Beta Interferon News and Research

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GG genotype may increase severity of multiple sclerosis symptoms: Study

A new study shows a gene variant may increase the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. The research will be published in the August 3, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.For the study, researchers screened the oligoadenylate synthetase gene in 401 people with MS, 394 people without MS and 178 people receiving the MS treatment beta interferon.

3 Aug 2010

Researchers decipher how mast cells set immune defense on right track

In the event of an infection, the immune system releases messenger substances. These molecules can either activate immune cells to defeat invading pathogens, or inhibit them to prevent an excessive immune reaction. For this, the immune system has to decide very quickly what mixture of activating and inhibiting messenger molecules leads to a successful defence.

8 Jun 2010

Tel Aviv scientist uncovers a new way of detecting multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an equal opportunity destroyer. It attacks the central nervous system and eventually renders most patients disabled. Among its high-profile victims are celebrated cellist Jacqueline du Pre, whose career was ended by MS, and Joan Didion, one of America's greatest writers - but they are far from alone.

30 Apr 2010

Messenger substance plays significant role in viral diseases and reactions to infections

The connection with the blood circulatory system is a significant step in the development of cancer. Within the tissue where it is growing, the tumour develops an independent existence. With signal substances it entices white blood cells from the bone marrow into the tumour tissue.

6 Apr 2010

Study suggests two distinct versions of multiple sclerosis

There may be two distinct versions of multiple sclerosis, a study in both animal models and human blood samples suggests. What's more, a patient's responsiveness to the most popular first-line drug for this episodic and all-too-often recurring autoimmune condition seems to depend on which version that patient has.

30 Mar 2010

CHMP positive opinion for marketing ELONVA in Europe

PROLOR Biotech, Inc., today noted the positive opinion by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency for marketing approval in Europe for ELONVA(R), a long-acting CTP-modified version of the fertility hormone FSH from Merck & Co. Merck and PROLOR are both licensees of the CTP technology from Washington University in St. Louis.

25 Nov 2009

Researchers decipher special role of the messenger Beta-interferon for immune responses

Researchers from the Molecular Immunology group at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, Germany have now shown that Beta-Interferon also plays a crucial role during an immune response: without Beta-Interferon immune cells are unable to show "wanted posters" of pathogens to other cells.

20 Jul 2009

Leukaemia drug may reverse multiple sclerosis brain damage

Scientists in Britain say a drug which was developed to treat leukaemia may also be a powerful new weapon against multiple sclerosis (MS).

23 Oct 2008

Atorvastatin could prove an effective therapy for multiple sclerosis

Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco and Stanford University Medical Center are reporting compelling new evidence that the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin could prove an effective therapy for preventing the progression of, and reversing the severity of, multiple sclerosis (MS).

20 Mar 2006

Evidence showing treatment benefits of beta interferon for multiple sclerosis

Results of a European study in this week’s issue of THE LANCET provide further evidence that patients with early symptoms of multiple sclerosis given a weekly injection with interferon beta are less likely to progress to full clinical disease after two years follow-up.

21 Oct 2004

A trial of beta-interferon-1a in inclusion-body myositis has failed to find benefit from the drug in this disease

A trial of beta-interferon-1a in inclusion-body myositis (IBM) has failed to find benefit from the drug in this disease. Beta-interferons counteract some of the activities of the immune system, which some experts believe is misguided in IBM.

5 Oct 2004

Cancer vaccine based on listeria bacteria shows promise

An experimental cancer vaccine using defanged listeria bacteria is showing great promise in animal studies, successfully treating new cancers that have spread into the lungs of mice.

29 Sep 2004

New anti-inflammatory strategy for cancer therapy

A new strategy for cancer therapy, which converts the tumor-promoting effect of the immune system’s inflammatory response into a cancer-killing outcome, is suggested in research findings by investigators at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine.

20 Sep 2004

Trial shows Daclizumab therapy improves multiple sclerosis outcome

A small clinical trial of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who did not respond to interferon alone found that adding the human antibody daclizumab improved patient outcome. Patients who received the combined therapy had a 78 percent reduction in new brain lesions and a 70 percent reduction in total lesions, along with other significant clinical improvements.

24 May 2004