Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

ZyGEM introduces new RNAGEM Tissue RNA extraction kits

ZyGEM Corp. Ltd., a provider of innovative enzyme-based products for DNA and RNA extraction and other life sciences applications, today announced the launch of its new RNAGEM™ Tissue RNA extraction kits. This product represents a significant advance in sample preparation for RNA-based testing and analysis.

2 Mar 2010

Study: EIB may affect lives and health of public if not addressed properly

For the vast majority of the general public, respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing or coughing are a common part of the exercise experience. However, together with chest tightness, noisy breathing and trouble taking a deep breath, these six symptoms make up the phenomenon known as exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), which has physical, emotional and psychological consequences if not addressed properly.

2 Mar 2010

GTC Biotherapeutics achieves high-level production of TG20 monoclonal antibody

GTC Biotherapeutics, Inc. announced that it has achieved high-level production of TG20; an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (MAb). The TG20 MAb, which is produced in the milk of transgenic goats, is being co-developed by GTC and LFB as part of the LFB-GTC joint venture.

2 Mar 2010

IgPro20 protects PI patients against infection

Data presented today suggest that 20 percent liquid formulation, Immune Globulin Subcutaneous (Human) (SCIg), or IgPro20 effectively protects patients with primary immunodeficiencies (PI) against infection. The 20 percent formulation, the highest Ig concentration currently available, was also shown to sustain serum IgG levels without causing unexpected rates of adverse events. The data were presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, US.

2 Mar 2010

Life Technologies announces early stage results from SMS technology

Life Technologies Corporation today announced early stage results from its single molecule sequencing (SMS) technology. The technology promises to combine virtually unlimited continuous long read lengths with unmatched accuracy to deliver targeted genomic sequence data in a matter of hours, paving the way for sequencing to become a commonplace tool in research laboratories and clinical settings worldwide.

2 Mar 2010

Researchers proceed to develop vaccination to reverse neurological damage seen with Parkinson's disease

Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center have taken a significant step forward in developing a vaccination approach to reverse the neurological damage seen with Parkinson's disease.

2 Mar 2010

McGill University and RI MUHC secure $300,000 CIHR grant to develop VLP vaccines

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) have awarded a $300,000 grant for research focusing on the nature of the immune response induced by the action mechanisms of plant-made Virus-Like Particles (VLP) to Dr. Louis Vezina, Chief Scientific Officer of Medicago and to Dr. Brian Ward and Dr. Ciriaco Piccirillo of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) and McGill University.

1 Mar 2010

Astellas Pharma to acquire OSI Pharmaceuticals for $3.5 billion on fully diluted basis

Astellas Pharma Inc., a global pharmaceutical company, will commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of OSI Pharmaceuticals for $52.00 per share in cash, or an aggregate of approximately $3.5 billion on a fully diluted basis.

1 Mar 2010

Oral immunotherapy promising for egg allergies, SLIT for milk allergies

Children with egg allergies who consume increasingly higher doses of egg protein - the very nutrient they react to - appear to gradually overcome their allergies, tolerating eggs better over time and with milder symptoms, according to research conducted at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and elsewhere.

1 Mar 2010

JACI supplement supports the importance of small airways in asthma management

Increasing evidence supports the importance of small airways in the diagnosis and treatment of asthma; however, focused areas of discussion and critical review of this topic have been lacking. To foster a better understanding of the role of small airways in asthma management, Teva Respiratory, a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., will be providing reprints of a special supplement entitled "Small Airway Involvement: A Key to Asthma" from the December issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at their exhibit (Booth #724) at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting being held Feb. 26-March 2, 2010 in New Orleans, La.

1 Mar 2010

Breastfeeding and better hygiene may protect against peptic ulcer bacterium infection

Young children in developing countries are infected at an early age with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which can cause peptic ulcers and stomach cancer. New findings show that childrens´ immune responses help in fighting the bacteria. In addition, breastfeeding and better hygiene appear to protect against infection. The results provide hope for a vaccine, according to research from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

1 Mar 2010

Short-term dose of losartan-M6PHSA reduces liver inflammation and fibrosis: Study

A recent study found that rats with advanced fibrosis that were administered a short-term dose of losartan-M6PHSA had reduced liver inflammation and fibrosis. Those animals treated with oral losartan alone did not experience a similar reduction in disease activity. Results of this study appear in the March issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

1 Mar 2010

Study shows ghrelin prevents acute liver damage, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation

Spanish researchers determined that rats treated with recombinant ghrelin displayed a reduction in liver fibrosis. Ghrelin, a stomach hormone, reduced the amount of fibrogenic cells by 25% in the treated rodents. Research further showed ghrelin prevented acute liver damage and reduced oxidative stress and inflammation in the animal models.

1 Mar 2010

Phadia AB plans to provide access for specialists to peanut allergen components

Today, at the 2010 Annual Meeting of The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Phadia, the world leader in in vitro allergy diagnostics, announced plans to provide access for specialists to peanut allergen components. These plans support Phadia’s goal to expand collaboration with allergy and immunology specialists in order to advance the understanding of the clinical utility of allergen component test results.

27 Feb 2010

Cause of multiple sclerosis: Researchers test autoimmune hypothesis

A non-pathogenic bacterium is capable to trigger an autoimmune disease similar to the multiple sclerosis in the mouse, the model animal which helps to explain how human diseases work. This is what a group of researchers from the Catholic University of Rome, led by Francesco Ria (Institute of General Pathology) and Giovanni Delogu (Institute of Microbiology), have explained for the first time in a recently published article on the Journal of Immunology.

26 Feb 2010

α-defensins1-3 may be potential prophylactic agents in treatment of HIV / AIDS

HIV/AIDS remains one of the world's most significant public health challenges, particularly in developing countries. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1), the variant responsible for the pandemic, has the ability to infect different cell types such as T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells (DC). These latter cells are crucial in the defense against infectious agents and play a major role in viral pathogenesis.

25 Feb 2010

Five Prime Therapeutics receives milestone payment for selection of therapeutic program

Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc. today announced it received a milestone payment from Centocor Research & Development, Inc. for the selection of a therapeutic that will be pursued for immunology-related indications. Under the collaboration, FivePrime identified multiple potential therapeutic targets through screening its comprehensive proprietary protein library in cell-based assays that were focused on therapeutic pathways underlying specific immune and inflammatory disorders.

24 Feb 2010

Gene expression in prostate cancer cell more complex than ever imagined

Scientists from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research have published a paper, online today in Nature Cell Biology, describing gene expression in a prostate cancer cell: more sweeping, more targeted and more complex than we could ever have imagined, even five years ago.

24 Feb 2010

Humans can harbor bacteria in gallstones, infect others with active typhoid fever

A new study suggests that the bacteria that cause typhoid fever collect in tiny but persistent communities on gallstones, making the infection particularly hard to fight in so-called "carriers" - people who have the disease but show no symptoms.

23 Feb 2010

LFB Biotechnologies provides new loan financing to GTC Biotherapeutics for key strategic programs

GTC Biotherapeutics, Inc. (“GTC”, NASDAQ: GTCB) announced that it has entered into an agreement with its strategic partner, LFB Biotechnologies (Les Ulis, France), pursuant to which LFB has agreed to provide $7 million of new loan financing to GTC.

23 Feb 2010

Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

ZyGEM introduces new RNAGEM Tissue RNA extraction kits

Study: EIB may affect lives and health of public if not addressed properly

GTC Biotherapeutics achieves high-level production of TG20 monoclonal antibody

IgPro20 protects PI patients against infection

Life Technologies announces early stage results from SMS technology

Researchers proceed to develop vaccination to reverse neurological damage seen with Parkinson's disease

McGill University and RI MUHC secure $300,000 CIHR grant to develop VLP vaccines

Astellas Pharma to acquire OSI Pharmaceuticals for $3.5 billion on fully diluted basis

Oral immunotherapy promising for egg allergies, SLIT for milk allergies

JACI supplement supports the importance of small airways in asthma management

Breastfeeding and better hygiene may protect against peptic ulcer bacterium infection

Short-term dose of losartan-M6PHSA reduces liver inflammation and fibrosis: Study

Study shows ghrelin prevents acute liver damage, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation

Phadia AB plans to provide access for specialists to peanut allergen components

Cause of multiple sclerosis: Researchers test autoimmune hypothesis

α-defensins1-3 may be potential prophylactic agents in treatment of HIV / AIDS

Five Prime Therapeutics receives milestone payment for selection of therapeutic program

Gene expression in prostate cancer cell more complex than ever imagined

Humans can harbor bacteria in gallstones, infect others with active typhoid fever

LFB Biotechnologies provides new loan financing to GTC Biotherapeutics for key strategic programs

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