White Blood Cell News and Research

RSS

Clinical rule stratifies CAP patients’ cardiac risk

Researchers have generated and validated a clinical rule that accurately stratifies patients hospitalized for community acquired pneumonia according to their risk for cardiac complications.

20 Jan 2014

Research paper highlights the role of T-cells in HIV

Ryan Zurakowski, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Delaware, is co-author of a paper appearing in Nature Medicine on Jan. 12 highlighting the role of T-cells in HIV.

15 Jan 2014

IDMC recommends early stopping of Phase 3 study of ibrutinib in treatment of CLL/SLL

Janssen-Cilag International NV today announced the early stopping of PCYC-1112-CA, the Phase 3 study of ibrutinib in the treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma, based on the recommendation of an Independent Data Monitoring Committee, which concluded that the study showed a significant difference in progression-free survival as compared to the control, the primary endpoint of the study.

8 Jan 2014

Study examine effect of high out-of-pocket drug costs for targeted cancer therapies on patients

The cost of insurance co-payments for cutting-edge pharmaceuticals can vary widely from patient to patient. When the patient's share of prescription costs becomes too high, many patients skip doses or stop taking medication entirely, according to research conducted at the University of North Carolina.

6 Jan 2014

Hopkins scientists design new mouse that mimics common form of leukemia

Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigators have genetically engineered a new mouse that mimics a common form of leukemia in humans. Studying the model could lead to new understanding of the disease, they say.

6 Jan 2014

Study suggests that ROR1 could be an important therapeutic target for patients with CLL

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that an oncogene dubbed ROR1, found on chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) B cells but not normal adult tissues, acts as an accelerant when combined with another oncogene, resulting in a faster-developing, more aggressive form of CLL in mice.

3 Jan 2014

Two on-the-rise esophagus conditions can be the result of food allergy, say doctors

Researchers at the UNC School of Medicine found that two on-the-rise esophagus conditions are so similar that even a biopsy is not enough to distinguish one disease from the other.

17 Dec 2013

Cancer cells that fuse with macrophages play key role in the spread of cancer

Cancer cells that spontaneously fuse with macrophages, the immune system's healthy scavenger cells, play a key role in the metastasis, or spread of the cancer to other areas of the body, according to research to be presented Sunday, Dec. 15, at the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting in New Orleans.

16 Dec 2013

Late-breaking abstracts on treatment of blood cancers and bleeding disorders presented at ASH meeting

A range of studies highlighting late-breaking research advances in the understanding and treatment of blood cancers and bleeding disorders are being presented today during the 55th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans.

12 Dec 2013

Ligand announces data from preclinical studies on small-molecule oral G-CSF receptor agonist

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced that data from preclinical studies on its granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) receptor agonist program were featured in a poster presentation today at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology in New Orleans.

9 Dec 2013

Janssen reports positive pivotal Phase 2 study data of siltuximab for Multicentric Castleman's Disease

Janssen Research & Development, LLC today announced positive results from a pivotal Phase 2 global registration study (MCD2001) suggesting siltuximab, an investigational compound, along with best supportive care, exhibited statistically significant efficacy and a tolerable safety profile compared with placebo and BSC in treating patients with the rare disorder Multicentric Castleman's Disease who are HIV-negative and human herpes virus 8-negative.

8 Dec 2013

Newly identified protein could prove promising new drug target for AIDS

Researchers have identified a protein that causes loss of function in immune cells combatting HIV. The scientists report in a paper appearing online Dec. 2 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation that the protein, Sprouty-2, is a promising target for future HIV drug development, since disabling it could help restore the cells' ability to combat the virus that causes AIDS.

2 Dec 2013

Government of Canada awards $8.76M in funding to develop cure for HIV

In the push for a cure for HIV, the Government of Canada has announced $8.76 million in funding to Université de Montréal and Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal Professor éric A. Cohen, who will lead an unrivaled group of Canadian investigators and international collaborators with a strong track record of interactive research.

29 Nov 2013

Merck announces approval of NOXAFIL delayed-release tablets by FDA

Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved NOXAFIL® (posaconazole) 100 mg delayed-release tablets.

27 Nov 2013

Researchers successfully target T lymphocytes which play key role in body's immune response

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have successfully targeted T lymphocytes - which play a central role in the body's immune response - with another type of white blood cell engineered to synthesize and deliver bits of non-coding RNA or microRNA (miRNA).

26 Nov 2013

Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteria anticipates and turns immune defenses against the host

Around 20 percent of all humans are persistently colonized with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, a leading cause of skin infections and one of the major sources of hospital-acquired infections, including the antibiotic-resistant strain MRSA.

20 Nov 2013

GM-CSF therapy does not improve treadmill walking time in patients with peripheral artery disease

Joseph Poole, M.D., Ph.D., of the Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, and colleagues studied whether therapy with granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), an agent that functions as a white blood cell growth factor, would improve walking performance in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (a form of vascular disease in which there is partial or total blockage of an artery, usually one leading to a leg or arm).

19 Nov 2013

Study: Blood cell growth factor improves effects of exercise in patients with peripheral artery disease

A blood cell growth factor can boost the effects of exercise in improving mobility for patients with peripheral artery disease, a clinical study has shown.

19 Nov 2013

FDA accepts Merck's NOXAFIL IV solution NDA for priority review

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that its New Drug Application for an investigational intravenous solution formulation of the company's antifungal agent, NOXAFIL (posaconazole), has been accepted for priority review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

18 Nov 2013

Scientists discover new drug mechanism to reduce risk of infections

Scientists at A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) have discovered the exact mode of action by plerixafor, a drug commonly prescribed to stimulate immune responses in patients suffering from neutropenia, which causes them to become prone to oral, skin, genital infections and in worst cases, a fatal whole-body infection.

15 Nov 2013