Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

Scientists discover how a well-known protein repairs broken DNA ends

During the life cycle of our cells, a minefield of environmental and biological assaults can lead to double-stranded DNA breaks, the most lethal and dangerous form of DNA damage. Now, in research published online this week in Nature, Rockefeller University scientists reveal that when these breaks occur, a protein called 53BP1 helps repair them by mobilizing their dangly DNA ends - findings that uncover a previously unknown aspect of how double-stranded breaks can get fixed.

26 Oct 2008

A new role for a critical DNA repair molecule in the immune system

The human immune system is a brilliantly adaptable weapon against foreign invaders. But it all depends on the work of specialized cells called lymphocytes that have made a risky evolutionary gambit to mutate their own DNA.

26 Oct 2008

CytoDyn files new IND for Cytolin

CytoDyn, Inc. has filed a new IND for a study to reconfirm dose ranging and to "prove the principle" with a randomized, double-blind placebo controlled study of Cytolin, the Company's first-in-class drug for treating HIV/AIDS. This comes 13 years after the first IND was issued for the drug.

22 Oct 2008

New rapid test for rare leukemia

A new twist on a well-known cell sorting technique may allow physicians to diagnose rare leukemias in hours instead of weeks, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and UC-San Francisco.

6 Oct 2008

Use of oral vitamin D supplements may help prevent eczema

A study led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine suggests that use of oral Vitamin D supplements bolsters production of a protective chemical normally found in the skin, and may help prevent skin infections that are a common result of atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema.

6 Oct 2008

Immune system hurts as well as fights cancer - discovery could lead to new cancer treatments with fewer side effects

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that some proteins of the immune system can promote tumor growth.

29 Sep 2008

New way to control protein activity could lead to cancer therapies

Investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found a way to quickly and reversibly fine-tune the activity of individual proteins in cells and living mammals, providing a powerful new laboratory tool for identifying - more precisely than ever before - the functions of different proteins.

28 Sep 2008

A blood marker may indicate Alzheimer's risk

A simple blood test capable of predicting if a person might develop Alzheimer's disease is within sight, and could eventually be used to help scientists reverse onset of the disease in those most at risk.

17 Sep 2008

Breast cancer vaccine could protect against aggressive HER2-positive breast tumours

Women with a certain type of breast cancer have been given hope in the form of a vaccine which promises to eliminate the cancer tumours.

16 Sep 2008

Study identifies immune response that enables TB bacteria to multiply, provides new target for TB drugs

Researchers have identified an immune system response to tuberculosis that enables TB bacteria to spread through the lungs, providing a new target for TB drug development, according to a study published Sunday in Nature Immunology, AFP/Washington Times reports.

16 Sep 2008

Vaccine against HER2-positive breast cancer offers complete protection in lab

Researchers at Wayne State University have tested a breast cancer vaccine they say completely eliminated HER2-positive tumors in mice - even cancers resistant to current anti-HER2 therapy - without any toxicity.

15 Sep 2008

DNA vaccine developed at the Karmanos Cancer Institute fights HER2-positive cancers

Researchers at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine have developed a HER2 DNA vaccine that has shown to be effective on drug resistant tumors in mice. The study was reported in the September 15 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

15 Sep 2008

Inovio Biomedical achieves 75% complete response rate in preclinical testing of DNA-based cancer vaccine using its electroporation DNA delivery system

Inovio Biomedical Corporation announced today that it achieved positive results from its proprietary research and development program for DNA-based cancer vaccines delivered using the company's electroporation-based DNA delivery technology.

15 Sep 2008

Drug-resistant plague - A bioterrorism concern?

The bacterium responsible for the "Black Plague," which led to the deaths of over 75 million people worldwide in the 14th century, may have other nasty tricks. Yersinia pestis can normally be treated and cured with a course of antibiotics, if caught within a few days of the symptoms.

11 Sep 2008

New technique in blood analysis may speed diagnosis of heart attacks

Someday doctors may be able to use a blood test to confirm within minutes, instead of hours, if a patient is having a heart attack, allowing more rapid treatment that could limit damage to heart muscle.

9 Sep 2008

Link found between Apobec3 gene and neutralizing antibody response to retrovirus

Scientists have uncovered new evidence that strengthens the link between a host-cell gene called Apobec3 and the production of neutralizing antibodies to retroviruses. Published in the Sept. 5 issue of Science, the finding adds a new dimension to the set of possible explanations for why most people who are infected with HIV do not make neutralizing antibodies that effectively fight the virus.

4 Sep 2008

Anadis to commercialise "BioGard" adjunctive therapy for HIV/AIDS

Anadis announced today its commercialization of a new product, BioGard, intended to maintain gastrointestinal and immune system health. The specific formulation may be of particular clinical benefit in persons undergoing antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS.

4 Sep 2008

Merck Serono and Ablynx to jointly develop nanobodies

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Ablynx, to co-discover and co-develop Nanobodies against two targets in oncology and immunology. The agreement includes an upfront cash payment to Ablynx of EUR10 million.

4 Sep 2008

Monitoring immune responses in disease

A recent study published in Clinical Immunology, the official journal of the Clinical Immunology Society (CIS), describes a new method enabling the detection of multiple parameters of single human cells.

3 Sep 2008

Most vaccine-allergic children can still be safely vaccinated

With close monitoring and a few standard precautions, nearly all children with known or suspected vaccine allergies can be safely immunized, according to a team of vaccine safety experts led by the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Writing in the September issue of Pediatrics, the multicenter research team offers pediatricians a step-by-step tool for quickly identifying children with allergic reactions to vaccines, and a much-needed guide, they say, to safely immunize those who are allergic.

2 Sep 2008