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A macrophage is a type of white blood cell that surrounds and kills microorganisms, removes dead cells, and stimulates the action of other immune system cells.

New computational model to improve treatment of dangerous reactions to medical implants

A team from The University of Texas at Arlington has used mathematical modeling to develop a computer simulation they hope will one day improve the treatment of dangerous reactions to medical implants such as stents, catheters and artificial joints.

25 Sep 2013

Researchers reveals key role for stem cells that promote inflammation in atherosclerosis

University at Buffalo translational researchers are developing a richer understanding of atherosclerosis in humans, revealing a key role for stem cells that promote inflammation.

24 Sep 2013

Researchers highlight important role played by immune cells in risk of developing breast cancer

University of Adelaide researchers have made a major discovery that highlights the important role played by immune cells in the risk of developing breast cancer.

20 Sep 2013

SignaBlok's novel peptide inhibitor of TREM-1 suppresses cancer progression

SignaBlok, Inc., a Massachusetts-based biopharmaceutical company, today announced the successful in vivo proof of concept data that demonstrate that the company's novel mechanism-based, first-in-class peptide inhibitor of TREM-1 effectively suppresses cancer progression in mouse models of lung cancer and dramatically improves survival in septic mice.

18 Sep 2013

New method to target, eliminate cancer-supporting macrophages in mouse tumors

When a person has cancer, some of the cells in his or her body have changed and are growing uncontrollably. Most cancer drugs try to treat the disease by killing those fast-growing cells, but another approach called immunotherapy tries to stimulate a person's own immune system to attack the cancer itself.

17 Sep 2013

Emerging H7N9 virus has potential to cause a pandemic

A new study has found that a novel avian-origin H7N9 influenza A virus, which has recently emerged in humans, attaches moderately or abundantly to the epithelium of both the upper and lower respiratory tracts.

10 Sep 2013

Disease Twofer: Parkin Problem Leads To Parkinson’S And Impairs Response To TB

University of California, San Francisco researchers report that a key protein associated with Parkinson's disease also plays a major role in the destruction of the bacteria that cause tuberculosis.

5 Sep 2013

Parkin protein plays key role in destruction of bacteria that cause tuberculosis

A protein at the center of Parkinson's disease research now also has been found to play a key role in causing the destruction of bacteria that cause tuberculosis, according to scientists led by UC San Francisco microbiologist and tuberculosis expert Jeffery Cox, PhD.

5 Sep 2013

BP and headache drug effectively speeds up treatment of TB

Infectious disease experts at Johns Hopkins have found, in studies in mice, that a drug better known as a treatment for high blood pressure and headaches effectively speeds up treatment of TB when added to the standard, daily antibiotic regimen. Test animals were cured in four months instead of the usual six.

30 Aug 2013

Protein activated by inflammation converts glioblastoma multiforme cells to most aggressive form

A prominent protein activated by inflammation is the key instigator that converts glioblastoma multiforme cells to their most aggressive, untreatable form and promotes resistance to radiation therapy, an international team lead by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported online today in the journal Cancer Cell.

30 Aug 2013

Pulmonary hypertension may be caused by molecular pathway that damages blood vessels

Pulmonary hypertension, a deadly form of high blood pressure that develops in the lungs, may be caused by an inflammation-producing molecular pathway that damages the inner lining of blood vessels, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

29 Aug 2013

Reversing inflammation in fluid near brain's cortex may provide solution to Parkinson's disease

Reversing inflammation in the fluid surrounding the brain's cortex may provide a solution to the complex riddle of Parkinson's, according to researchers who have found a link between pro-inflammatory biomarkers and the severity of symptoms such as fatigue, depression and anxiety in patients with the chronic disease.

29 Aug 2013

Plymouth researcher receives award to develop lab-based mouse cell for research work

A researcher from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry has received an award of - 94,365 (Sterling) from the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), for a pilot study to develop the lab-based creation of a type of mouse cell which could be used in place of the live animals for research related to infectious and allergic lung conditions.

27 Aug 2013

HIV-infected people who carry gene face greater risk of contracting cryptococcal disease

HIV-infected people who carry a gene for a specific protein face a 20-fold greater risk of contracting cryptococcal disease, according to a study published in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

27 Aug 2013

Powerful mechanism helps viruses evade body's immune response

Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have discovered a powerful mechanism by which viruses such as influenza, West Nile and Dengue evade the body's immune response and infect humans with these potentially deadly diseases. The findings may provide scientists with an attractive target for novel antiviral therapies.

19 Aug 2013

Scientists uncover potential drug target for effective therapy against bacterial disease brucellosis

UC Davis scientists have uncovered a potential drug target for the development of an effective therapy against the debilitating, chronic form of the bacterial disease brucellosis, which primarily afflicts people in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries.

16 Aug 2013

Study shows enhancer RNA molecules may open new avenues for gene therapy

A study investigating the function of the recently discovered enhancer RNA molecules may open new avenues for gene therapy. According to the study researchers, altering the production and function of these molecules could affect the expression of genes and, in consequence, possibly also the progression of various diseases.

14 Aug 2013

Proliferation of immune cells within plaques may be potential treatment target for atherosclerosis

New insights into the development of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques could lead to better treatment or prevention of heart attacks and strokes.

12 Aug 2013

Autologous tumor cell vaccination: An effective strategy to advance long-term leukemia control

Patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia often receive donor transplants that effectively "reboot" their own immune defenses, which then attack and potentially cure the hard-to-treat disease. However, there is a high rate of relapse in these patients, and the transplanted immune cells may also harm normal tissues, causing graft-versus-host disease.

7 Aug 2013

Researchers reveal process by which pancreatic inflammation morphs into pancreatic cancer

Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida have revealed the process by which chronic inflammation of the pancreas, pancreatitis, morphs into pancreatic cancer. They say their findings point to ways to identify pancreatitis patients at risk of pancreatic cancer and to potential drug therapies that might reverse the process.

6 Aug 2013