ScienceDaily: Immune System News

Drug shows surprising efficacy as treatment for chronic leukemia, mantle cell lymphoma

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:52:52 EDT

Clinical studies suggest that the novel, targeted agent ibrutinib shows real potential is a safe, effective, treatment for adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and for patients with mantle cell lymphoma.

Researchers discover immunity mechanism: Platelets patrolling the bloodstream

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:16:16 EDT

Scientists have discovered a mechanism that is used to protect the body from harmful bacteria. Platelets, a component of blood typically associated with clotting, were discovered to actively search for specific bacteria, and upon detection, seal it off from the rest of the body. The findings provide the science community with a greater understanding of immunity.

Infections increase risk of mood disorders, study suggests

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:13:13 EDT

New research shows that every third person who is diagnosed for the first time with a mood disorder has been admitted to hospital with an infection prior to the diagnosis. The study is the largest of its kind to date to show a clear correlation between infection levels and the risk of developing mood disorders.

Major hurdle cleared to diabetes transplants

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:18:18 EDT

Researchers have identified a way to trigger reproduction in the laboratory of clusters of human cells that make insulin, potentially removing a significant obstacle to transplanting the cells as a treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes.

Cocoa may help fight obesity-related inflammation

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:31:31 EDT

A few cups of hot cocoa may not only fight off the chill of a winter's day, but they could also help obese people better control inflammation-related diseases, such as diabetes, according to new research.

Experimental vaccine shows promise against TB meningitis

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:44:44 EDT

Researchers working with animals has developed a vaccine that prevents the virulent TB bacterium from invading the brain and causing the highly lethal condition TB meningitis, a disease that disproportionately occurs in TB-infected children and in adults with compromised immune system.

Females fend off gut diseases -- at least among mice

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:21:21 EDT

At least among mice, females have innate protection from certain digestive conditions, according to a new study. While it's tricky to draw conclusions for human health, the findings could eventually help scientists better understand and treat the millions of people suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases.

Transplant patient outcomes after trauma better than expected

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:28:28 EDT

In the largest study of its kind, researchers find that traumatic injury outcomes in patients with organ transplants are not worse than for non-transplanted patients, despite common presumptions among physicians. Additionally, transplanted organs are rarely injured in traumatic events.

How do immune cells detect infections?

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:05:05 EDT

Researchers are using computer simulations to shed light on how immune cells may identify foreign antigens.

Herpes virus exploits immune response to bolster infection

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:11:11 EDT

Researchers report that the herpes simplex virus type-1, which affects an estimated 50 to 80 percent of all American adults, exploits an immune system receptor to boost its infectiousness and ability to cause disease.

Tumors disable immune cells by using up sugar

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:04:04 EDT

Cancer cells’ appetite for sugar may have serious consequences for immune cell function, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have learned.

Scientists discover how HIV kills immune cells; Findings have implications for HIV treatment

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:44:44 EDT

Untreated HIV infection destroys a person's immune system by killing infection-fighting cells, but precisely when and how HIV wreaks this destruction has been a mystery until now. New research reveals how HIV triggers a signal telling an infected immune cell to die. This finding has implications for preserving the immune systems of HIV-infected individuals.

Multiple sclerosis: Phase 1 trial safely resets patients' immune systems, reduces attack on myelin protein

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:43:43 EDT

A phase 1 clinical trial for the first treatment to reset the immune system of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients showed the therapy was safe and dramatically reduced patients' immune systems' reactivity to myelin by 50 to 75 percent. The therapy used billions of patients' own specially processed blood cells to create tolerance to myelin, the insulating layer that forms around nerves. In MS, the immune system attacks myelin. The approach left the normal immune system intact.

Innate immunity: When DNA is out of place

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:46:46 EDT

In animal cells, DNA molecules are normally restricted to the cell nucleus and the mitochondria. When DNA appears outside these organelles – in the so-called cytosol - it most probably originates from a bacterial pathogen or a DNA virus. This is why cytosolic DNA triggers a strong response by the innate immune system. However, various types of insult can also lead to the release into the cytosol of the cell’s own DNA. In this case, the resulting immune response may precipitate an autoimmune disease.

Mosquitoes reared in cooler temperatures have weaker immune systems

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 18:32:32 EDT

Scientists have discovered mosquitoes reared in cooler temperatures have weaker immune systems, making them more susceptible to dangerous viruses and thus more likely to transmit diseases to people. The finding may have a bearing on urban epidemics resulting from viral diseases, such as West Nile fever and chikungunya fever, which are transmitted by infected mosquitoes.

Salt gets under your skin

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:53:53 EDT

It's time to expand the models for blood pressure regulation, according to clinical pharmacologist. Scientists have identified a new cast of cells and molecules that function in the skin to control sodium balance and blood pressure.

New technique selectively dampens harmful immune responses

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:33:33 EDT

Current immune suppressants have major drawbacks, but medical researchers have now demonstrated a new technique that may lead to a better way to selectively repress unwanted immune reactions without disabling the immune system as a whole.

Allergic and autoimmune diseases linked, mouse study suggests

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:32:32 EDT

Scientists have discovered that a gene called BACH2 may play a central role in the development of diverse allergic and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, asthma, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, and type-1 diabetes.

Metastatic tumors: New path in immunotherapy

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:31:31 EDT

Cancer immunotherapy is showing promise in treating patients with a variety of advanced, metastatic tumors, as evidenced by two newly unveiled studies.

New cancer drug shows promise for treating advanced melanoma

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 14:43:43 EDT

Researchers report preliminary results showing significant antitumor activity with very manageable side effects from a new drug being tested in patients with advanced melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Enhanced white blood cells heal mice with MS-like disease

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 13:38:38 EDT

Genetically engineered immune cells seem to promote healing in mice infected with a neurological disease similar to multiple sclerosis, cleaning up lesions and allowing the mice to regain use of their legs and tails.

Surges in latent infections: Mathematical analysis of viral blips

Fri, 31 May 2013 15:13:13 EDT

Recurrent infection is a common feature of persistent viral diseases. It includes episodes of high viral production interspersed by periods of relative quiescence. These quiescent or silent stages are hard to study with experimental models. Mathematical analysis can help fill in the gaps.

Circadian rhythms control body's response to intestinal infections

Fri, 31 May 2013 13:26:26 EDT

Circadian rhythms can boost the body's ability to fight intestinal bacterial infections, researchers have found.

Live and let die: Protein prevents immune cell suicide

Fri, 31 May 2013 10:54:54 EDT

A protein called c-FLIP-R is critical to immune cell survival: If this molecule is missing, the cells kill themselves -- and are thus no longer able to perform their job fighting off invaders.

Interleukin-22 protects against post-influenza bacterial superinfection

Thu, 30 May 2013 11:13:13 EDT

Researchers have shown in a mouse model that interleukin-22 protects against bacterial superinfections that can arise following influenza.

Immune system to fight brain tumors

Thu, 30 May 2013 09:48:48 EDT

Research gives hope that one of the most serious types of brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme, could be fought by the patients’ own immune system. The tumors are difficult to remove with surgery because the tumor cells grow into the surrounding healthy brain tissue. A patient with the disease therefore does not usually survive much longer than a year after the discovery of the tumor.

Adult stem cells could hold key to cure type 1 diabetes

Wed, 29 May 2013 15:44:44 EDT

Scientists have discovered that by combining cells from bone marrow with a new drug may help cure type 1 diabetes.

Key to development of peripheral nervous system uncovered

Tue, 28 May 2013 18:08:08 EDT

Patients suffering from hereditary neuropathy may have hope for new treatment thanks to a new study that uncovered a key to the development of the peripheral nervous system.

New safety test predicts reactions to novel drugs and cosmetics

Mon, 27 May 2013 23:19:19 EDT

A simple lab-based skin test which eliminates the risk of adverse reactions to new drugs, cosmetics and household chemicals has been developed. It uses real human skin and immune cells to show any reaction such as a rash or blistering indicating a wider immune response within the body.

GATA-3 is important for regulation and maintenance of immune system

Mon, 27 May 2013 10:03:03 EDT

The protein GATA-3 plays an important role in mammalian immune response, but its overall function in cell development and cancer formation is not well understood. In an effort to further define the importance of GATA-3, researchers have traced how the protein performs important functions in CD8+T-cell type of the immune system.

Promising strategy to help vaccines outsmart HIV

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:20:20 EDT

New research highlights an ingenious method to ensure the body effectively reacts when infected with the highly-evasive HIV virus that causes AIDS. The method involves the use of cytomegalovirus as a vector to help a vaccine better instruct T cells how to identify and fight the virus.

Modulating the immune system to combat metastatic cancer

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:20:20 EDT

Researchers have found that regulatory T cells that infiltrate tumors express proteins that can be targeted with therapeutic antibodies.

Immune cell activation in multiple sclerosis: New indicator molecules visualize activation of auto-aggressive T cells

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:40:40 EDT

Biological processes are generally based on events at the molecular and cellular level. To understand what happens in the course of infections, diseases or normal bodily functions, scientists would need to examine individual cells and their activity directly in the tissue. The development of new microscopes and fluorescent dyes in recent years has brought this scientific dream tantalizingly close. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Martinsried have now presented two studies introducing new indicator molecules which can visualize the activation of T cells. Their findings provide new insight into the role of these cells in the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS). The new indicators are set to be an important tool in the study of other immune reactions as well.

Scientists make breast cancer advance that turns previous thinking on its head

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:38:38 EDT

Scientists have made an advance in breast cancer research which shows how some enzymes released by cancerous cells could have a protective function.

Vaccine blackjack: IL-21 critical to fight against viral infections

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:22:22 EDT

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

Depression linked to telomere enzyme, aging, chronic disease

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:45:45 EDT

The first symptoms of major depression may be behavioral, but the common mental illness is based in biology — and not limited to the brain, new research suggests.

Novel approach for influenza vaccination shows promise in early animal testing

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:03:03 EDT

A new approach for immunizing against influenza elicited a more potent immune response and broader protection than the currently licensed seasonal influenza vaccines when tested in mice and ferrets. The new vaccine concept represents an important step forward in the quest to develop a universal influenza vaccine -- one that would protect against most or all influenza strains without the need for an annual vaccination.

How immune system peacefully co-exists with 'good' bacteria

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:09:09 EDT

The human gut is loaded with helpful bacteria microbes, yet the immune system seemingly turns a blind eye. Now, researchers know how this friendly truce is kept intact. Innate lymphoid cells directly limit the response by inflammatory T cells to commensal bacteria in the gut of mice. Loss of this ILC function effectively puts the immune system on an extended war footing against the commensal bacteria a condition observed in multiple chronic inflammatory diseases.

Important genetic factors that could influence survival in sepsis patients

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:50:50 EDT

Scientists have made 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.

Resistance to last-line antibiotic makes bacteria resistant to immune system

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:12:12 EDT

Bacteria resistant to the antibiotic colistin are also commonly resistant to antimicrobial substances made by the human body, according to a new study. Cross-resistance to colistin and host antimicrobials LL-37 and lysozyme, which help defend the body against bacterial attack, could mean that patients with life-threatening multi-drug resistant infections are also saddled with a crippled immune response.

Do salamanders' immune systems hold the key to regeneration?

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:37:37 EDT

Salamanders' immune systems are key to their remarkable ability to regrow limbs, and could also underpin their ability to regenerate spinal cords, brain tissue and even parts of their hearts, scientists have found. In new research, scientists have found that when immune cells known as macrophages were systemically removed, salamanders lost their ability to regenerate a limb and instead formed scar tissue.

Immune protein could stop diabetes in its tracks, discovery suggests

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:49:49 EDT

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. The discovery has wider repercussions, as the protein is responsible for protecting the body against excessive immune responses, and could be used to treat, or even prevent, other immune disorders such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Mechanism linking key inflammatory marker to cancer identified

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:53:53 EDT

Researchers have revealed how a key player in cell growth, immunity and the inflammatory response can be transformed into a primary contributor to tumor growth.

New approach to improving treatment for MS and other conditions

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:24:24 EDT

Working with lab mice models of multiple sclerosis (MS), scientists have detected a novel molecular target for the design of drugs that could be safer and more effective than current FDA-approved medications against MS.

Women's reproductive ability may be related to immune system status

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:24:24 EDT

Anthropologists have showed that a woman's reproductive function may be tied to her immune system's status.

Stem-cell-based strategy boosts immune system in mice

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:36:36 EDT

Raising hopes for cell-based therapies, researchers have created the first functioning human thymus tissue from embryonic stem cells in the laboratory. The researchers showed that, in mice, the tissue can be used to foster the development of white blood cells the body needs to mount healthy immune responses and to prevent harmful autoimmune reactions.

Herpes infections: Natural Killer cells activate hematopoiesis

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:52:52 EDT

Infections can trigger hematopoiesis at sites outside the bone marrow – in the liver, the spleen or the skin. Researchers now show that a specific type of immune cell facilitates such “extra medullary” formation of blood cells.

Women's immune systems remain younger for longer

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:30:30 EDT

Women’s immune systems age more slowly than men's, new research suggests. The slower decline in a woman’s immune system may contribute to women living longer than men.

Newly described type of immune cell and T cells share similar path to maturity

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:43:43 EDT

Innate lymphoid cells protect boundary tissues such as the skin, lung, and the gut from microbial onslaught. They also have shown they play a role in inflammatory disease. Researchers have found that maturation of ILC2s requires T-cell factor 1 to move forward. They describe that one mechanism used to build ILCs is the same as that in T cells. Both cell types use a protein pathway centered on Notch.

Cutting-edge bacteria research leads to more effective treatment of complex infections

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:32:32 EDT

Bacteria play a huge role when inflammations attack our body. Now researchers have succeeded in revealing one of the devastating effects of bacteria, and thus it will be possible for the pharmaceutical industry to treat even very complicated bacterial infections.

Master regulator that drives majority of lymphoma discovered

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:28:28 EDT

A soon-to-be-tested class of drug inhibitors were predicted to help a limited number of patients with B-cell lymphomas with mutations affecting the EZH2 protein. However medical researchers now report that these agents may, in fact, help a much broader cross section of lymphoma patients.

New discovery may lead the way to improved whooping cough vaccine

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:44:44 EDT

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

Your immune system: On surveillance in the war against cancer

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:33:33 EDT

New research looks at gene expression profiling in breast cancer.

Immune cells that suppress genital herpes infections identified

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:17:17 EDT

Scientists have identified a class of immune cells that reside long-term in the genital skin and mucosa and are believed to be responsible for suppressing recurring outbreaks of genital herpes. These immune cells also play a role in suppressing symptoms of genital herpes, which is why most sufferers of the disease are asymptomatic when viral reactivations occur. The discovery of this subtype of immune cells, called CD8αα+ T cells, opens a new avenue of research to develop a vaccine to prevent and treat herpes simplex virus type 2, or HSV-2. Identifying these T cells’ specific molecular targets, called epitopes, is the next step in developing a vaccine.

Discovery shows fat triggers rheumatoid arthritis: Paves way for new gene therapies

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:30:30 EDT

Scientists have discovered that fat cells in the knee secrete a protein linked to arthritis, a finding that paves the way for new gene therapies that could offer relief and mobility to millions of people worldwide.

Protecting the heart health of diabetic patients

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:45:45 EDT

Diabetics have an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease and plaque build-up in their arteries, even if they receive cholesterol-lowering therapies. New research reveals that high blood sugar levels also boost the production of inflammatory cells, which contribute to plaque in blood vessels.

New technique to track cell interactions in living bodies developed

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:16:16 EDT

Researchers have developed a new technique to see how different types of cells interact in a living mouse.

Personalized bone substitutes created from skin cells

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:14:14 EDT

Scientists have made patient-specific bone substitutes from skin cells for repair of large bone defects. The study represents a major advance in personalized reconstructive treatments for patients with bone defects resulting from disease or trauma.

Competing antibodies may have limited the protection achieved in HIV vaccine trial in Thailand

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:13:13 EDT

Continuing analysis of an HIV vaccine trial undertaken in Thailand is yielding additional information about how immune responses were triggered and why the vaccine did not protect more people.

Possible treatment for serious blood cancer

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:53:53 EDT

A single antibody could be the key to treating multiple myeloma, or cancer of the blood, currently without cure or long-term treatment. New tests have shown that the antibody is able to destroy myeloma cells.