Immunomodulatory News and Research

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TSRI scientists shed light on molecular workings of MS drug

A study by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has helped to de-mystify the molecular workings of the multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Tecfidera. The drug is the most widely prescribed pill-based therapy for MS, but its biological mechanism remains mysterious.

21 Sep 2016

Stealth insulin-producing pig cells may offer solution for treating Type 1 diabetes in humans

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers are exploring ways to wrap pig tissue with a protective coating to ultimately fight diabetes in humans. The nano-thin bilayers of protective material are meant to deter or prevent immune rejection.

8 Sep 2016

Early life use of antibiotics linked to higher risk of developing allergies later in life

Research presented today (6 September, 2016) at this year's European Respiratory Society International Congress in London, UK shows that exposure to antibiotics early in life is related to increased risk of developing allergies later in life.

6 Sep 2016

Transplantation of placenta-derived MSCs can prevent diabetes-related CLI in rats

In an effort to determine if stem cell therapy can prevent or improve a condition called "diabetic foot" caused by poor blood flow in patients with diabetes, a team of researchers in China has found that transplanting human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into rats modeled with diabetes can affect blood vessel growth, potentially improving blood flow and preventing critical limb ischemia (CLI), a condition that results in diabetic foot and frequently leads to amputation.

30 Aug 2016

Less invasive infusion strategy not linked to cardiac functional improvements but enhances health status

A single dose of mesenchymal stem cells delivered intravenously to patients with chronic non-ischemic cardiomyopathy was not associated with significant cardiac structural or functional improvements, but did result in several clinically relevant benefits, according to results from a phase II-a randomized trial.

29 Aug 2016

Janssen seeks to extend DARZALEX license to benefit more multiple myeloma patients

Janssen-Cilag International NV has announced the submission of a Type II variation application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), seeking to broaden the existing marketing authorisation for the immunotherapy DARZALEX® (daratumumab) to include treatment of adult patients with relapsed multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy. The expanded indication is based on daratumumab in combination with lenalidomide (an immmunomodulatory agent) and dexamethasone, or bortezomib (a PI) and dexamethasone.

29 Aug 2016

TUM researchers uncover molecular mechanism of thalidomide

In the 1950s, thalidomide (Contergan) was prescribed as a sedative drug to pregnant women, resulting in a great number of infants with serious malformations. Up to now, the reasons for these disastrous birth defects have remained unclear.

20 Jun 2016

Phase I study of triple drug combination shows promise in multiple myeloma patients

PharmaMar announces the positive results from a Phase I study of plitidepsin in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma.

21 May 2016

Removing immunomodulatory protein improves symptoms of muscular dystrophy in mice

Removing an immunomodulatory protein called osteopontin improves the symptoms of mice with muscular dystrophy by changing the type of macrophages acting on damaged muscle tissue, according to a paper published in The Journal of Cell Biology.

19 Apr 2016

CHMP recommends conditional marketing authorisation for Janssen’s daratumumab

Janssen-Cilag announced today that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has recommended the granting of a conditional marketing authorisation for first-in-class CD38 immunotherapy daratumumab in the European Union.

4 Apr 2016

Lenalidomide trials show potential for expanding lymphoma, leukaemia indications

Positive findings from two clinical trials have been published for the immunomodulatory agent lenalidomide in patients with heavily pretreated mantle cell lymphoma, and in adults with T-cell leukaemia-lymphoma or peripheral T-cell lymphoma.

19 Feb 2016

Clinicoradiological syndromes allow rapid recognition of EV71 neurological problems

Severe enterovirus 71 neurological disease in children predominantly involves the spinal cord and brainstem and can be quickly recognised using the World Health Organisation classification of clinicoradiological syndromes, study findings suggest.

29 Jan 2016

$SIRIUS supports single-agent daratumumab in refractory multiple myeloma$

SIRIUS supports single-agent daratumumab in refractory multiple myeloma

Phase II trial results show that daratumumab monotherapy elicits responses and has a favourable adverse event profile in heavily-pretreated, refractory multiple myeloma patients.

19 Jan 2016

HBI-8000 granted orphan drug designation in Japan for treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma

HUYA Bioscience International, Founder, CEO & Executive Chair, Dr. Mireille Gillings today announced that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare granted HBI-8000 orphan drug designation in Japan for peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).

22 Dec 2015

Scientists reveal major players in severe muscle damage caused by sepsis

Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, Paris Descartes University, Sainte-Anne Hospital and the CNRS have recently published a paper in Nature Communications in which they reveal major players in the severe muscle damage caused by sepsis, or septicemia, which explains why many patients suffer debilitating muscle impairment long-term after recovery.

17 Dec 2015

Exposure to farm animals, pets in early childhood modifies allergy-related immunological mechanisms

Exposure to farm animals in early childhood modifies the key allergy-related immunological mechanisms, shows a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland. The study provides new insight into the role of dendritic cells and cytokine production in particular.

15 Dec 2015

Combination treatment provides effective one-two punch against prostate cancer

Results from a long-term clinical trial conducted by cancer researchers at Houston Methodist Hospital show that combining radiation treatment with "suicide gene therapy," a technique in which prostate cancer cells are genetically modified so they signal a patient's immune system to attack them, provides a safe and effective one-two punch against the disease.

12 Dec 2015

Virginia Tech researchers study how specific cytokine influences gene expression patterns in T helper cells

Environment can make all the difference in behavior - even at the cellular level. Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have discovered even a small shift in environmental factors can change how a cell in the immune system matures.

28 Oct 2015

HUYA Bioscience International expands HBI-8000 clinical trials for breast cancer

HUYA Bioscience International (HUYA) today announced expanding clinical trials with its lead cancer drug, HBI-8000, starting with a Phase 1 combination trial in support of a breast cancer program to be conducted in the United States.

3 Sep 2015

Continuous therapy improves multiple myeloma outcomes

Patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma receive significant progression-free and overall survival benefits from continuous treatment compared with fixed-duration therapy, suggests a pooled analysis.

27 Aug 2015