Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

Sneezing and wheezing are common among people living close to the equator

Those living near the equator may find themselves sneezing and wheezing more than usual. And the reason may not be due to increasing pollen counts.

4 Feb 2013

Mcl-1 gene essential for survival of antibody-producing cells

Scientists have identified the gene essential for survival of antibody-producing cells, a finding that could lead to better treatments for diseases where these cells are out of control, such as myeloma and chronic immune disorders.

3 Feb 2013

Scientists produce monoclonal antibody in tobacco plants that neutralizes rabies viruses

Smoking tobacco might be bad for your health, but a genetically altered version of the plant might provide a relatively inexpensive cure for the deadly rabies virus. In a new research report appearing in The FASEB Journal, scientists produced a monoclonal antibody in transgenic tobacco plants that was shown to neutralize the rabies virus.

2 Feb 2013

Study offers new evidence of natural emission of influenza

A new study suggests that patients with influenza can emit small virus-containing particles into the surrounding air during routine patient care, potentially exposing health care providers to influenza. Published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, the findings raise the possibility that current influenza infection control recommendations may not always be adequate to protect providers from influenza during routine patient care in hospitals.

2 Feb 2013

Innate lymphoid cells may be new therapeutic target in treating atopic dermatitis

The increasing incidence of allergic skin diseases, and the accompanying economic burden and heightened risk of developing other allergic conditions, have spurred researchers to look for better ways to control these immune system-based disorders.

1 Feb 2013

Microbiologists discover new pathway to improve vaccines against tuberculosis

A new pathway for improving vaccines against tuberculosis has been discovered by microbiologists at the University at Buffalo in collaboration with researchers at other universities, according to a paper in the journal Mucosal Immunology, published by the Nature group.

1 Feb 2013

FDA approves Biotest's BIVIGAM to treat Primary Humoral Immunodeficiency

Biotest Pharmaceuticals Corporation (BPC), a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Biotest AG, recently announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of BIVIGAM, its new intravenous immune globulin, for the treatment of patients with Primary Humoral Immunodeficiency (PI).

31 Jan 2013

Scientists discover functional control strategies in emotional circuits of people with social phobia

Fear is a protective function against possible dangers that is designed to save our lives. Where there are problems with this fear mechanism, its positive effects are cancelled out: patients who have a social phobia become afraid of perfectly normal, everyday social situations because they are worried about behaving inappropriately or being thought of as stupid by other people.

30 Jan 2013

Feinstein Institute, Merck Serono to develop antibodies for treatment of SLE

Merck Serono, a division of Merck, Darmstadt, Germany, and The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, announced today that they will collaborate to develop antibodies for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

30 Jan 2013

New clue to why some people fight infections better than others

As influenza spreads through the northern hemisphere winter, Dr Linda Wakim and her colleagues in the Laboratory of Professor Jose Villadangos from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, believe they have a new clue to why some people fight infections better than others.

30 Jan 2013

Researchers identify mechanism by which S. aureus colonises nasal passages

A collaboration between researchers at the School of Biochemistry and Immunology and the Department of Microbiology at Trinity College Dublin has identified a mechanism by which the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) colonises our nasal passages.

29 Jan 2013

Reprogramming eye cells that enable night vision may one day treat retinitis pigmentosa

Doctors may one day treat some forms of blindness by altering the genetic program of the light-sensing cells of the eye, according to scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

29 Jan 2013

Asthma linked to atopic dermatitis persistence

Asthma is associated with rash persistence in children with atopic dermatitis, US researchers report.

28 Jan 2013

Sanofi Canada announces new option for emergency treatment of anaphylaxis

Sanofi Canada announces a new option for the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis. Allerject is the first and only 'talking' epinephrine auto-injector in Canada.

28 Jan 2013

Positive top-line results from Biogen Idec’s peginterferon beta-1a Phase 3 trial on RRMS

Today Biogen Idec released the primary efficacy analysis and safety data from its Phase 3 pivotal clinical trial, ADVANCE.

28 Jan 2013

Study sheds new light on why certain people are more likely to suffer from RA

University of Michigan research sheds new light on why certain people are more likely to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis - paving the way to explore new treatments for both arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.

28 Jan 2013

Low birth weight not linked to childhood asthma

Results from a US study do not support an association between low birth weight and an increased risk for childhood asthma.

25 Jan 2013

Pediatric rotavirus vaccination indirectly protects unvaccinated adults

Pediatric rotavirus vaccination also indirectly protects unvaccinated adults from the highly contagious cause of severe diarrhea and vomiting, suggests a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online.

25 Jan 2013

Boosting estrogen levels may help reduce urinary infections in menopausal women

Estrogen levels drop dramatically in menopause, a time when the risk of urinary tract infections increases significantly.

24 Jan 2013

EBV reactivation can increase risk of heart disease

A new study could provide the link that scientists have been looking for to confirm that reactivation of a latent herpes virus is a cause of some heart problems.

23 Jan 2013