Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

Long-term use of herbal remedies may not guarantee safety

Millions of people around the world use herbal health remedies, following a tradition that began millennia ago. Many believe that herbs are safe because they have been used for many years, but researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Stony Brook University are raising awareness that long-term use of herbal remedies is no guarantee of their safety. The invited commentary appears in EMBO reports.

4 May 2016

Researchers identify 43 specific genes associated with both autism and cancer

Autism and cancer share more than 40 risk genes, suggesting that common mechanisms underlying the functions of some of these genes could conceivably be leveraged to develop therapies not just for cancer but for autism as well, an extensive assessment by researchers with the UC Davis MIND Institute and Comprehensive Cancer Center has found.

4 May 2016

Total cessation of GnRH production by hypothalamic neurons can lead to infertility

Individual small RNAs are responsible for controlling the expression of gonadoliberin or GnRH (Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone), a neurohormone that controls sexual maturation, the appearance of puberty, and fertility in adults.

3 May 2016

New investigational inhibitor JQEZ5 can block specific molecular malfunctions driving cancer

In a step forward in the push for targeted treatments that can block the specific molecular malfunctions driving cancer, University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have demonstrated how a genetic mutation can drive the most common type of lymphoma as well as melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

3 May 2016

LJI study could provide important target for autoimmune disease interventions

Follicular helper T cells (Tfh cells), a rare type of T cells, are indispensable for the maturation of antibody-producing B cells. They promote the proliferation of B cells that produce highly selective antibodies against invading pathogens while weeding out those that generate potentially harmful ones.

3 May 2016

Antibiotic treatment may allow bad bugs to flourish

Antibiotics are essential for fighting bacterial infection, but, paradoxically, they can also make the body more prone to infection and diarrhea.

3 May 2016

CMGH study offers insight into future interventions for Crohn's disease, chronic pancreatitis

Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology is committed to publishing impactful digestive biology research covering a broad spectrum of themes in GI, hepatology and pancreatology. We wanted to share two new CMGH articles, which both offer important insight into future interventions for chronic conditions.

30 Apr 2016

New miniaturized microscope offers unprecedented insight into nervous system function

A microscope about the size of a penny is giving scientists a new window into the everyday activity of cells within the spinal cord. The innovative technology revealed that astrocytes--cells in the nervous system that do not conduct electrical signals and were traditionally viewed as merely supportive--unexpectedly react to intense sensation.

28 Apr 2016

ZOTEN nanoparticles can help develop natural immunity against genital herpes

An effective vaccine against the virus that causes genital herpes has evaded researchers for decades. But now, researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago working with scientists from Germany have shown that zinc-oxide nanoparticles shaped like jacks can prevent the virus from entering cells, and help natural immunity to develop.

28 Apr 2016

New study on retroviral DNA could help improve treatments for HIV infection

When retroviruses such as HIV infect a cell, they first make a copy of their RNA genome in the form of DNA. The relatively short viral DNA strand then moves to the cell nucleus, where it inserts itself into the host cell's DNA.

27 Apr 2016

TSRI study reveals important traits in LCMV, Lassa virus

For the first time, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have solved the structure of the biological machinery used by a common virus to recognize and attack human host cells.

27 Apr 2016

Allergen chip helps early detection of allergies

People can become allergically sensitized straight from birth. "Early screening is therefore important to detect allergies early so that steps can be taken to prevent serious forms of illness developing," say the MedUni Vienna allergy researchers, speaking on the occasion of World Immunology Day on 29 April and the current WHO World Immunization Week.

27 Apr 2016

Rapamycin drug could target neural damage linked to Leigh syndrome

Salk Institute scientists showed how an FDA-approved drug boosts the health of brain cells by limiting their energy use. Like removing unnecessary lighting from a financially strapped household to save on electricity bills, the drug--called rapamycin--prolongs the survival of diseased neurons by forcing them to reduce protein production to conserve cellular energy.

27 Apr 2016

New method measures LCO in person's standing posture to diagnose neuromuscular disorders

A new technique might be used to diagnose neuromuscular disorders such as multiple sclerosis or impairment from concussions by detecting and measuring subtle oscillations in a person's standing posture.

27 Apr 2016

First-ever vaccine to combat Leishmaniasis under development

As scientists scramble to get a Zika virus vaccine into human trials by the end of the summer, a team of researchers is working on the first-ever vaccine to prevent another insect-borne disease - Leishmaniasis - from gaining a similar foothold in the Americas.

27 Apr 2016

Newly published manuscripts enhance understanding of the immune system

MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, today announced that it has achieved a significant scientific milestone by publishing three manuscripts in Nature Immunology that advance the understanding of the immune system and highlight underlying mechanisms in two little-understood disease areas -- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

26 Apr 2016

Salk scientists reveal how cellular fuel gauge plays unexpected role in development

Salk scientists have revealed how a cellular "fuel gauge" responsible for monitoring and managing cells' energy processes also has an unexpected role in development. This critical link could help researchers better understand cancer and diabetes pathways.

26 Apr 2016

New study finds no increase in food-specific IgE levels linked to food allergies

A new study using 5,000 stored blood samples found no increase in the presence of food-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) — a blood marker associated with food allergy — in children's blood between the 1980s and the 2000s.

26 Apr 2016

Immunology experts aim to develop point-of-care test for early detection of Lyme disease

As part of the EU "ID Lyme" project, the infection immunology working group at the Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology at the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology at the Medical University of Vienna is working on developing of a new test for early detection of Lyme disease (borreliosis).

25 Apr 2016

Study shows cancer cell death via necroptosis can drive pancreatic tumor growth

The most aggressive form of pancreatic cancer - often described as one of the hardest malignancies to diagnose and treat -- thrives in the presence of neighboring tumor cells undergoing a particular form of "orchestrated cell death." This is according to a major study recently published in the journal Nature.

25 Apr 2016

Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

Long-term use of herbal remedies may not guarantee safety

Researchers identify 43 specific genes associated with both autism and cancer

Total cessation of GnRH production by hypothalamic neurons can lead to infertility

New investigational inhibitor JQEZ5 can block specific molecular malfunctions driving cancer

LJI study could provide important target for autoimmune disease interventions

Antibiotic treatment may allow bad bugs to flourish

CMGH study offers insight into future interventions for Crohn's disease, chronic pancreatitis

New miniaturized microscope offers unprecedented insight into nervous system function

ZOTEN nanoparticles can help develop natural immunity against genital herpes

New study on retroviral DNA could help improve treatments for HIV infection

TSRI study reveals important traits in LCMV, Lassa virus

Allergen chip helps early detection of allergies

Rapamycin drug could target neural damage linked to Leigh syndrome

New method measures LCO in person's standing posture to diagnose neuromuscular disorders

First-ever vaccine to combat Leishmaniasis under development

Newly published manuscripts enhance understanding of the immune system

Salk scientists reveal how cellular fuel gauge plays unexpected role in development

New study finds no increase in food-specific IgE levels linked to food allergies

Immunology experts aim to develop point-of-care test for early detection of Lyme disease

Study shows cancer cell death via necroptosis can drive pancreatic tumor growth

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