Immunomodulatory News and Research

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Researchers generate a transcriptomic map of the COVID brain

COVID-19 is known to be associated with multiple changes in gene expression, but many of these are also seen in chronic brain conditions as well as in some abnormal mental conditions. A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 uncovers the molecular basis of this association.

26 Oct 2020

Small molecules block SARS-CoV-2 spike-ACE2 attachment

The search includes immunological agents, enzyme inhibitors, and soluble competitive inhibitors. Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 provides preliminary evidence that small molecules can inhibit viral entry by inhibiting spike-ACE2 attachment.

26 Oct 2020

Researchers show a simple way to protect transplanted islets from rejection

Type 1 diabetes, or T1D, results from the autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. People with T1D require exogenous insulin and suffer swings in the levels of glucose in the blood that impact life expectancy and increase risks of cardiovascular disease, neuropathies and kidney failure.

22 Oct 2020

Researchers explore SARS-CoV-2 at single cell resolution in human airway epithelial cells

The cellular tropism of the SARS-CoV-2 virus affects several aspects of infection, such as the spread of the virus within and between hosts, tissue pathology, immune control mechanisms, and the response to treatment with promising antiviral drugs.

21 Oct 2020

New vaccine targeting toxic Aβ may offer clinical benefit in treating Alzheimer's disease

Our immune system's capacity to mount a well-regulated defense against foreign substances, including toxins, weakens with age and makes vaccines less effective in people over age 65.

20 Oct 2020

Immunoglobulin M ACE2 autoantibodies associated with severe COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses with little prospect of immediate relief, a recent study by Johns Hopkins University researchers published on the preprint server medRxiv* in October 2020 discusses the association of Immunoglobulin M (IgM) autoantibodies against the host receptor that binds severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with severe disease via vascular endothelial damage. This could help develop better therapies and prognostic criteria.

19 Oct 2020

Scientists engineer powerful novel anti-microbial molecules from wasp venom

Now, a team of scientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has engineered potent novel anti-microbial molecules from toxic proteins found in wasp venom. The researchers believe that the discovery holds promise in fighting the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, that cause serious illness.

15 Oct 2020

Exuberant activation of immune cells in severe COVID-19 resembles lupus

In severe cases of COVID-19, Emory researchers have been observing an exuberant activation of immune cells, resembling acute flares of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease.

9 Oct 2020

Novel feed ingredient can reduce effects of coccidiosis in broiler chickens

Broiler chicken producers the world over are all too familiar with coccidiosis, a parasite-borne intestinal disease that stalls growth and winnows flocks.

8 Oct 2020

Researchers identify a promising method to treat multiple sclerosis

Seema Tiwari-Woodruff, a professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, and her colleagues have received a grant of $373,000 from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for a project in which her lab will select the five best candidate compounds to speed up nerve impulses, a promising new avenue to treat multiple sclerosis.

1 Oct 2020

Novel immunotherapy platform can connect mussel adhesive proteins to the antibodies

Antibody-based immunotherapy is one of treatment options for cancer immunotherapy by modulating our immune system with therapeutic antibodies.

29 Sep 2020

Multifunctional cell therapy system raises hopes to treat inflammatory bowel disease

The research by the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country, in collaboration with Harvard University, has yielded highly encouraging results, and studies in animal models have already begun

28 Sep 2020

Researchers investigate molecular mechanism responsible for hypnotic effects of thalidomide

Thalidomide is a medication with several different effects, one of which is promoting sleep in the context of insomnia.

24 Sep 2020

Polyphenolic compound offers new therapeutic option for chronic inflammatory disorders

Various plants and their products are known to contain "bioactive" ingredients that can alleviate human diseases. These "phytocompounds" often contain restorative biological properties such as anti-cancerous, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects.

24 Sep 2020

Trial shows new first-line treatment option for patients with metastatic kidney cancer

The results of the phase 3 CheckMate 9ER trial have provided a new first-line treatment option for patients with metastatic kidney cancer. The late breaking results are presented at ESMO 2020.

19 Sep 2020

Brazilian red propolis contains substances with anti-cancer properties

Brazilian red propolis found in beehives along the coast and mangroves in the Northeast region contains two substances with anti-cancer properties. In laboratory tests, they considerably reduced the proliferation of ovarian, breast, and brain cancer cells

10 Sep 2020

Study shows role of pathogens in shaping human evolution

Every human cell harbors its own defenses against microbial invaders, relying on strategies that date back to some of the earliest events in the history of life, researchers report.

10 Sep 2020

Convalescent plasma fails to improve outcome of COVID-19 in India

A new study based in India and published on the medRxiv preprint server explores the role of convalescent plasma (CP) in the treatment of moderate COVID-19 within the limitations on resources faced in a developing country.

9 Sep 2020

Study reveals complex immunology behind MIS-C in children with COVID-19

In a recent paper published in the prestigious journal Cell, researchers from Sweden and Italy show that inflammatory response in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children associated with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) differs from the cytokine storm found in severe acute illness, involving autoantibodies at the same time and sharing several features with Kawasaki disease.

8 Sep 2020

Reformulated generic drug could offer a cost-effective way to accelerate recovery, prevent hospitalizations

Reformulated and patented version of well-known generic drug could prove to be a quick, safe and cost-effective way to accelerate recovery and prevent hospitalizations.

3 Sep 2020