Immune System News and Research

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CIHR, Genome BC announce $5.4 million for microbiome research

The University of British Columbia today welcomed the announcement of $5.4 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Genome British Columbia for research into how micro-organisms affect human health.

15 Oct 2010

UCLA study sheds light on roots of schizophrenia, autism

UCLA scientists have discovered that exposing fetal neurons to higher than normal levels of a common immune protein leads to abnormal brain development in mice.

15 Oct 2010

DFG to establish new Research Units

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is establishing four new Research Units to facilitate cross-regional, interdisciplinary cooperation among researchers. This decision was taken by the DFG Senate at its autumn meeting in Bonn. The new groups are intended to enable researchers to devote themselves to current and urgent issues within their fields and to develop new approaches.

15 Oct 2010

Octapharma USA accepts applications for 25th Anniversary Grants Program

Octapharma USA is accepting applications for the Octapharma 25th Anniversary Grants Program, which supports clinical or pre-clinical research focused on human protein therapies in coagulation disorders, immune therapy, intensive care and emergency medicine. The application deadline is April 1, 2011.

15 Oct 2010

Researchers develop new lab test for diagnosing preeclampsia

In as many as 8 percent of pregnancies worldwide, women who seem fine for months develop preeclampsia, a serious complication causing symptoms including high blood pressure, severe swelling, and problems with placental development. The untreatable and unpredictable condition, with no known cause, often requires premature delivery, and can sometimes kill the mother and the fetus.

15 Oct 2010

New, affordable technology for cervical cancer screening

Current cervical cancer screening is time consuming and expensive, but now new breakthrough technology developed by European researchers should allow large-range screening by non-medical personnel with almost immediate results and at a much lower cost.

15 Oct 2010

FDA approves Gamunex-C for primary immunodeficiency treatment

Talecris Biotherapeutics announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Gamunex-C (Immune Globulin Injection [Human], 10% Caprylate/Chromatography Purified) for subcutaneous administration in the treatment of primary immunodeficiency (PI).

15 Oct 2010

28% of health care workers in 'work risk' category will not get flu vaccine

A new Consumer Reports Health poll reveals a disconcerting proportion of "at risk" groups who will not get the flu vaccine this year. Of most concern, only 40% of Americans in the "work risk" category—meaning those who care for young children and those who work in residential nursing homes, hospitals, and other health care environments—said they would definitely get the vaccine this year, which combines the seasonal and the 2009 H1N1 (swine) flus, while 28% said they would definitely not get the vaccine.

14 Oct 2010

Childrens Hospital Los Angeles receives $1M NCI grant for eye port clinical trial to treat retinoblastoma in children

The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has been awarded a $1 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to conduct a clinical trial on a new drug delivery system to treat young children diagnosed with retinoblastoma. The device is designed to deliver chemotherapy through a tiny silicone cup sealed to the outer surface (sclera) of the eye, which can more directly target cancer cells and greatly reduce the side effects caused by current chemotherapy treatments.

14 Oct 2010

Top citations for scientific paper on Inovio's SynCon DNA vaccines and ID DNA delivery technology

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that a scientific paper demonstrating strong and protective immune responses from candidate SynCon™ DNA vaccines in preclinical studies using Inovio's intradermal (ID) DNA delivery technology was one of the top cited scientific articles in the past three years in the journal Vaccine.

14 Oct 2010

Patient-specific experimental vaccine to prevent recurrence of glioblastoma

Mary Lee's primary care physician is also a family friend. When he walked into the exam room in October 2006 with tears in his eyes, she knew something serious was wrong. But she was shocked to learn she had a brain tumor - and later found out it was the most aggressive malignant type, a glioblastoma multiforme.

14 Oct 2010

Plant compound luteolin reduces age-associated inflammation in brain leading to better cognitive health

A diet rich in the plant compound luteolin reduces age-related inflammation in the brain and related memory deficits by directly inhibiting the release of inflammatory molecules in the brain, researchers report.

14 Oct 2010

Drugs that restore mitochondria function may treat Alzheimer's disease at early stages: Research

Before Alzheimer's patients experience memory loss, the brain's neurons have already suffered harm for years. A new study in mouse models by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center has found that the brain's mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell, are one of the earliest casualties of the disease. The study, which appeared in the online Early Edition of PNAS, also found that impaired mitochondria then injure the neurons' synapses, which are necessary for normal brain function.

14 Oct 2010

Scientists unveil quality control mechanism of immune system to destroy pathogens

An Australian team of scientists has uncovered a quality control mechanism that must take place for our immune system to subsequently effectively destroy harmful viruses and bacteria.

14 Oct 2010

ImmunoCellular develops ICT-107 cell-based vaccine for GBM treatment

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel immune-based cancer therapies, today announced that it has developed an innovative method for manufacturing the company's lead product candidate, ICT-107, a dendritic cell-based vaccine for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

13 Oct 2010

New York Stem Cell Foundation names first six NYSCF Investigators

In an expansion of its ongoing effort to promote the next generation of stem cell scientists, The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) today named the first six NYSCF Investigators. Each of the NYSCF-Robertson and NYSCF-Helmsley Investigators will receive up to $1.5 million over the next five years to expand their own laboratories, train other scientists and foster innovative high-risk/high reward research to explore the therapeutic potential of stem cells derived from humans and model organisms.

13 Oct 2010

Study demonstrates chitosan/IL-12 is an effective anti-tumor immunotherapy

A new study by a University of Arkansas biomedical engineer and his colleagues at the National Cancer Institute demonstrates further promise for chitosan/interleukin-12 as an effective anti-tumor immunotherapy.

13 Oct 2010

Imprime PGG and cetuximab increase overall response rate in metastatic colorectal cancer

A combination of Biothera's Imprime PGG and cetuximab (Erbitux) doubled the overall response rates for second- and third-line metastatic colorectal cancer patients participating in a Phase Ib/IIa clinical trial. The completed trial results were released yesterday at the 35th European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress.

13 Oct 2010

New evidence supports possible link between XMRV and prostate cancer

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) has been the subject of many studies since its discovery in 2006, but conflicting reports have created an unclear picture of XMRV's role in human disease. In three recent studies published in the November 15 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online, the evidence supports a possible link between XMRV and prostate cancer but not other links involving chronic fatigue syndrome, HIV infection, or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

13 Oct 2010

Infection during pregnancy linked to increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in fetus

A pregnant woman's immune response to viral infections may induce subtle neurological changes in the unborn child that can lead to an increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders including schizophrenia and autism. Research published in the online journal mBio- provides new insights into how this may happen and suggests potential strategies for reducing this risk.

13 Oct 2010