Immune Response News and Research

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Researchers identify macrophage populations involved in development of atherosclerosis

Stroke and heart attack are the leading cause of death in the Western world. Würzburg scientists have used a special technique to get a clearer picture of the cells involved and their activity.

5 Apr 2018

New point-of-care test accelerates diagnosis of Lyme neuroborreliosis

A new research-based point-of-care test has been developed in Finland for detecting the Lyme neuroborreliosis spread by ticks.

5 Apr 2018

Microscopic revelations could lead to new treatment options for deadly blood infections

Researchers at the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) have for the first time been able to observe -- live and in real-time -- how the human body responds to often lethal fungal blood infections in the lung.

4 Apr 2018

Researchers develop improved method for calculating type 1 diabetes risk

An international research group headed by scientists from Helmholtz Zentrum München has developed a method for calculating the risk for developing type 1 diabetes that is significantly superior to earlier methods.

4 Apr 2018

'Molecular scissors' could play pivotal role in fighting diseases including HIV infection

One way to fight diseases including HIV infection and autoimmune disorders could involve changing how a naturally occurring enzyme called SAMHD1 works to influence the immune system, new research suggests.

3 Apr 2018

Gut bacteria may hold clues to predict effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies

The composition of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract may hold clues to help predict which cancer patients are most apt to benefit from the personalized cellular therapies that have shown unprecedented promise in the fight against hard-to-treat cancers, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

3 Apr 2018

Study uncovers mechanism causing chronic GVHD after bone marrow transplant

Allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) is an essential treatment to cure patients with blood cancers such as leukemia. In patients who have undergone chemotherapy and radiation, a small number of cancer cells can remain in the bloodstream and allow the malignancy to recur.

3 Apr 2018

Combined treatment prolongs survival in mouse models of malignant mesothelioma

Combined treatment with two cancer immunotherapy drugs - one a novel immune modulator and one that focuses and activates the antitumor immune response - significantly prolonged survival in mouse models of the aggressive cancer malignant mesothelioma.

2 Apr 2018

Researchers create new compound that appears to activate cancer-fighting T cells

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are powerful weapons our body's immune systems count on to fight infection and combat diseases like cancer, multiple sclerosis, and lupus. Finding ways to spark these potent cells into action could lead to more effective cancer treatments and vaccines.

2 Apr 2018

Researchers unravel immunopathogenesis of Johne's disease

A research team has unraveled the immunopathogenesis of Johne's disease, a chronic bovine disease that has caused endemics in Japan and many other countries, placing financial burdens on cattle farmers.

2 Apr 2018

Research reveals role of colon signaling pathway in development of IBD

The intestine encounters more foreign substances, and potential toxins, than other parts of the body, so it is not surprising that a healthy gut is maintained by the tight control of immune responses.

30 Mar 2018

Researchers discover major cause of treatment failure in Chagas disease

Researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered that dormancy of the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi prevents effective drug treatment for Chagas disease, which kills more than 50,000 people each year in Central and South America and is a growing threat in the United States and Europe.

30 Mar 2018

Study shows limitations of AAV gene therapy in treating hereditary adrenal disorders

A new study has definitively shown that a single treatment with gene therapy using adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector gene delivery to replace the defective gene responsible for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) will only temporarily alleviate the hereditary disorder.

29 Mar 2018

New $3.2 million grant funds research to advance promising malaria vaccine

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund has awarded the University of Florida and partners in the United States and Japan $3.2 million to advance a promising vaccine to prevent transmission of malaria.

29 Mar 2018

Macrophages stimulated to produce potent anti-inflammatory molecule

Researchers have discovered that macrophages, which play a key role in inflammation, also produce an anti-inflammatory molecule called itaconate.

29 Mar 2018

Single high-fat meal can set the stage for cardiovascular disease

A single high-fat milkshake, with a fat and calorie content similar to some enticing restaurant fare, can quickly transform our healthy red blood cells into small, spiky cells that wreak havoc inside our blood vessels and help set the perfect stage for cardiovascular disease, scientists report.

29 Mar 2018

Phase I clinical trial of HIV vaccines to begin in the U.S.

A Phase I clinical trial testing the safety of vaccines that might have the potential to prevent HIV infection will begin this month at four sites in the United States, marking the latest step in a three-decade quest at UMass Medical School to harness the power of DNA vaccines in addressing a major global health threat.

28 Mar 2018

Antibiotic use linked to higher risk of severe viral disease in mice

People infected with West Nile virus can show a wide range of disease. Some develop life-threatening brain infections. Others show no signs of infection at all. One reason for the different outcomes may lie in the community of microbes that populate their intestinal tracts.

27 Mar 2018

Antibody sweeps away Alzheimer's plaques in mice

Years before people start showing characteristic symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, sticky plaques begin forming in their brains, damaging nearby cells. For decades, doctors have sought ways to clear out these plaques as a way to prevent or treat the disease.

27 Mar 2018

Two immunotherapies used together for the first time to fight against solid tumors

Two immunotherapies - one that enables the T-cells a patient already has to better attack a tumor and another that can produce an independent and vigorous immune response - are being given together for the first time to help more patients wage a stronger war on a wide range of solid tumors, researchers say.

26 Mar 2018