Immune Response News and Research

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IDM Pharma presents new data on IDM-2101 in non-small cell lung cancer

IDM Pharma, Inc. today announced follow-up results from the Phase 2 study of IDM-2101 showing that the product candidate was well tolerated, induced broadly specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses, and showed a positive survival trend in HLA-A2 positive patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were treated with IDM-2101, compared to a parallel external control group of HLA-A2 negative non-treated patients.

2 Jun 2008

Self-assembled viruses

Viruses are true experts at importing genetic material into the cells of an infected organism. This trait is now being exploited for gene therapy, in which genes are brought into the cells of a patient to treat genetic diseases or genetic defects. Korean researchers have now made an artificial virus. As described in the journal Angewandte Chemie, they have been able to use it to transport both genes and drugs into the interior of cancer cells.

30 May 2008

Gum disease an indicator of increased cancer risk

British scientists say gum disease, both in smokers and non-smokers, may be a warning sign of an increased risk of cancer.

27 May 2008

Plant flavonoid luteolin reduces inflammatory response in the brain

Researchers at the University of Illinois report this week that a plant compound found in abundance in celery and green peppers can disrupt a key component of the inflammatory response in the brain. The findings have implications for research on aging and diseases such as Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis.

20 May 2008

Rochester vaccine triggers immune response, prevents Alzheimer's

A vaccine created by University of Rochester Medical Center scientists prevents the development of Alzheimer's disease-like pathology in mice without causing inflammation or significant side effects.

19 May 2008

First pre-pandemic bird flu vaccine available in Europe

The approval for a licence from the European Commission will place Glaxo ahead of rivals in the vaccine fields and the company says it has already received orders from some governments such as the U.S., Switzerland and Finland.

19 May 2008

Stress during pregnancy increases the risk of child developing asthma

New research from the U.S. suggests that women who suffer from stress during pregnancy may increase the risk of their child developing allergies.

19 May 2008

Men at increased risk of death from pneumonia compared to women

Men who come to the hospital with pneumonia generally are sicker than women and have a higher risk of dying over the next year, despite aggressive medical care, according to a study being presented Tuesday, May 20, at the 104th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society. Scientific sessions are scheduled May 16 to 21 in Toronto.

19 May 2008

Personalized therapy for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease could soon be here

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have defined a new type of immune response that is activated in patients with severe asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Their discovery could dramatically improve diagnosis and treatment of patients with chronic inflammatory lung disease.

19 May 2008

Bird flu pandemic risk just as real and probably growing

Experts are warning that the risk of a human bird flu pandemic remains just as real and is in fact probably growing.

8 May 2008

Role of genetic components of dendritic cells could lead to more effective drugs

For the first time, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have identified genetic components of dendritic cells that are key to asthma and allergy-related immune response malfunction. Targeting these elements could result in more effective drugs to treat allergic disorders and asthma, according to a study reported in the May edition of the journal Nature Medicine.

7 May 2008

Bird flu pandemic risk just as real and probably growing

Experts are warning that the risk of a human bird flu pandemic remains just as real and is in fact probably growing.

7 May 2008

Better understanding of immune response to HIV infection

The "exhaustion" of immune cells that target HIV appears to result from chronic exposure to the virus, specifically exposure to the particular protein segments targeted by the pathogen-killing HIV-specific CD8 T cells.

6 May 2008

Allergy expert says expect cure for peanut allergy in five years

The announcement by an American expert that within the next five years some form of immunotherapy will be available to treat peanut allergy, will bring relief to many concerned parents.

5 May 2008

3M Drug Delivery System collaborates on vaccine adjuvants

3M Drug Delivery Systems announces the signing of a non-exclusive license agreement with the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) in support of vaccine research for humanitarian efforts in developing countries. Under the agreement, 3M will donate its patented toll-like receptor (TLR) immune response modifier compounds.

1 May 2008

Prozac shows promise for multiple sclerosis

The antidepressant Prozac may help to curb disease activity in the relapsing remitting form of multiple sclerosis (MS), reveals preliminary research published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

30 Apr 2008

Mothers and offspring can share cells throughout life - with positive and negative effects

Cutting the umbilical cord doesn't necessarily sever the physical link between mother and child. Many cells pass back and forth between the mother and fetus during pregnancy and can be detected in the tissues and organs of both even decades later. This mixing of cells from two genetically distinct individuals is called microchimerism. The phenomenon is the focus of an increasing number of scientists who wonder what role these cells play in the body.

30 Apr 2008

Study explains why steroid therapy for sinusitis and asthma loses its punch over time

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have outlined a new path for potential therapies to combat inflammation associated with sinusitis and asthma based on a new understanding of the body's earliest immune response in the nose and sinus cavities.

29 Apr 2008

Human protein may offer novel target for blocking HIV infection

A research group supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has uncovered a new route for attacking the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that may offer a way to circumvent problems with drug resistance. In findings published today in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers report that they have blocked HIV infection in the test tube by inactivating a human protein expressed in key immune cells.

29 Apr 2008