Immune System News and Research

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PFC exposure can lead to early menopause in women

A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that higher levels of perfluorocarbons in the body are associated with increased odds of having experienced menopause in women between 42 and 64 years old. Women in this age group with high levels of PFCs also had significantly lower concentrations of estrogen when compared to women who had low levels of PFCs.

24 Mar 2011

Oral contraceptive use before pregnancy does not pose respiratory problems in children

A new study by researchers at RTI International, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health refutes previous findings that oral contraceptive use before pregnancy is linked to respiratory problems in children.

24 Mar 2011

Scientists reveal protein target that can trigger myocarditis

People with type 1 diabetes, whose insulin-producing cells have been destroyed by the body's own immune system, are particularly vulnerable to a form of inflammatory heart disease caused by a different autoimmune reaction.

24 Mar 2011

MicroRNAs may play a key role in future medicine

Since their discovery in the 1990s, microRNAs have proven to play a complex role in normal and abnormal functioning of many organ systems. In the April issue of Translational Research, entitled "MicroRNAs: A Potential New Frontier for Medicine," an international group of medical experts explores several themes related to our current understanding of microRNAs and the role they may play in the future of medicine.

24 Mar 2011

New insights into cancer genome may lead to designer drugs for myeloma

Patients with myeloma could benefit from ‘designer’ drugs in the future after new genome-mapping technology has allowed scientists to identify a full genetic blueprint of the mutations which drive the bone marrow cancer.

23 Mar 2011

Genetic errors in women linked to increased risk of preeclampsia

Scientists have identified genetic errors in women with autoimmune diseases that increase the risk of preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs in 10 percent of all pregnancies.

23 Mar 2011

Strong 'innate immunity' effective in chikungunya patients

Chikungunya is transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes. The disease is spreading in the world and periodically sparks new outbreaks. Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean and even Southern Europe are now affected.

23 Mar 2011

Milk allergy successfully treated with Xolair

A latest study suggests that children with severe milk allergies may be able to rapidly overcome their sensitivities with the help of a biologic drug that helps to quiet an overly aggressive immune response. This is a small study still waiting to be proved in larger populations say researchers.

22 Mar 2011

Multivitamin supplements can optimize body's metabolic performance

Eating well is a difficult task for most people given the frantic pace of everyday living. Convenient pre-packaged and fast foods, rich in calories and low in nutrients, offer an easy solution to those short on time, but neglect to provide daily essential nutrients. And the short-changing of necessary nutritional requirements for good health is furthered by routine stress itself.

22 Mar 2011

Northwest Russian women breast milk consists of more POPs than Norwegian

Russian women living in Northwest Russia are more exposed to environmental toxins than Norwegian women. In spite of this, PhD candidate Anuschka Polder urges Russian women to breastfeed their babies.

22 Mar 2011

CSL Behring presents Hizentra study data against PI at AAAAI meeting

Data presented by CSL Behring today suggest that treatment with higher dose Hizentra correlates with reduced risk of infection and missed school or work among patients with primary immunodeficiencies.

22 Mar 2011

Study: Stem cell transplant may benefit patients with rapidly progressive MS

A long term study reports about the effectiveness of replacing bone marrow, purposely destroyed by chemotherapy, with autologous stem cell rescue for people with aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis.

22 Mar 2011

Stress can change balance of gut bacteria

Stress can change the balance of bacteria that naturally live in the gut, according to research published this month in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

22 Mar 2011

Study identifies gene linked to higher risk of multiple sclerosis in children

Canadians have one of the highest rates of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in the world with approximately 1,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Primarily striking in adulthood, physicians and researchers with the Canadian Pediatric Demyelinating Diseases Network (CPDDN), a multi-institutional and multidisciplinary group, have found that MS is being increasingly diagnosed in children.

21 Mar 2011

NasVax reports positive results from Phase 2a trial of oral immunotherapy for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

NasVax announces the success of a Phase 2a clinical trial of a new oral immunotherapy for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an inflammatory disease associated with fatty liver disease and the metabolic syndrome.

21 Mar 2011

Drug delivery breakthrough for Alzheimer’s disease

Till date all attempts to get drugs into the brain were countered by the blood-brain barrier - the natural defense against potentially harmful chemicals floating around the body. However this new finding from a team from University of Oxford shows that now scientists have successfully switched off a gene implicated in Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of mice by exploiting tiny particles naturally released by cells, called exosomes.

21 Mar 2011

Asthma an diabetes go hand in hand: Research

A new study has found that people with asthma may have a higher risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. The study looked at the relationship between asthma and four other inflammatory conditions.

21 Mar 2011

Scientists discover enzyme family that plays a crucial role in regulating cell motility

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered that members of an enzyme family found in humans and throughout the plant and animal kingdoms play a crucial role in regulating cell motility. Their findings suggest an entirely new strategy for treating conditions ranging from diabetic ulcers to metastatic cancer.

19 Mar 2011

Researchers identify protein that triggers immune response in TB-infected people

Scientists have discovered a protein secreted by tuberculosis bacteria that could be a promising new vaccine candidate, they report today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The protein could also be used to improve diagnosis of TB.

19 Mar 2011

Rubini black elderberry extract can inhibit flu and respiratory tract infections

Historically, black elderberries were among the most regarded folk remedies for coughs, colds, and flu. Now modern science has authenticated these therapeutic properties. In February 2011, researchers at Justus-Liebig University in Geissen, Germany reported that a concentrated liquid extract of black elderberries, commercially available as Rubini - Elderberry Extract 3.2%, inhibited the growth of influenza A and B viruses and bacteria associated with upper respiratory tract infections.

18 Mar 2011