Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

Pharma IQ to organize Anti-Infectives Summit in Philadelphia

Organized by Pharma IQ, a division of IQPC, the Anti-Infectives Summit will be held January 25-27, 2010 in Philadelphia, PA (www.anti-infectivesummit.com). This forum explores recent advances within anti-infective drug discovery and development, and is geared towards Chief Scientific Officers and Scientists working in microbiology, immunology, infectious diseases, medicinal chemistry and drug development.

From IQPC Ltd 10 Dec 2009

JMC receives NIH grant to establish center of excellence for autoimmune diseases

The Department of Neurology at Jefferson Medical College (JMC) of Thomas Jefferson University has been awarded a multi-million dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the creation of a center of excellence to study autoimmune diseases from basic science research to its translation into clinical applications.

10 Dec 2009

Human blood stem cells can be engineered to kill HIV and other chronic viral diseases

Researchers from the UCLA AIDS Institute and colleagues have for the first time demonstrated that human blood stem cells can be engineered into cells that can target and kill HIV-infected cells - a process that potentially could be used against a range of chronic viral diseases.

9 Dec 2009

Researchers describe how PDNF protein prolongs the life of T. cruzi parasite

The parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (or T. cruzi), which causes Chagas' disease, will go to great lengths to evade death once it has infected human host cells, researchers have discovered. In a study published in the November 17 online issue of Science Signaling, the researchers describe how a protein called parasite-derived neurotrophic factor (PDNF) prolongs the life of the T. cruzi parasite by activating anti-apoptotic (or anti-cell-death) molecules in the host cell. These protective mechanisms help to explain how host cells continue to survive despite being exploited by T. cruzi parasites.

9 Dec 2009

Breakthrough findings may lead to new treatments for Ebola hemorrhagic fever

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have determined the structure of a critical protein from the Ebola virus, which, though rare, is one of the deadliest viruses on the planet killing between 50 and 90 percent of those infected.

9 Dec 2009

New data provide comprehensive review of emerging role of small airways in asthma management

Teva Respiratory, a division of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., today announced the publication of four articles in a special supplement of the December issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI), providing a comprehensive scientific review of the emerging role of the small airways in the understanding and treatment of asthma.

8 Dec 2009

Results of two new studies support the use of intravenous Vimpat for patients in clinical settings

Results of two new studies support the use of the intravenous formulation of the antiepileptic drug (AED) Vimpat® for patients requiring add-on therapy in clinical settings where oral AED therapy is temporarily not feasible.

8 Dec 2009

Human blood stem cells can be engineered to kill HIV-infected cells, find researchers

Researchers from the UCLA AIDS Institute and colleagues have for the first time demonstrated that human blood stem cells can be engineered into cells that can target and kill HIV-infected cells — a process that potentially could be used against a range of chronic viral diseases.

8 Dec 2009

People infected with West Nile virus may have persistent virus in their kidneys, shows study

A new study shows that people who have been infected with West Nile virus may have persistent virus in their kidneys for years after initial infection, potentially leading to kidney problems.

8 Dec 2009

New bone marrow transplantation technique shows prompt immune recovery

Although bone marrow transplants have long been standard for acute leukemia, current treatments still rely on exact matches between donor and patient. Now, scientists at the University of Perugia, Italy, and the Weizmann Institute of Science have improved on a method of transplanting bone marrow-based stem cells from a mismatched donor, making it safer for use when no exact match exists.

8 Dec 2009

La Jolla Pharmaceutical enters into definitive merger agreement with Adamis Pharmaceuticals

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (“La Jolla”) today announced that it entered into a definitive merger agreement with Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (“Adamis”) on December 4, 2009.

8 Dec 2009

Adamis Pharmaceuticals to acquire La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company

Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (OTCBB: ADMP), announced today that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement providing for the acquisition of La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company by Adamis.

7 Dec 2009

UCB presents data on Vimpat AED at AES meeting

UCB today announced new findings on its antiepileptic drug (AED) Vimpat® that offer additional clinical evidence supporting the use of this AED as adjunctive therapy in adult patients with partial-onset seizures. Results of presented research demonstrate sustained efficacy in adult patients taking Vimpat® for up to three years, and a consistent long-term tolerability profile.

7 Dec 2009

Synexus to complete acquisition of ClinPharm by January 2010

Synexus has agreed to acquire Leipzig based ClinPharm and will complete the acquisition in January 2010. This deal will increase the number of Synexus’ Dedicated Research Centres to 26 in nine countries, thus significantly strengthening its European reach and further reinforcing its position as the global leader.

From AES - Accelerated Enrollment Solutions 7 Dec 2009

New approach to protein misfolding may lead to novel therapies for a number of diseases

In an encouraging new development, a team led by Scripps Research Institute scientists has restored partial function to lung cells collected from patients with cystic fibrosis. While there is still much work to be done before the therapy can be tested in humans, the discovery opens the door to a new class of therapies for this and a host of other chronic diseases.

7 Dec 2009

GIND scientists identify drug treatments that can normalize neuron development in AD

Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND) have discovered that two main causes of AD amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides and apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) impair the growth of new neurons born in adult brains. What is more, they have identified drug treatments that can normalize the development of these cells even in the presence of Aβ or apoE4. The findings are described in two separate papers published in the current issue of Cell Stem Cell.

4 Dec 2009

Researchers discover new strategy against invasive parasite

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered a possible strategy against an invasive parasite that infects more than a quarter of the world's population, including 50 million Americans.

4 Dec 2009

Bioactive sponge to eliminate normally fatal tumors

InCytu Incorporated, a therapeutic device engineering company, announced the details of its Cellarium™ Cancer Vaccine program. Cellarium™ is a small bioactive sponge which regulates dendritic cells and T-cells to eliminate normally fatal tumors in a preclinical model of late stage melanoma. The details of such a promising new vaccine were published for the first time in Science’s Translational Medicine Journal.

2 Dec 2009

New approach to identify molecules that prevent immune cells from attacking body

A study led by a Scripps Research Institute scientist describes a new, highly pragmatic approach to the identification of molecules that prevent a specific type of immune cells from attacking their host. The findings add a powerful new tool to the ongoing search for potential treatments for autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as blood cancers, such as myeloid leukemia.

2 Dec 2009

FDA grants approval for Dyax' KALBITOR for treating HAE patients

Dyax Corp. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for KALBITOR® (ecallantide) for the treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in patients 16 years of age and older.

2 Dec 2009

Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

Pharma IQ to organize Anti-Infectives Summit in Philadelphia

JMC receives NIH grant to establish center of excellence for autoimmune diseases

Human blood stem cells can be engineered to kill HIV and other chronic viral diseases

Researchers describe how PDNF protein prolongs the life of T. cruzi parasite

Breakthrough findings may lead to new treatments for Ebola hemorrhagic fever

New data provide comprehensive review of emerging role of small airways in asthma management

Results of two new studies support the use of intravenous Vimpat for patients in clinical settings

Human blood stem cells can be engineered to kill HIV-infected cells, find researchers

People infected with West Nile virus may have persistent virus in their kidneys, shows study

New bone marrow transplantation technique shows prompt immune recovery

La Jolla Pharmaceutical enters into definitive merger agreement with Adamis Pharmaceuticals

Adamis Pharmaceuticals to acquire La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company

UCB presents data on Vimpat AED at AES meeting

Synexus to complete acquisition of ClinPharm by January 2010

New approach to protein misfolding may lead to novel therapies for a number of diseases

GIND scientists identify drug treatments that can normalize neuron development in AD

Researchers discover new strategy against invasive parasite

Bioactive sponge to eliminate normally fatal tumors

New approach to identify molecules that prevent immune cells from attacking body

FDA grants approval for Dyax' KALBITOR for treating HAE patients

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