Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

First comprehensive textbook on psychology for medical students

Psychology for medicine, published today by SAGE, is the first comprehensive textbook on psychology for medical students that is relevant to all of their undergraduate studies. Following the General Medical Council's call for greater coverage of psychology throughout medical degree courses, this groundbreaking textbook does just that - presenting all the psychology an undergraduate medical student needs to know.

17 Dec 2010

New study contradicts presence of oxysterols in multiple sclerosis patients

New research findings appearing in the January Journal of Lipid Research indicate that compounds called oxysterols are not present in any significant amount in multiple sclerosis patients, contradicting a previous study that suggested that some of these cholesterol metabolites were associated with MS and could be used as diagnostic tools in the clinic.

16 Dec 2010

NIH grants $7.5 million for researchers to develop novel compounds in treating nicotine addiction

The Scripps Research Institute and the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine have been awarded approximately $7.5 million over five years to develop novel compounds that could eventually become drug candidates for the treatment of nicotine dependence, and possibly other drug addictions.

16 Dec 2010

African sleeping sickness parasite's previously unrecognized extreme social behavior discovered

Long considered a freewheeling loner, the Trypanosoma brucei parasite responsible for African sleeping sickness has revealed a totally unexpected social side, opening a potential chink in the behavioral armor of this and other supposedly solitary human parasites, according to research presented at the American Society for Cell Biology's 50th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.

15 Dec 2010

Profectus' GENEVAX IL-12 pDNA adjuvant improves vaccine-induced response rate in Phase I HIV study

Profectus Biosciences, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against infectious diseases and cancers, announced today that its GENEVAX™ IL-12 pDNA adjuvant has significantly improved the vaccine-induced response rate in a Phase I clinical study of an experimental DNA vaccine for the prevention of HIV infection.

15 Dec 2010

Study suggests unexpected role for NLRP3 protein in cancer vaccine development

The promise of vaccines targeted against various types of cancer has raised the hopes of patients and their families. The reality, however, is that these promising treatments are difficult to develop. One of the challenges is identifying a discrete cellular target to stop cancer growth without inactivating the immune system. Scientists at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center report a laboratory finding that has the potential to increase the effectiveness of therapeutic cancer vaccines.

15 Dec 2010

Angiogenesis inhibition is a validated strategy for cancer therapy

Scientists at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute may have uncovered a mechanism for blocking tumor angiogenesis that involves the patient's immune system, according to findings published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

15 Dec 2010

CRI introduces new model of philanthropic investment to improve cancer patient care

Cancer Research Institute, Inc. (CRI), a U.S. nonprofit organization established in 1953 to advance the science of tumor immunology and foster the discovery of new cancer immunotherapies, announced today the launch of the Cancer Vaccine Acceleration Fund (CVAF), a new model of philanthropic investment and academic-industry collaboration established in partnership with the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd (LICR) to speed the clinical development of therapeutic cancer vaccines and other immune system-based therapies.

15 Dec 2010

ISTA commences bepotastine besilate nasal spray Phase 2 study in seasonal allergic rhinitis

ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced it has initiated a Phase 2 clinical study of bepotastine besilate nasal spray for the treatment of symptoms associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis, the inflammation of the nasal passages caused by allergies. The randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group environmental study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of bepotastine besilate, dosed twice daily, in patients presenting with allergic rhinitis caused by one of the most potent seasonal allergy triggers, Mountain Cedar pollen.

14 Dec 2010

Talecris evaluates response to $37M jury verdict in favor of Plasma Centers of America

Talecris Biotherapeutics Holdings Inc. announced today that a jury in the General Court of Justice, Superior Court Division, Wake County, North Carolina, rendered a verdict on December 13, 2010 in the amount of $37 million in favor of Plasma Centers of America, LLC, against its subsidiary, Talecris Plasma Resources, Inc., in a breach of contract claim.

14 Dec 2010

Clinical trail shows 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine safe and effective in asthma patients

Results from a government-sponsored clinical trial of inactivated 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in people with asthma indicate that a single dose of vaccine was safe and induced a strong immune response predictive of protection.

14 Dec 2010

Mouse study shows flu virus infection may protect against asthma

In a paper that suggests a new strategy to prevent asthma, scientists at Children's Hospital Boston and their colleagues report that the influenza virus infection in young mice protected the mice as adults against the development of allergic asthma.

14 Dec 2010

Drug to reverse immunological decline in aging

UCSF researchers have identified an existing medication that restores key elements of the immune system that, when out of balance, lead to a steady decline in immunity and health as people age.

14 Dec 2010

Apartment living exposes kids to more second-hand smoke

A new study finds that kids who live in apartments have more tobacco contaminants in their blood than those who live in houses, even if smokers in the household refrain from smoking at home.

13 Dec 2010

TRL, Anaphore partner to develop novel protein therapies for autoimmune diseases

Tanabe Research Laboratories U.S.A. Inc., (TRL) announced today that it has entered into a partnership with Anaphore Inc. for the research and preclinical development of novel protein therapies for autoimmune diseases based on Anaphore's proprietary Atrimer™ technology.

13 Dec 2010

Scientists discover key molecular events in immune system that contribute to inflammatory bowel disease

Scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have discovered some of the key molecular events in the immune system that contribute to inflammatory bowel disease.

13 Dec 2010

Boehringer Ingelheim reports positive results from afatinib phase IIb/III LUX-Lung 1 trial in advanced NSCLC

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that new data from a subgroup analysis of the phase IIb/III LUX-Lung 1 trial show that afatinib (BIBW 2992) reached a four-fold extension (4.4 months vs. 1.0 month for placebo) in progression-free survival (PFS) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients most likely to have an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation. The updated LUX-Lung 1 data will be presented at the Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology.

13 Dec 2010

Official guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and management of food allergies released

A collaborative, government-led effort to guide and standardize diagnosis, treatment and management of food allergies has resulted in the release of an official set of recommendations for physicians.

10 Dec 2010

Talecris initiates clinical trial to evaluate 2 doses of PROLASTIN-C for emphysema due to AAT deficiency

Talecris Biotherapeutics, Inc. announced today the initiation of a clinical trial evaluating the safety and the pharmacokinetic profile of two doses of PROLASTIN®-C (Alpha(1)-Proteinase Inhibitor [Human]) (A1PI), a therapy indicated for chronic augmentation and maintenance in adults with emphysema due to alpha(1)-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency. AAT deficiency is a rare, genetic disorder in which low levels of the alpha(1) protein circulating in the lungs can increase an individual's risk of developing emphysema.

10 Dec 2010

Some key molecular events in immune system contribute to inflammatory bowel disease: Scientists

Scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have discovered some of the key molecular events in the immune system that contribute to inflammatory bowel disease. The results, which help researchers move one step further in their efforts to develop new drugs to treat inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases, are reported in the November 2010 edition of the journal Mucosal Immunology from the Nature Publishing Group.

10 Dec 2010

Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

First comprehensive textbook on psychology for medical students

New study contradicts presence of oxysterols in multiple sclerosis patients

NIH grants $7.5 million for researchers to develop novel compounds in treating nicotine addiction

African sleeping sickness parasite's previously unrecognized extreme social behavior discovered

Profectus' GENEVAX IL-12 pDNA adjuvant improves vaccine-induced response rate in Phase I HIV study

Study suggests unexpected role for NLRP3 protein in cancer vaccine development

Angiogenesis inhibition is a validated strategy for cancer therapy

CRI introduces new model of philanthropic investment to improve cancer patient care

ISTA commences bepotastine besilate nasal spray Phase 2 study in seasonal allergic rhinitis

Talecris evaluates response to $37M jury verdict in favor of Plasma Centers of America

Clinical trail shows 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine safe and effective in asthma patients

Mouse study shows flu virus infection may protect against asthma

Drug to reverse immunological decline in aging

Apartment living exposes kids to more second-hand smoke

TRL, Anaphore partner to develop novel protein therapies for autoimmune diseases

Scientists discover key molecular events in immune system that contribute to inflammatory bowel disease

Boehringer Ingelheim reports positive results from afatinib phase IIb/III LUX-Lung 1 trial in advanced NSCLC

Official guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and management of food allergies released

Talecris initiates clinical trial to evaluate 2 doses of PROLASTIN-C for emphysema due to AAT deficiency

Some key molecular events in immune system contribute to inflammatory bowel disease: Scientists

Immunology eBook

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer