Autoimmune Disease News and Research

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Autoimmune Disease is a condition in which the body recognizes its own tissues as foreign and directs an immune response against them.

Ophthalmology professor receives $60,000 RPB award to research Sjogren's syndrome

Hui Shao, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, has received a $60,000 Lew R. Wasserman Merit Award from the Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) organization. The grant will help fund Shao's research of Sjogren's syndrome, a chronic autoimmune disease that targets the salivary and lacrimal glands - the glands that produce saliva and tears, respectively - resulting in dry mouth and dry eye symptoms.

13 Jul 2010

TLR7, TLR9 proteins could be culprit behind lupus patients' resistance to steroid treatments: Scientists

Two immune system proteins could be the culprit behind many lupus patients' resistance to widely used steroid treatments, scientists with the Baylor Research Institute in Dallas announced today. It is estimated that more than 5 million people suffer from lupus worldwide.

13 Jul 2010

WSBI, University of Colorado sign licensing agreement for TCISM targets

Western States Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company focusing on the development of novel therapies to treat inflammatory disease, and the University of Colorado announced today that they have entered into a licensing agreement for approaches to inhibiting newly discovered T cell Cytokine Inducing Surface Molecules, or TCISM autoimmune disease drug discovery targets.

8 Jul 2010

Research findings link some autoimmune disorders with cancer

Patients with a certain type of scleroderma may get cancer and scleroderma simultaneously, Johns Hopkins researchers have found, suggesting that in some diseases, autoimmunity and cancer may be linked.

8 Jul 2010

NIH awards $2.8M grant for development of diagnostic multiplex testing platform with BMB technology

Applied BioCode, Inc. and Maxwell Sensors Inc. announced today that they have received a $2.8M three-year grant from the Recovery Act Limited Competition: National Institutes of Health (NIH), for the development of a high throughput diagnostic multiplex testing platform using their Barcoded Magnetic Beads (BMB) technology for various high value immunodiagnostics and molecular diagnostic tests.

7 Jul 2010

Nearly 60% of Ontarians with rheumatoid arthritis fail to receive needed care from specialists: Study

Nearly 60 per cent of Ontarians with rheumatoid arthritis - an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints - were not seen by a specialist within a one year period to treat the debilitating disease, according to a new study. Even more concerning is that women of child-bearing age are less likely to see a specialist than women 45 or older, say researchers from St. Michael's Hospital, the Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences, and Women's College Hospital

7 Jul 2010

European Commission approves new indication for ORENCIA in combination with MTX for RA

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company has today announced that on 1 July 2010 the European Commission approved a new indication for ORENCIA® (abatacept), in combination with methotrexate (MTX), for the treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adult patients who have responded inadequately to previous therapy with one or more disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) including MTX or a TNF-alpha inhibitor.

7 Jul 2010

Perseid Therapeutics achieves second milestone for CTLA4-Ig therapeutics

Maxygen, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the development of improved protein drugs, today announced that its majority-owned subsidiary, Perseid Therapeutics LLC, achieved a second preclinical milestone under its collaboration with Astellas Pharma Inc. to co-develop and commercialize next-generation CTLA4-Ig therapeutics.

7 Jul 2010

PIKAMAB secures exclusive rights to issued U.S. patent from UABRF

PIKAMAB, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in stratified medicine, announced today that it has secured exclusive rights to an issued U.S. patent (US 6,986,987) from the UAB Research Foundation. This patent pertains to the discovery that the functional polymorphism (Ser/Gly248) in the cytoplasmic domain of Fc alpha receptor determines the proinflammatory potential of serum IgA autoantibodies through cell signaling and production of cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-1β in an allele-dependent manner.

1 Jul 2010

Twelve residents receive one-year fellowship grant to study medical dermatology

Twelve dermatology residents from leading medical schools around the country each received a $40,000, one-year fellowship grant to study medical dermatology. The fellowships, awarded by the National Psoriasis Foundation, provide support to eligible institutions to develop and enhance opportunities for physicians training for careers in medical dermatology.

1 Jul 2010

ERC awards VIB-K.U.Leuven scientists 3 million euros in research grants

VIB landed two research grants worth 1.5 million euros each. The prestigious grants are courtesy of the European Research Council (ERC) and are aimed at giving talented young scientists the opportunity to develop their own research team. The honor fell to Adrian Liston and Patrik Verstreken, both recently transferred to VIB-K.U.Leuven from abroad.

30 Jun 2010

Individual cells react differently to complex signals: Study

Using new technology that allows scientists to monitor how individual cells react in the complex system of cell signaling, Stanford University researchers have uncovered a much larger spectrum of differences between each cell than ever seen before.

29 Jun 2010

Study implicates cytokine molecule IL-17 in low back pain associated with herniated discs

An immune cell known to cause chronic inflammation in autoimmune disorders has been identified as a possible culprit in low back pain associated with herniated discs, according to doctors at Duke University Medical Center.

29 Jun 2010

Artificial pancreas holds promise for treating Type 1 diabetes

Shawna Wood would like nothing better than to go back to bed for another 24 hours of perfect blood sugar control. The 50-year old Wilsonville, Ore. woman has Type 1 diabetes, and she recently took part in a clinical trial of an automated replacement for her pancreas, which stopped producing insulin 9 years ago.

29 Jun 2010

Avila's AVL-292 demonstrates disease-modifying effects in prophylactic, therapeutic models of rheumatoid arthritis

Avila Therapeutics™, Inc., a biotechnology company developing targeted covalent drugs that treat diseases through protein silencing, today announced results of preclinical studies demonstrating that its clinical candidate, AVL-292, potently inhibits B cell receptor signaling, and demonstrates efficacy in a rodent model of rheumatoid arthritis. These new data were presented Saturday, June 26, 2010 at the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) 2010 annual meeting in Boston, MA.

29 Jun 2010

UB study: Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange are more likely to develop Graves' disease

Vietnam War-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange appear to have significantly more Graves' disease, a thyroid disorder, than veterans with no exposure, a new study by endocrinologists at the University at Buffalo has shown.

29 Jun 2010

Tolerx initiates confirmatory Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate otelixizumab in new-onset type 1 diabetes

Tolerx, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies to treat autoimmune diseases and cancer by modulating T cell activity, today announced the initiation of a confirmatory Phase 3 clinical trial to further evaluate otelixizumab in autoimmune new-onset type 1 diabetes. The confirmatory Phase 3 clinical trial is called DEFEND-2 (Durable-Response Therapy Evaluation For Early or New-Onset Type 1 Diabetes) and immediately follows successful completion of enrollment in the initial Phase 3 clinical trial, DEFEND-1, with results from DEFEND-1 expected in the first half of 2011.

28 Jun 2010

Additional results from BLISS-76 Phase 3 trial of BENLYSTA presented at International Congress on SLE

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. today announced the presentation of additional results from BLISS-76, one of two pivotal Phase 3 trials of BENLYSTA (belimumab) in seropositive patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The additional data will be presented in Vancouver at the 9th International Congress on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus on Friday and Saturday, June 25-26.

28 Jun 2010

Research provides hope and encouragement to people living with lupus

Research presented during the 9th International Lupus Congress held in Vancouver, Canada from June 24-27, 2010 should give hope and encouragement for the future of the treatment and management of lupus to the 1.5 million Americans and 5 million people worldwide living with lupus. In recent years, there have been significant advances made in many areas of lupus research including the development of new treatments, adult stem cell transplantation, genetics, lupus-related cardiovascular disease, and quality of life issues for people with lupus.

25 Jun 2010

Researchers uncover association between free radical-mediated reactions and progression of SLE

University of Texas Medical Branch researchers have uncovered an association between free radical-mediated reactions and the severity and progression of system lupus erythematosus. Higher levels of oxidative and nitrosative stress markers were found in SLE patients with greater disease activity suggesting a causal relationship. Full findings of the study are available in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.

25 Jun 2010

Autoimmune Disease News and Research

Further Reading

Ophthalmology professor receives $60,000 RPB award to research Sjogren's syndrome

TLR7, TLR9 proteins could be culprit behind lupus patients' resistance to steroid treatments: Scientists

WSBI, University of Colorado sign licensing agreement for TCISM targets

Research findings link some autoimmune disorders with cancer

NIH awards $2.8M grant for development of diagnostic multiplex testing platform with BMB technology

Nearly 60% of Ontarians with rheumatoid arthritis fail to receive needed care from specialists: Study

European Commission approves new indication for ORENCIA in combination with MTX for RA

Perseid Therapeutics achieves second milestone for CTLA4-Ig therapeutics

PIKAMAB secures exclusive rights to issued U.S. patent from UABRF

Twelve residents receive one-year fellowship grant to study medical dermatology

ERC awards VIB-K.U.Leuven scientists 3 million euros in research grants

Individual cells react differently to complex signals: Study

Study implicates cytokine molecule IL-17 in low back pain associated with herniated discs

Artificial pancreas holds promise for treating Type 1 diabetes

Avila's AVL-292 demonstrates disease-modifying effects in prophylactic, therapeutic models of rheumatoid arthritis

UB study: Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange are more likely to develop Graves' disease

Tolerx initiates confirmatory Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate otelixizumab in new-onset type 1 diabetes

Additional results from BLISS-76 Phase 3 trial of BENLYSTA presented at International Congress on SLE

Research provides hope and encouragement to people living with lupus

Researchers uncover association between free radical-mediated reactions and progression of SLE

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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