Immune System News and Research

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α-defensins1-3 may be potential prophylactic agents in treatment of HIV / AIDS

HIV/AIDS remains one of the world's most significant public health challenges, particularly in developing countries. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1), the variant responsible for the pandemic, has the ability to infect different cell types such as T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells (DC). These latter cells are crucial in the defense against infectious agents and play a major role in viral pathogenesis.

25 Feb 2010

Signaling molecules may link certain actions of B cells to solid tumor growth: Study

Cancer researchers studying the immune system have identified a previously unrecognized set of targets and biomarkers to battle solid tumors.

25 Feb 2010

Rapamycin may hold promise for Alzheimer's disease

Rapamycin, a drug that keeps the immune system from attacking transplanted organs, may have another exciting use: fighting Alzheimer's disease.

25 Feb 2010

Anti drinking campaigns can increase alcohol abuse

Public service advertising campaigns that use guilt or shame to warn against alcohol abuse can actually have the reverse effect, spurring increased drinking among target audiences, according to new research from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

25 Feb 2010

New data shows Valortim antibody enhances human T cell response to B. anthracis

PharmAthene, Inc., a biodefense company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats, announced today that new data from the Company's Valortim® anthrax anti-toxin program were presented at the 8th Annual ASM Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Research Meeting, held in Baltimore, Maryland, February 21-24, 2010.

25 Feb 2010

Increase in anti-Apo A-I, anti-HDL and anti-CRP may lead to atherosclerosis in SLE patients

A study by researchers in Australia and the United Kingdom suggests that autoantibodies to fat binding proteins significantly increase in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with active disease. This increase in anti-apolipoprotein (anti-Apo A-I), anti-high-density lipoprotein (anti-HDL), and anti-C-reactive protein (anti-CRP) may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis in SLE patients, placing them at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

25 Feb 2010

SSRIs exhibit anti-inflammatory effects and may provide drug development opportunities for RA

A new study found that fluoxetine (Prozac-) and citalopram (Celexa-) treatment significantly inhibited disease progression of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice. Research led by Sandra Sacre, Ph.D. from the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) in the UK studied the anti-arthritic potential of these drugs, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), most commonly used to treat depression.

25 Feb 2010

Biochemical link between misery and death discovered

In ongoing work to identify how genes interact with social environments to impact human health, UCLA researchers have discovered what they describe as a biochemical link between misery and death. In addition, they found a specific genetic variation in some individuals that seems to disconnect that link, rendering them more biologically resilient in the face of adversity.

25 Feb 2010

FDA approves Pfizer's Prevnar 13 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

Pfizer Inc. announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration has granted approval for Prevnar 13™ (Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine [Diphtheria CRM197 Protein]), the Company’s 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

25 Feb 2010

Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery program performed at John Muir Medical Center

As part of John Muir Health’s Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery program, a minimally invasive thymectomy – removal of the thymus gland – was successfully performed recently at the John Muir Medical Center – Concord Campus. This procedure, designed to minimize trauma to patients, uses the latest generation da Vinci® Si Surgical System to help surgeons see vital anatomical structures more clearly and to perform a more precise operation.

24 Feb 2010

Five Prime Therapeutics receives milestone payment for selection of therapeutic program

Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc. today announced it received a milestone payment from Centocor Research & Development, Inc. for the selection of a therapeutic that will be pursued for immunology-related indications. Under the collaboration, FivePrime identified multiple potential therapeutic targets through screening its comprehensive proprietary protein library in cell-based assays that were focused on therapeutic pathways underlying specific immune and inflammatory disorders.

24 Feb 2010

Idera Pharmaceuticals presents IMO-3100 TLR antagonist mechanism of action data at Keystone conference

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today presented data on the mechanism of action of IMO-3100, an antagonist of Toll-like Receptor (TLR) 7 and TLR9, in a preclinical primate model at the Keystone Symposia conference “Tolerance and Autoimmunity” being held February 21-26 in Taos, New Mexico. Idera is developing IMO-3100 for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The presentation entitled “IMO-3100, a novel antagonist, suppresses TLR7- and TLR9-mediated immune responses in non-human primates” was made by Idera scientists.

24 Feb 2010

Nitric oxide may play key role in the pathogenesis of neonatal meningitis

Current research suggests that nitric oxide may play a role in the pathogenesis of neonatal meningitis. The related report by Mittal et al, "Inhibition of inducible nitric oxide controls pathogen load and brain damage by enhancing phagocytosis of Escherichia coli K1 in neonatal meningitis," appears in the March 2010 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

24 Feb 2010

Genocea Biosciences secures licensing to extensive HSV antigen patent estate

Genocea Biosciences, a leading vaccine discovery and development company, today announced that it has licensed an extensive patent estate from the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center for 25 pending and issued patents related to herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 antigens. The addition of these patents complements the novel antigens discovered by Genocea’s unique and proprietary antigen discovery technology. The combination of Genocea’s novel intellectual property with the patent estate from the University of Washington provides the Company with a broad compendium of HSV antigen patents.

24 Feb 2010

Menssana Research develops 85% accurate breath test for pulmonary tuberculosis

A new breath test can detect active pulmonary tuberculosis, according to a report to be published in the journal "Tuberculosis."

23 Feb 2010

Humans can harbor bacteria in gallstones, infect others with active typhoid fever

A new study suggests that the bacteria that cause typhoid fever collect in tiny but persistent communities on gallstones, making the infection particularly hard to fight in so-called "carriers" - people who have the disease but show no symptoms.

23 Feb 2010

News outlets examine use of ART, microbicide development presented at conference

News outlets continue to report on the science discussed at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), which ended Friday in San Francisco.

23 Feb 2010

Study shows CEL-2000 vaccine blocks RA progression in mice

CEL-SCI Corporation and their scientific collaborators announced today that the Company's CEL-2000 vaccine demonstrated that it is able to block the progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a mouse model.

23 Feb 2010

Gene study provides new clues to fight infections

Investigators at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute in Houston examined for the first time the long-term response to strep throat on a genome-wide level, shedding light on how group A streptococcus interacts with the patient's immune system and attempts to circumvent it.

23 Feb 2010

Global rules barring TB patients from flying are too stringent, study says

A "controversial" study, released on Sunday, "suggests international rules that bar potentially infectious tuberculosis patients from flying are too stringent and airline passengers are really at little risk from catching TB from a fellow traveler," the Associated Press/Washington Post reports. The paper is being published in the March edition of Lancet Infectious Diseases (Stobbe, 2/21).

23 Feb 2010

Immune System News and Research

α-defensins1-3 may be potential prophylactic agents in treatment of HIV / AIDS

Signaling molecules may link certain actions of B cells to solid tumor growth: Study

Rapamycin may hold promise for Alzheimer's disease

Anti drinking campaigns can increase alcohol abuse

New data shows Valortim antibody enhances human T cell response to B. anthracis

Increase in anti-Apo A-I, anti-HDL and anti-CRP may lead to atherosclerosis in SLE patients

SSRIs exhibit anti-inflammatory effects and may provide drug development opportunities for RA

Biochemical link between misery and death discovered

FDA approves Pfizer's Prevnar 13 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery program performed at John Muir Medical Center

Five Prime Therapeutics receives milestone payment for selection of therapeutic program

Idera Pharmaceuticals presents IMO-3100 TLR antagonist mechanism of action data at Keystone conference

Nitric oxide may play key role in the pathogenesis of neonatal meningitis

Genocea Biosciences secures licensing to extensive HSV antigen patent estate

Menssana Research develops 85% accurate breath test for pulmonary tuberculosis

Humans can harbor bacteria in gallstones, infect others with active typhoid fever

News outlets examine use of ART, microbicide development presented at conference

Study shows CEL-2000 vaccine blocks RA progression in mice

Gene study provides new clues to fight infections

Global rules barring TB patients from flying are too stringent, study says

Immunology eBook

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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