system need to be investigated before astronauts undergo longer space missions.

16 Oct 2012