Immune System News and Research

RSS

Researchers identify subgroups of B cells in MYC-positive germinal centers

Germinal centers are sites in the organs of the lymphatic system, formed during the course of an immune response to infection, where B cells intensely proliferate and modify their DNA in order to produce antibodies specific for the pathogen. However, it is known that the vast majority of lymphomas derive from the B cells at the germinal centers.

24 Sep 2012

Latest research on stem cells discussed at Einstein symposium

The promise of stem cells seems limitless. If they can be coaxed into rebuilding organs, repairing damaged spinal cords and restoring ravaged immune systems, these malleable cells would revolutionize medical treatment. But stem cell research is still in its infancy, as scientists seek to better understand the role of these cells in normal human development and disease.

24 Sep 2012

Natural killer cells may influence lung cancer susceptibility

Why do many heavy smokers evade lung cancer while others who have never lit up die of the disease? The question has vexed scientists for decades.

24 Sep 2012

Newly discovered Eilat virus harmless and potentially valuable

A mosquito sample collected three decades ago in Israel's Negev Desert has yielded an unexpected discovery: a previously unknown virus that's closely related to some of the world's most dangerous mosquito-borne pathogens but, curiously, incapable of infecting non-insect hosts.

24 Sep 2012

Thomson Reuters names Sanford-Burnham cancer researcher among 2012 Citation Laureates

Thomson Reuters has selected Erkki Ruoslahti, M.D., Ph.D., cancer researcher and distinguished professor at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham), as one of its 2012 Citation Laureates. Citation Laureates are scientists that Thomson Reuters has predicted to win the Nobel Prize.

24 Sep 2012

What moms eat before pregnancy affects children epigenetically

Everyone knows that what mom eats when pregnant makes a huge difference in the health of her child. Now, new research in mice suggests that what she ate before pregnancy might be important too. According to a new research report published online in The FASEB Journal, what a group of female mice ate-before pregnancy-chemically altered their DNA and these changes were passed to her offspring. These DNA alterations, called "epigenetic" changes, drastically affected the pups' metabolism of many essential fatty acids.

21 Sep 2012

Adult stem cell therapy may benefit COPD patients

New developments in regenerative medicine are bringing about exciting, novel approaches to create therapies for hard to treat diseases. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a hard to treat disorder that progressively blocks airflow in the lungs making it increasingly difficult for an individual to breathe, and is one of the leading illnesses in the US. Yet, current treatments for COPD can only try to limit the extent of damage to the lungs, and to bring some relief from symptoms.

21 Sep 2012

Investigators identify two promising therapies to treat patients with acute megakaryocytic leukemia

Investigators at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have identified two promising therapies to treat patients with acute megakaryocytic leukemia (AMKL), a rare form of leukemia where the number of cases is expected to increase with the aging population.

21 Sep 2012

Cedars-Sinai neurologist to study MS-related depression

Living every day with a life-changing illness is discouraging enough, but Maryam Hosseinzadeh is one of 400,000 people in the United States battling multiple sclerosis, a disorder that by changing the brain's makeup appears capable of generating the secondary ill of depression.

21 Sep 2012

Caltech biologists gain new insight into migrating cells

At any given moment, millions of cells are on the move in the human body, typically on their way to aid in immune response, make repairs, or provide some other benefit to the structures around them. When the migration process goes wrong, however, the results can include tumor formation and metastatic cancer. Little has been known about how cell migration actually works, but now, with the help of some tiny worms, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have gained new insight into this highly complex task.

21 Sep 2012

Hypertonic solution effective in reducing inflammation

Research carried out at The University of Manchester has found further evidence that a simple solution, which is already used in IV drips, is an effective treatment for reducing inflammation.

From The University of Manchester 21 Sep 2012

Gum disease bacteria linked to pancreatic cancer risk

People with high levels of antibodies to bacteria linked to periodontal disease have an increased risk for pancreatic cancer, while the risk is reduced in those with increased antibodies to oral commensal bacteria, say researchers.

20 Sep 2012

Lund University professor to coordinate oral insulin study for type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is the autoimmune form of diabetes, in which the patients' insulin-producing beta cells are destroyed by their own immune system. "We know that if a person has two autoantibodies and one of them is against insulin, there is a 50 per cent risk that they will develop type 1 diabetes within five years. It doesn't matter how old you are", says Ake Lernmark, Professor of Experimental Diabetes Research at Lund University in Sweden.

20 Sep 2012