Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

New gene therapy protects mice from life-threatening heart condition

A new gene therapy developed by researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine has been shown to protect mice from a life-threatening heart condition caused by muscular dystrophy.

21 Aug 2014

Scientists discover area of brain that could control person's motivation to exercise

Scientists at Seattle Children's Research Institute have discovered an area of the brain that could control a person's motivation to exercise and participate in other rewarding activities - potentially leading to improved treatments for depression.

21 Aug 2014

OMRF receives $14.5 million grant from NIH to continue research on anthrax

The National Institutes of Health has awarded the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation a five-year, $14.5 million grant to continue its research on anthrax and the bacteria's effects on humans.

21 Aug 2014

Study examines national impact of newborn screening test for SCID

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), a potentially life-threatening, but treatable, disorder affecting infants, is twice as common as previously believed, according to a new study that is the first to examine the national impact of this newborn screening test.

20 Aug 2014

New antibodies could pave way for more effective drugs to combat influenza infection

Research toward developing new antibodies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Faculty of Medicine could pave the way for more effective drugs to combat influenza infection.

20 Aug 2014

Scientists identify biomarker strongly associated with aggressive breast cancer

Two Northwestern University scientists have identified a biomarker strongly associated with basal-like breast cancer, a highly aggressive carcinoma that is resistant to many types of chemotherapy. The biomarker, a protein called STAT3, provides a smart target for new therapeutics designed to treat this often deadly cancer.

20 Aug 2014

Research finds stronger weapon against leprosy and tuberculosis

In many parts of the world, leprosy and tuberculosis live side-by-side. Worldwide there are approximately 233,000 new cases of leprosy per year, with nearly all of them occurring where tuberculosis is endemic.

20 Aug 2014

New study shows how immune system developed in the course of evolution

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics (MPI-IE) in Freiburg re-activated expression of an ancient gene, which is not normally expressed in the mammalian immune system, and found that the animals developed a fish-like thymus.

19 Aug 2014

NASA study reveals how spaceflight affects immune system of crew members

There is nothing like a head cold to make us feel a little dazed. We get things like colds and the flu because of changes in our immune system. Researchers have a good idea what causes immune system changes on Earth-think stress, inadequate sleep and improper nutrition.

19 Aug 2014

New research finds that early use of antibiotics can alter immunity later on

New University of British Columbia research found that receiving antibiotic treatments early in life can increase susceptibility to specific diseases later on.

19 Aug 2014

WHO taps UTMB to lead emerging infectious disease vaccine efforts

The world experts on vaccine development at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have received an international designation acknowledging their unique niche in a sphere where research, government regulation and big pharma often collide.

16 Aug 2014

Young inner-city children appear to suffer from food allergies

Already known for their higher-than-usual risk of asthma and environmental allergies, young inner-city children appear to suffer disproportionately from food allergies as well, according to results of a study led by scientists at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

15 Aug 2014

Food allergies more common in young inner-city children

15 Aug 2014

AEG-1 protein blocks effects of retinoic acid in leukemia and liver cancer

Retinoic acid is a form of vitamin A that is used to treat and help prevent the recurrence of a variety of cancers, but for some patients the drug is not effective.

14 Aug 2014

Ebola virus defeats attempts by interferon to block viral reproduction in infected cells

One of the human body's first responses to a viral infection is to make and release signaling proteins called interferons, which amplify the immune system response to viruses.

14 Aug 2014

Researchers discover new clue to understanding how TB medication attacks dormant TB bacteria

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health say they have discovered a new clue to understanding how the most important medication for tuberculosis (TB) works to attack dormant TB bacteria in order to shorten treatment.

13 Aug 2014

MicroVAX begins phase I clinical trial for proprietary cancer vaccine platform

MicroVAX, LLC, a biotech company located in Manassas, Virginia announced today the commencement of a phase I clinical trial for its unique and proprietary vaccine platform that allows under the provisions of an FDA IND entry of patients with cancers of the, breast, prostate, colon, ovary and lung, that have relapsed after initial salvage therapy.

13 Aug 2014

Researchers develop novel fluorescence-based assay for early detection of diabetes

A team of researchers from the Center for Engineering in Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a novel fluorescence-based assay for sensitive detection of antibodies within microliter volume serum samples.

12 Aug 2014

Epigenetics has a large say in blood formation

Blood stem cells have the potential to turn into any type of blood cell, whether it be the oxygen-carrying red blood cells, or the many types of white blood cells of the immune system that help fight infection.

12 Aug 2014

CAP awards accreditation to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

The Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) has awarded accreditation to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based on results of a recent on-site inspection as part of the CAP's Accreditation Programs.

12 Aug 2014