Chemokine News and Research

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Chemokines are a family of small cytokines, or proteins secreted by cells. Proteins are classified as chemokines according to shared structural characteristics such as small size (they are all approximately 8-10 kilodaltons in size), and the presence of four cysteine residues in conserved locations that are key to forming their 3-dimensional shape.

Low-dose chemotherapy regimens may be more effective at treating certain breast and pancreatic cancer types

Conventional, high-dose chemotherapy treatments can cause the fibroblast cells surrounding tumors to secrete proteins that promote the tumors' recurrence in more aggressive forms, researchers at Taipei Medical University and the National Institute of Cancer Research in Taiwan and University of California, San Francisco, have discovered.

24 Nov 2016

UAB researchers show how aging and excess dietary fat lead to heart failure

In mouse experiments, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have shown how aging and excess dietary fat create signals that lead to heart failure after a heart attack.

17 Nov 2016

Researchers identify protein linked to negative effects of senescence

Cellular senescence is a state in which normal healthy cells do not have the ability to divide. Senescence can occur when cancer-causing genes are activated in normal cells or when chemotherapy is used on cancer cells.

1 Nov 2016

Penn researchers identify new immune system mechanism to fight against infections

The innate immune system serves as a first-line defense, responding to infections almost immediately after a pathogen makes its way into the body.

17 Oct 2016

Existing anti-inflammatory drugs may be effective in treating epilepsy

In epileptic patients, seizures lead to an increased level of inflammation-related proteins called chemokines in the brain, and systemic inflammation likely helps trigger and promote the recurrence of seizures, making inflammation a promising new target for anticonvulsant therapy.

6 Jul 2016

Protein-based CHD risk score developed

Researchers have screened over 1000 plasma proteins to develop a predictive score in patients with stable coronary heart disease.

22 Jun 2016

Scientists identify on/off obesity-induced switch to slow cancer progression

Having established that excessive fat tissue can fuel the growth of certain cancers, researchers have turned their attention to the molecular mechanisms involved in the process in the hopes of developing new cancer treatments.

21 Jun 2016

Maternal immune dysfunction linked to risk of autism with intellectual disability in children

Pregnant women with higher levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, proteins that control communication between cells of the immune system, may be at significantly greater risk of having a child with autism combined with intellectual disability, researchers with the UC Davis MIND Institute have found.

8 Jun 2016

Elevated endothelial progenitor cells may characterise PAH patients

Plasma levels of endothelial progenitor cells are elevated in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, say researchers.

7 May 2016

HDAC inhibitors could improve activity of immunotherapeutic antibodies in lung cancer patients

Several new immunotherapeutic antibodies that inhibit checkpoint receptors on T cells to restimulate the immune system to target tumors have been approved to treat advanced stage lung cancer and melanoma; however, only 20 percent of lung cancer patients show a response to these agents.

2 Apr 2016

Biomarkers may provide novel approaches to monitoring immunosuppressive therapy in organ transplant patients

Recently discovered biomarkers may provide valuable new approaches to monitoring immunosuppressive drug therapy in organ transplant recipients--with the potential for individualized therapy to reduce organ rejection and minimize side effects, according to a special article in the April issue of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, official journal of the International Association of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Clinical Toxicology.

17 Mar 2016

Inherited gene after black plague may help treat HIV patients co-infected with hepatitis C

The Black Death swept Europe in the 14th century eliminating up to half of the population but it left genetic clues that now may aid a University of Cincinnati researcher in treating HIV patients co-infected with hepatitis C using an anti-retroviral drug therapy.

7 Mar 2016

Study opens new avenues for treatment of prostate cancer in obese patients

Obesity has direct consequences on health and is associated with the onset of aggressive cancers, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are little known. Researchers from the Institut de Pharmacologie et he Biologie Structurale (CNRS/Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier) have recently elucidated one of these mechanisms in prostate cancer, one of the most common cancers in men: in obese patients, the adipose tissue surrounding the prostate gland facilitates the propagation of tumor cells outside the prostate.

13 Jan 2016

Scientists demonstrate workings of CCL2 mechanism that stimulates nerve regeneration

The peripheral nervous system is a vast network of nerves that exists primarily outside of brain and spinal cord and connects to the far reaches of the body. The very expanse of peripheral nerves makes them highly vulnerable to injuries such as blunt-force blows, cuts, and leg and arm fractures, as well as diseases that attack peripheral nerves such as diabetes, Charcot-Marie-Tooth, and Guillain-Barre syndrome.

6 Jan 2016

MD Anderson study reveals MDSCs as likely target for developing prostate cancer treatments

Immune suppressor cells called MDSCs (myeloid-derived suppressor cells) may be important in developing treatments for advanced prostate cancer, according to a study at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

22 Dec 2015

TaiGen releases Taigexyn (nemonoxacin) capsules in Taiwan

TaiGen Biotechnology Company, Limited today announced that together with its distribution partner, Holding Distribution, it has launched Taigexyn (nemonoxacin) capsules in Taiwan, the first market where Taigexyn is available.

16 Dec 2015

Adelaide researchers identify key protein involved in 'super-inflammatory' immune response

Researchers have made another important step in the progress towards being able to block the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases.

29 Oct 2015

Sun Biomedical begins DMX-200 Phase II trial for treatment of chronic kidney disease

Sun Biomedical Limited today announced the first patient had been enrolled in a Phase II study of DMX-200, an innovative new treatment that combines two different drugs to treat chronic kidney disease.

15 Sep 2015

Multiple IV administration of adipose-derived MSCs may extend healthy life and lifespan

Researchers in Korea have determined the possibility that adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may extend healthy life and lifespan by intravenous injections.

28 Aug 2015

New UTMB study reveals mechanism central to pollen-induced allergies

A new study from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has uncovered a mechanism that is central to becoming allergic to ragweed pollen and developing allergic asthma or seasonal nasal allergies. The findings are currently available online in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology.

23 Jul 2015