Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

New, improved drugs can boost body's natural flu killer system

A known difficulty in fighting influenza (flu) is the ability of the flu viruses to mutate and thus evade various medications that were previously found to be effective. Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have shown recently that another, more promising, approach is to focus on improving drugs that boost the body's natural flu killer system.

24 May 2013

Findings highlight importance of IL-21 in the development of antiviral vaccines

Scientists at Emory Vaccine Center have shown that an immune regulatory molecule called IL-21 is needed for long-lasting antibody responses in mice against viral infections.

24 May 2013

Common type of childhood asthma is not related to allergens and inflammation

Little is known about why asthma develops, how it constricts the airway or why response to treatments varies between patients. Now, a team of researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College, Columbia University Medical Center and SUNY Downstate Medical Center has revealed the roots of a common type of childhood asthma, showing that it is very different from other asthma cases.

24 May 2013

Researchers reveal roots of a common type of childhood asthma

24 May 2013

Study identifies specific genetic factors that influence occurrence and severity of sepsis

A study published in the June issue of Anesthesiology represents an important first step in establishing new therapeutic options targeting specific genetic areas that influence the occurrence and severity of sepsis - a life-threatening, whole-body response to infection.

23 May 2013

Immune system attacks beneficial bacteria in several chronic human diseases

The human gut is loaded with commensal bacteria - "good" microbes that, among other functions, help the body digest food. The gastrointestinal tract contains literally trillions of such cells, and yet the immune system seemingly turns a blind eye. However, in several chronic human diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, the immune system attacks these normally beneficial bacteria, resulting in chronic inflammation and contributing to disease progression.

23 May 2013

Cancer experts to discuss latest developments and implications of cell therapies in oncology

John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, one of the nation's top 50 cancer centers, will bring together leading cancer experts, for presentation and discussion of the latest developments and implications of cell therapy and interventional immunology in oncology, on Friday, June 7 from 7:00am to 1:30pm.

23 May 2013

Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College wins AWSM Award for Excellence

Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College and provost for medical affairs of Cornell University, is the winner of a prestigious award from a group of female scientists from The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research dedicated to celebrating outstanding women in science and medicine.

22 May 2013

Vitamin C kills drug-resistant TB bacteria in lab

In a striking, unexpected discovery, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have determined that vitamin C kills drug-resistant tuberculosis bacteria in laboratory culture.

22 May 2013

Newly discovered immune protein has potential to stop or reverse type 1 diabetes

Melbourne researchers have identified an immune protein that has the potential to stop or reverse the development of type 1 diabetes in its early stages, before insulin-producing cells have been destroyed.

21 May 2013

The Biology of Cancer: New second edition now available

Garland Science is proud to announce the publication of the much-anticipated Second Edition of The Biology of Cancer by Robert A. Weinberg.

21 May 2013

Patient compliance: an interview with Dr. Bassam Damaj, CEO of Innovus Pharma

A medication’s optimal results are achieved with specific dose levels and times of administration. In order for patients to achieve the maximum benefit from a medication, they have to adhere to the prescribed dose and time of use.

20 May 2013

New computational method may help track tumor progression, risk of relapse

In their quest to learn more about the variability of cells between and within tissues, biomedical scientists have devised tools capable of simultaneously measuring dozens of characteristics of individual cells. These technologies have led to new challenges, however, as scientists now struggle with how to make sense of the resulting trove of data. Now a solution may be at hand.

20 May 2013

Understanding the role of dsRNA in antiviral host defense systems

Animals, insects, and plants use a variety of sensing mechanisms to detect invading pathogens such as viruses. One complex and effective antiviral defense system they share is based on recognition of double-stranded RNA, often produced when a virus invades a host cell.

20 May 2013

A*STAR, Cytos Biotechnology provide update on Phase 1 clinical trial of H1N1 influenza vaccine

Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research and Switzerland's Cytos Biotechnology AG today announced that the first healthy volunteer has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial with their H1N1 influenza vaccine candidate based on Cytos' proprietary bacteriophage Qbeta virus-like particle technology.

17 May 2013

Study suggests need for better anti-rejection therapies

Transplant researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine challenge a long-held assumption about how biologic pathways trigger immune system rejection of donor organs in a report published online today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

16 May 2013

Study: Breastfeeding can prevent the development of ADHD later in childhood

Breastfeeding has a positive impact on the physical and mental development of infants. A new study suggests that breastfeeding may protect against the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) later in childhood.

15 May 2013

Sanofi, Regeneron enroll patients in two sarilumab Phase 3 trials for treatment of RA

Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the COMPARE and ASCERTAIN trials of sarilumab, the first fully human monoclonal antibody directed against the IL-6 receptor, which is delivered by subcutaneous injection every other week, have enrolled their first patients.

15 May 2013

Implications for manipulating immune response for some inflammatory disorders

Cytokines are molecules produced by immune cells that induce the migration of other cells to sites of infection or injury, promote the production of anti-microbial agents, and signal the production of inflammatory mediators.

14 May 2013

Scientists make novel discoveries concerning current vaccine against whooping cough

Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have made novel discoveries concerning the current vaccine against whooping cough that may lead to the development of an improved future vaccine.

13 May 2013