Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

Positive results from Ardea Biosciences' Phase 2b study of RDEA594 for hyperuricemia and gout

Ardea Biosciences, Inc. announced positive, preliminary, top-line results from its Phase 2b monotherapy study of RDEA594, its lead product candidate for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. In this 28-day, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation study, 123 gout patients with hyperuricemia (serum urate levels greater than or equal to 8 mg/dL) received 200 mg once-daily (qd) RDEA594, 400 mg qd RDEA594, 600 mg qd RDEA594 or matching placebo.

1 Apr 2010

Dr. Ingmar Bruns selected as seventh recipient of EHA-ASH Research Exchange Award

The European Hematology Association and the American Society of Hematology have selected Ingmar Bruns, MD, as the seventh recipient of the EHA-ASH Research Exchange Award, which serves to strengthen ties between North American and European scientific communities.

31 Mar 2010

Astellas Pharma extends all-cash tender offer of OSI Pharmaceuticals

Astellas Pharma Inc. announced today that it has extended its all-cash tender offer for $52 per share for all of the currently outstanding shares of common stock (including the associated stock purchase rights) of OSI Pharmaceuticals to 11:59 p.m. New York City time on Friday, April 23, 2010, unless further extended.

31 Mar 2010

YM BioSciences receives approval to expand enrolment in Phase I/II clinical trial of CYT387

YM BioSciences Inc., announced that it has received ethics board approval to expand enrolment in its Phase I/II clinical trial of CYT387 at Mayo Clinic in patients with myelofibrosis, a chronic debilitating condition, where patient's bone marrow is replaced by scar tissue.

31 Mar 2010

Mutations in gene protecting body leads to development of cancer

An important gene that normally protects the body against cancer can itself cause a variety of cancers depending on the specific mutation that damages it, according to a new study by investigators at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC-James).

30 Mar 2010

Rite Aid, AAAAI team up to offer guides to allergy sufferers

Rite Aid and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology are again teaming up this spring to help allergy sufferers with free allergy guides available now in nearly 4,800 Rite Aid stores nationwide and online at www.riteaid.com.

30 Mar 2010

Astellas Pharma, OSIP enter into confidentiality agreement

Astellas Pharma Inc. confirmed today that it has entered into a confidentiality agreement with OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Under the agreement, OSI will provide Astellas with access to certain non-public information. This follows Astellas' approach to OSI after OSI's announcement that its board of directors had instructed its management and financial advisors to contact interested third parties regarding a potential transaction.

30 Mar 2010

UAB researchers discover first bio-marker for MS

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have found the first bio-marker for multiple sclerosis that might predict which patients will respond to a standard therapy and which will not.

29 Mar 2010

Study provides new clues to obesity epidemic

In a newly published study, scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have shown for the first time that the same molecular mechanisms that drive people into drug addiction are behind the compulsion to overeat, pushing people into obesity.

29 Mar 2010

Role Tregs play in therapeutic HIV vaccines

Like a skittish driver slamming the brakes, a special class of T cells may be limiting the effectiveness of therapeutic vaccines for HIV by slowing the immune system response too soon, report University of Pittsburgh health science researchers in the current issue of PLoS ONE. Their study, the first to look at the role of regulatory T cells in therapeutic HIV vaccines, may help researchers improve the efficacy of such vaccines by devising methods to circumvent the braking mechanism of these cells.

27 Mar 2010

Fundamental step in immune system development discovered

Researchers at National Jewish Health have discovered a fundamental step in the development of the immune system, one that allows B cells to mature and fight disease by producing effective antibodies. Immunologist Roberta Pelanda, PhD, and her colleagues have demonstrated that immature B cells in the bone marrow must receive a positive signal before they can migrate to the spleen where they mature and are activated. In the March 15, 2010 issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine, the researchers also reported that a protein known as Erk helps deliver that positive signal.

26 Mar 2010

Genetic instability in people with Fanconi anemia: New proteins in FA DNA repair pathway may help explain

Identification of two new proteins in the Fanconi anemia DNA repair pathway may help explain genetic instability in people with Fanconi anemia and how otherwise healthy people are susceptible to cancer from environmentally triggered DNA damage.

26 Mar 2010

Sirolimus-based immunosuppression improves survivals after transplantation for HCC

26 Mar 2010

NYU researchers identify novel therapy for rheumatoid arthritis

By enhancing the activity of immune cells that protect against runaway inflammation, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center may have found a novel therapy for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.

26 Mar 2010

Fluidigm, SABiosciences partner to create pathway-focused gene expression panels for BioMark system

Fluidigm Corporation and SABiosciences (a QIAGEN Company) today announced that they have teamed up to create over 100 pathway-focused gene expression panels validated for real-time PCR analysis on the Fluidigm BioMark™ System for Genetic Analysis. These kits are named the RT² Profiler™ PCR Arrays for the Fluidigm BioMark system.

26 Mar 2010

Standard HCV therapy less effective in urban minority patients: Study

A recent study confirms that the standard hepatitis C therapy, pegylated interferon and ribavirin, is significantly less effective in urban minority patients treated in an ordinary clinical practice setting compared with results produced during clinical trials.

26 Mar 2010

New therapies increase survival rates in post-transplant liver cancer patients

A recent study found that sirolimus-based immunosuppression following liver transplantation in patients with non-resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) significantly increases survival rates for this patient population. Results of this study appear in the April issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

25 Mar 2010

Children with severe food allergic reactions need two doses of epinephrine

In a large six-year review of emergency department (ED) data, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston, in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital, found that many children with severe food-related allergic reactions need a second dose of epinephrine, suggesting that patients carrying EpiPens should carry two doses instead of one.

25 Mar 2010

Experimental vaccine can help delay IBD and colon cancer

An experimental vaccine against an abnormal protein found in some tumors has the potential to delay the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and in turn prevent progression to colon cancer, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

25 Mar 2010

New provision in health care bill ensures physicians’ participation in PQRI program

A provision in the health care reform measure passed by the House of Representatives Sunday and signed into law today by President Barack Obama includes participation in the American Board of Medical Specialties Maintenance of Certification® (ABMS MOC®) as an option for the nation’s physicians to fulfill requirements of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI

24 Mar 2010

Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

Positive results from Ardea Biosciences' Phase 2b study of RDEA594 for hyperuricemia and gout

Dr. Ingmar Bruns selected as seventh recipient of EHA-ASH Research Exchange Award

Astellas Pharma extends all-cash tender offer of OSI Pharmaceuticals

YM BioSciences receives approval to expand enrolment in Phase I/II clinical trial of CYT387

Mutations in gene protecting body leads to development of cancer

Rite Aid, AAAAI team up to offer guides to allergy sufferers

Astellas Pharma, OSIP enter into confidentiality agreement

UAB researchers discover first bio-marker for MS

Study provides new clues to obesity epidemic

Role Tregs play in therapeutic HIV vaccines

Fundamental step in immune system development discovered

Genetic instability in people with Fanconi anemia: New proteins in FA DNA repair pathway may help explain

Sirolimus-based immunosuppression improves survivals after transplantation for HCC

NYU researchers identify novel therapy for rheumatoid arthritis

Fluidigm, SABiosciences partner to create pathway-focused gene expression panels for BioMark system

Standard HCV therapy less effective in urban minority patients: Study

New therapies increase survival rates in post-transplant liver cancer patients

Children with severe food allergic reactions need two doses of epinephrine

Experimental vaccine can help delay IBD and colon cancer

New provision in health care bill ensures physicians’ participation in PQRI program

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