Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center launches REGID

A new nationwide registry will allow researchers to conduct larger, more effective studies of often misdiagnosed disorders that affect thousands of children in the United States.

19 May 2010

FDA accepts for filing Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals' cysteamine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution NDA

Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the filing of the company's new drug application (NDA) for its cysteamine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution, an investigational therapy for the treatment of corneal cystine crystals in patients with cystinosis. The FDA also granted the NDA Priority Review status, a designation given to drugs that may provide major advances or a treatment where no adequate therapy exists.

18 May 2010

Australian doctors identify new disease and devise its cure

A team of Australian doctors have identified a new disease and its cure. In their report published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases the doctors from The Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) report a case of a young NSW woman ill for almost a decade with repeated hospitalizations. She is now said to be suffering from a diseases that disabled the signaling processes of her immune system. The diseases is not named yet. Dr Maher Gandhi, head of QIMR's Immunohemotology Laboratory believes there are more cases of this disease. He said this Monday, “I haven't got a name for it other than T-cell signaling defect of which I assume there are quite a few different types… There are no recorded cases of this in the literature. Katie is unique ... I think we're at the tip of the iceberg here.”

17 May 2010

High fat diet linked to exacerbation of asthma

In a new study researchers have found a connection between exacerbation of bronchial asthma and high calorie burgers and fries. Diet and lifestyle have been linked to asthma for some time now but this is the first real evidence. With the advent of unhealthy diets the incidence and prevalence of asthma is on the rise. In 2007, about 34.1 million Americans had asthma, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. From 1980 through 1994, the prevalence of asthma increased by 75 percent.

17 May 2010

Scientists find clues to how our brains work

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have found a specific chemical compound secreted by many predators that makes mice behave fearfully. The research helps scientists better understand animal behavior, and may eventually lead to new insights into how sensory information is processed in human brains.

17 May 2010

Astellas Pharma, OSI Pharmaceuticals sign definitive merger agreement

Astellas Pharma Inc., a global pharmaceutical company, and OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company primarily focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of molecular targeted therapies addressing medical needs in oncology, diabetes and obesity, today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Astellas will acquire OSI.

17 May 2010

HSPH researchers succeed in locking malaria parasites within infected blood cells

Harvard School of Public Health researchers and colleagues seeking to block invasion of healthy red blood cells by malaria parasites have instead succeeded in locking the parasites within infected blood cells, potentially containing the disease.

15 May 2010

UC researchers explore dynamics of bacterial evolution

Researchers found that as dominant members of the population surrendered to host immune defenses, they were replaced by a hyperaggressive, mutant minority population that thrived and took over the abandoned community to become the new majority.

15 May 2010

NanoViricides signs research and development agreement with Dr. Ken S. Rosenthal's laboratory

NanoViricides, Inc., reports that it has signed a research and development agreement with Dr. Ken S. Rosenthal's laboratory at Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy.

14 May 2010

Opexa Therapeutics reports lower net loss of $1.4M for first-quarter 2010

Opexa Therapeutics, Inc., a company developing Tovaxin®, a novel T-cell therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), today reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010 and provided an update on its corporate developments.

14 May 2010

Rotavirus vaccination associated with decline in U.S. hospitalization rates for acute gastroenteritis: Study

Vaccinating infants against rotavirus, a leading cause of severe diarrhea and dehydration among babies and young children, was associated with a dramatic decline in U.S. hospitalization rates for acute gastroenteritis.

14 May 2010

HIV disease tends to progress at faster rate in infected individuals who consume more alcoholic drinks

HIV disease tends to progress at a faster rate in infected individuals who consume two or more alcoholic drinks a day, according to an important new paper in AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

14 May 2010

Study shows direct cellular interaction between endocannabinoids and alcohol in the brain

In findings that should finally put to rest a decade of controversy in the field of neurobiology, a team at The Scripps Research Institute has found decisive evidence that a specific neurotransmitter system-the endocannabinoid system-is active in a brain region known to play a key role in the processing of memory, emotional reactions, and addiction formation. The new study also shows that this system can dampen the effects of alcohol, suggesting an avenue for the development of drugs to combat alcohol addiction.

13 May 2010

Daily consumption of probiotic cheese helps tackle age-related changes in immune system: Research

Scientists in Finland have discovered that cheese can help preserve and enhance the immune system of the elderly by acting as a carrier for probiotic bacteria. The research, published in FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology, reveals that daily consumption of probiotic cheese helps to tackle age-related changes in the immune system.

13 May 2010

Researchers develop new approach to immunotherapy of cancer

Harnessing the immune system is emerging as one of the most promising new ways to fight cancer. Most cancer cells are eliminated by the immune system; however, over a lifetime, a few may escape this immune surveillance and lead to tumors and metastases. Hence a formidable opportunity has been to find ways to make the immune system recognize the tumor as a foreign body and trigger a response.

13 May 2010

Sex can affect frequency and severity of adverse effects of vaccination

Biological differences between the sexes could be a significant predictor of responses to vaccines, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. They examined published data from numerous adult and child vaccine trials and found that sex is a fundamental, but often overlooked predictor of vaccine response that could help predict the efficacy of combating infectious disease.

13 May 2010

Survey shows alarming increase of peanut allergies in children

Results of a nationwide telephone survey have shown that the rate of peanut allergies in children more than tripled from 1997 to 2008. The data are reported in the May 12 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

13 May 2010

FDA should apply equal rigor in assessing food claims and drug approvals, says new report

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should apply the same rigor to evaluating the science behind claims of foods' and nutritional supplements' health benefits as it devotes to assessing medication and medical technology approvals, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

13 May 2010

Art therapy benefits children with persistent asthma: Researchers

In the first randomized trial of art therapy for asthma, National Jewish Health researchers found that children with persistent asthma enjoyed decreased anxiety and increased quality of life after seven weekly art-therapy sessions.

13 May 2010

Merck hosts R&D and Business Briefing

Merck & Co., Inc. today hosted its first R&D and Business Briefing since the completion of the Merck and Schering-Plough merger. The event included a comprehensive review of the company's late-stage pipeline, as well as the company's commercial strategy and progress made in the integration of Merck's worldwide operations.

12 May 2010

Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center launches REGID

FDA accepts for filing Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals' cysteamine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution NDA

Australian doctors identify new disease and devise its cure

High fat diet linked to exacerbation of asthma

Scientists find clues to how our brains work

Astellas Pharma, OSI Pharmaceuticals sign definitive merger agreement

HSPH researchers succeed in locking malaria parasites within infected blood cells

UC researchers explore dynamics of bacterial evolution

NanoViricides signs research and development agreement with Dr. Ken S. Rosenthal's laboratory

Opexa Therapeutics reports lower net loss of $1.4M for first-quarter 2010

Rotavirus vaccination associated with decline in U.S. hospitalization rates for acute gastroenteritis: Study

HIV disease tends to progress at faster rate in infected individuals who consume more alcoholic drinks

Study shows direct cellular interaction between endocannabinoids and alcohol in the brain

Daily consumption of probiotic cheese helps tackle age-related changes in immune system: Research

Researchers develop new approach to immunotherapy of cancer

Sex can affect frequency and severity of adverse effects of vaccination

Survey shows alarming increase of peanut allergies in children

FDA should apply equal rigor in assessing food claims and drug approvals, says new report

Art therapy benefits children with persistent asthma: Researchers

Merck hosts R&D and Business Briefing

Immunology eBook

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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