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Chemical drug safely controls side effects associated with haploidentical stem cell transplantation

Researchers in the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist and Texas Children's Hospital have found that a single dose of an otherwise harmless drug can safely control the severe and often lethal side effects associated with haploidentical stem cell transplantation.

15 May 2015

HHMI selects two Boston University medical students to conduct full-time biomedical research

Two medical students from Boston University have been selected by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to conduct full-time biomedical research in its Medical Research Fellows Program. Joseph Park and Jacqueline Estevez are two of the selected 68 top medical and veterinary students from 37 different schools in the United States to receive this honor.

14 May 2015

Experimental gene therapy holds promise against metastatic prostate cancer

Even with the best available treatments, the median survival of patients with metastatic, hormone-refractory prostate cancer is only two to three years. Driven by the need for more effective therapies for these patients, researchers at VCU Massey Cancer Center and the VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine have developed a unique approach that uses microscopic gas bubbles to deliver directly to the cancer a viral gene therapy in combination with an experimental drug that targets a specific gene driving the cancer's growth.

12 May 2015

Cytokine GM-CSF likely plays important role in MS

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is caused by immune cells that activate a cascade of chemicals in the brain, attacking and degrading the insulation that keeps neuronal signals moving. These chemicals, called cytokines, drive the inflammation in the brain, attracting more immune cells, and causing the debilitating disease marked by loss of neurological function.

30 Apr 2015

Special issue of Gastroenterology highlights how food impacts health and disease

Patients are always interested in understanding what they should eat and how it will impact their health. Physicians are just as interested in advancing their understanding of the major health effects of foods and food-related diseases.

28 Apr 2015

Scientists identify protein that could help tame severe inflammation

Researchers have identified a protein that offers a new focus for developing targeted therapies to tame the severe inflammation associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), colitis and other autoimmune disorders.

22 Apr 2015

CU Cancer Center researcher examines link between cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease

In a major symposium at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2015, University of Colorado Cancer Center investigator Tim Byers, MD, MPH, examines research demonstrating the link between cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

21 Apr 2015

Inflammation plays causal role in neurologic changes associated with Lyme disease

About 15% of patients with Lyme disease develop peripheral and central nervous system involvement, often accompanied by debilitating and painful symptoms. New research indicates that inflammation plays a causal role in the array of neurologic changes associated with Lyme disease, according to a study published in The American Journal of Pathology.

17 Apr 2015

Study: Gene variant, urban environment increase risk of severe disease in children infected with RSV

A particular genetic mutation combined with an urban environment increases the risk of severe disease in children infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), an international team of investigators has found.

8 Apr 2015

Combination of signaling molecules can inhibit growth of breast cancer cells

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered how the body's inflammatory response can alter how estrogen promotes the growth of breast cancer cells.

6 Apr 2015

Study provides insights into basis for cognitive dysfunction

Scientists at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health have identified a unique pattern of immune molecules in the cerebrospinal fluid of people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) that provides insights into the basis for cognitive dysfunction--frequently described by patients as "brain fog"--as well as new hope for improvements in diagnosis and treatment.

31 Mar 2015

IMDC prognostic model valid in second-line RCC therapy

The International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium prognostic model can be applied to metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients receiving second-line targeted treatment, according to research published in The Lancet Oncology.

25 Mar 2015

Low zinc levels in older adults correspond with increased chronic inflammation

Zinc, an important mineral in human health, appears to affect how the immune system responds to stimulation, especially inflammation, new research from Oregon State University shows.

23 Mar 2015

New drug-like molecule shows promise in preventing MS progression

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists have developed a new drug-like molecule that can halt inflammation and has shown promise in preventing the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS).

17 Mar 2015

Ludwig researchers establish proof of concept for new approach to drug design

Exploring the fundamental mechanism by which a cell-surface receptor transmits its signal, an international team of Ludwig researchers and their colleagues has established proof of concept for an entirely new approach to drug design. They report that a class of synthetic molecules known as diabodies can, from outside the cell, latch onto a target receptor and manipulate it in such a manner as to induce distinct and varying effects within cells and tissues.

17 Mar 2015

New antibody treatment blocks immune signaling protein crucial to psoriasis

Many patients suffering from psoriasis showed significant recovery after just a single dose of an experimental treatment with a human antibody that blocks an immune signaling protein crucial to the disease, researchers report.

16 Mar 2015

Researchers investigate effects of neuromodulatory medication on orofacial tissue

Today at the 93rd General Session and Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research, researcher M.J. Al-Musawi, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, will present a study titled "In Vitro Effects of Topical Neuromodulatory Medication on Orofacial Tissue."

13 Mar 2015

Imperial scientists develop new test that uses human stem cells to predict side effects of drugs

Scientists at Imperial College London have developed a test that uses combinations of cells from a single donor's blood to predict whether a new drug will cause a severe immune reaction in humans.

10 Mar 2015

Celimmune licenses anti-IL-15 monoclonal antibody from Amgen

Celimmune LLC, a clinical development-stage immunotherapy company focused on treating and preventing autoimmune diseases, announced today that it has licensed a Phase 2-stage, anti-IL-15 monoclonal antibody (AMG 714) from Amgen.

2 Mar 2015

Scientists find new links between inflammation and tissue regeneration

Almost all injuries, even minor skin scratches, trigger an inflammatory response, which provides protection against invading microbes but also turns on regenerative signals needed for healing and injury repair - a process that is generally understood but remains mysterious in its particulars.

26 Feb 2015