Feature Channels: Immunology

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Released: 15-Mar-2018 9:05 AM EDT
Yale Cancer Center launches Immuno-Oncology Center
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital

Yale Cancer Center (YCC) has launched the Yale Center for Immuno-Oncology (YCIO). The new center will build on YCC’s international leadership in immunobiology, cancer immunology, and development of novel cancer immunotherapies.

Released: 15-Mar-2018 8:05 AM EDT
Nanostructures Created by UCLA Scientists Could Make Gene Therapies Safer, Faster and More Affordable
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA scientists have developed a new method that utilizes microscopic splinter-like structures called “nanospears” for the targeted delivery of biomolecules such as genes straight to patient cells. These magnetically guided nanostructures could enable gene therapies that are safer, faster and more cost-effective.

   
Released: 15-Mar-2018 6:00 AM EDT
Ludwig Study Extends the Potential for Personalized Immunotherapy to a Large Variety of Cancers
Ludwig Cancer Research

A Ludwig Cancer Research study shows that ovarian cancer, which has proved resistant to currently available immunotherapies, could be susceptible to personalized immunotherapy. Led by Ludwig Lausanne investigator Alexandre Harari and George Coukos, director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne, the study shows that ovarian tumors harbor highly reactive killer T cells—which kill infected and cancerous cells—and demonstrates how they can be identified and selectively grown for use in personalized, cell-based immunotherapies.

Released: 14-Mar-2018 9:00 AM EDT
Research in India Finds Mobile Phone ‘Alerts’ Plus ‘Free Minutes’ Improve Childhood Immunization Rates
Johns Hopkins Medicine

In a study conducted in rural India, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers working in collaboration with Bal Umang Drishya Sanstha (BUDS), a nonprofit Indian organization focused on child health, have found that mobile phone reminders linked with incentives such as free talk time minutes work better than phone alerts alone to improve childhood immunization rates in poor communities.

Released: 13-Mar-2018 12:05 PM EDT
One-Third of School Nurses Report at Least One Severe Food Allergic Reaction in School
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Nearly all school nurses participating in a national survey (96 percent) reported that staff at their school received training on handling severe allergic reactions to food. Over 80 percent asserted that their school had an emergency epinephrine auto-injector on hand to stop a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. The study findings, published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, also underscore the dire need for these policies, with over one-third of the school nurses reporting at least one severe allergic reaction to food at their school in the last academic year.

Released: 8-Mar-2018 10:30 AM EST
White Paper Outlines Integration of Biosimilars as an Option for Patient Treatment
University of Alabama at Birmingham

The American College of Rheumatology has published a new white paper, “The Science Behind Biosimilars — Entering a New Era of Biologic Therapy,” which shares the organization’s stance that it is reasonable for physicians to begin integrating the prescription of biosimilars as another option of medication in patient treatment, where appropriate. S. Louis Bridges Jr., M.D., Ph.D., director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, served as the lead author on the paper.

6-Mar-2018 5:45 PM EST
New Way to Fight Sepsis: Rev Up Patients’ Immune Systems
Washington University in St. Louis

In a clinical trial at Washington University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and two medical centers in France, researchers found that a drug that revs up the immune system holds promise in treating sepsis.

Released: 7-Mar-2018 2:00 PM EST
Fungal Brain Infection Results from Host's Own Immune Response
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

A new mouse study examines the fungus that causes cryptococcosis, which is a major source of illness in people with HIV and AIDS.

Released: 7-Mar-2018 12:50 PM EST
Boosting Brain’s Immune Cell Function Reduces Alzheimer’s Symptoms in Mice
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA researchers engineered mice to produce more TREM2, a gene tied to Alzheimer’s disease

6-Mar-2018 12:05 PM EST
MD Anderson and Berkeley Lights Launch Optera Therapeutics to Accelerate Development of Cell Therapies for Cancer
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Berkeley Lights, Inc. today announced the launch of Optera Therapeutics Corp, a biopharmaceutical company developing cell therapies with scalable manufacturing solutions for cancer.

   
Released: 6-Mar-2018 2:05 PM EST
Mouse Healing May Reveal Targets to Delay or Prevent Human Heart Failure
University of Alabama at Birmingham

A study of mouse healing after severe heart attacks focused on the heart and spleen, measuring types and numbers of immune cells; types and amounts of lipid signaling compounds; expression of enzymes that produce those signaling compounds; and which enzymes are key to resolution of inflammation.

28-Feb-2018 1:15 PM EST
Nerve Cells Found to Suppress Immune Response During Deadly Lung Infections
Harvard Medical School

Neurons that carry nerve signals to and from the lungs suppress immune response during fatal lung infections with the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. Animal experiments show that disabling these neurons can boost immune response and promote bacterial clearance to aid recovery. Targeting neuro-immune signaling in the lungs can pave the way to nonantibiotic therapies for bacterial pneumonia.

Released: 2-Mar-2018 8:05 AM EST
Here's How Viruses Inactivate the Immune System, Causing Cancer
University of Colorado Cancer Center

"The same mechanisms that viruses use to cause cancer may be key in combating tumors with immune-based therapies or in keeping cancer from developing in the first place," says Sharon Kuss-Duerkop, PhD.

Released: 1-Mar-2018 12:00 PM EST
Johns Hopkins Researchers Invent New Technology for Cancer Immunotherapy
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Johns Hopkins researchers have invented a new class of cancer immunotherapy drugs that are more effective at harnessing the power of the immune system to fight cancer. This new approach, which was reported in Nature Communications, results in a significant decrease of tumor growth, even against cancers that do not respond to existing immunotherapy.

Released: 1-Mar-2018 11:05 AM EST
2018 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium Highlights Precision Medicine to Treat Rheumatic Diseases
American College of Rheumatology (ACR)

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) will hold its annual State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium (SOTA) in Chicago, IL, on April 13-15, which features groundbreaking rheumatology research and roundtable discussions.

Released: 1-Mar-2018 11:05 AM EST
Rare Side Effect of Flu Puts Young Men at Risk
Houston Methodist

This year’s flu season has been one of the worst in recent memory causing thousands of people to be hospitalized. The virus can be particularly dangerous for young men who can experience nerve damage caused by the body’s response to the flu.

Released: 1-Mar-2018 11:00 AM EST
Tapeworms Could Prevent, Treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Children
American Physiological Society (APS)

New research suggests that parasitic worms could someday help prevent or treat pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

26-Feb-2018 10:05 AM EST
Beneficial Skin Bacteria Protect Against Skin Cancer
UC San Diego Health

Science continues to peel away layers of the skin microbiome to reveal its protective properties. In a study published in Science Advances on February 28, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers report a potential new role for some bacteria on the skin: protecting against cancer.

27-Feb-2018 9:00 AM EST
Researchers Identify Molecular Target for Brain Cancer, Develop Immunotherapy Approach to Attack It
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Researchers from the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and their collaborators report they modified immune cells to hunt brain tumors displaying a new molecular target, which they determined is highly prevalent on brain cancer cells. Their preclinical studies of immune cells engineered to recognize the target showed promise for controlling tumor growth in mouse and cell models for glioblastoma.

Released: 27-Feb-2018 6:05 PM EST
Immune System Activation in Pregnant Women Can Shape Brain Development in Their Babies
Children's Hospital Los Angeles Saban Research Institute

A study in the Journal of Neuroscience reveals that activation of a pregnant mother’s immune system can affect her baby’s brain development. Researchers at CHLA, found that short- and long-term brain functioning can be influenced by immune system activity during the third trimester of gestation.

Released: 27-Feb-2018 2:45 PM EST
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Tipsheet - Feb. 2018
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

The February Fred Hutch tip sheet includes story ideas ranging from cancer immunotherapy to cloud computing, flu prevention for cancer patients, cystine-dense peptides found in many deadly venoms, gene therapies, serendipitous findings and more.

Released: 27-Feb-2018 8:05 AM EST
A Promising New Drug to Combat Serious Inflammatory Disease
Université de Genève (University of Geneva)

Still’s disease is a serious orphan disease manifested by high fevers, skin and joint involvement, including paralysis, as well as damage to other organs such as the liver or spleen.

Released: 26-Feb-2018 1:05 PM EST
Researchers Discover Receptor That Protects Against Allergies, Asthma
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

A special receptor on cells that line the sinuses, throat and lungs evolved to protect mammals from developing a range of allergies and asthma, according to a study from researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Released: 26-Feb-2018 10:05 AM EST
Discovery Reveals Way to Stop Inflammation in Alzheimer's, Arthritis, More
University of Virginia Health System

The finding “opens up a whole new research area to look at neuroinflammation in the context of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s,” the lead researcher says. “But the clinical impact will be in many, many different areas.”

Released: 23-Feb-2018 11:05 AM EST
Looking for an Off Switch for Celiac Disease
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)

New research published in the Feb. 23 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry identifies an enzyme that turns off transglutaminase 2, potentially paving the way for new treatments for celiac disease.

Released: 23-Feb-2018 10:15 AM EST
Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired Steps to Take for a Healthy Body
Orlando Health

We know that germs can make you sick, but if you seem to constantly be under the weather with cold symptoms, could it be something other than germs that are getting you down?

16-Feb-2018 1:05 PM EST
AJPH April Issue: gun storage, LARCs and abortion, flu vaccine disparities, air pollution disparities, Brazil birthrate after Zika
American Public Health Association (APHA)

In this issue, find research on gun storage, LARCs and abortion, flu vaccine disparities, air pollution disparities, Brazil birthrate after Zika and more

Released: 20-Feb-2018 2:05 PM EST
“Icebreaker” Protein Opens Genome for T Cell Development, Penn Researchers Find
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Researchers describe the role of a transcription factor called TCF-1 in targeting the condensed chromatin and regulating the availability of genome sequences in T-cell development. The new connection between TCF-1 and chromatin will aid in developing new therapies using epigenetic drugs to alter T-cell fate in cancer, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases.

Released: 20-Feb-2018 11:05 AM EST
Brain’s Immune System is Key to Recovery from Motor Neuron Degeneration in ALS Animal Model
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Researchers engineered mice in which the damage caused by a mutant human TDP-43 protein could be reversed by one type of brain immune cell. TDP-43 is a protein that misfolds and accumulates in the motor areas of the brains of ALS patients. They found that microglia, the first and primary immune response cells in the brain and spinal cord, are essential for dealing with TDP-43-associated neuron death.

15-Feb-2018 10:05 AM EST
Past Encounters with the Flu Shape Vaccine Response
University of Chicago Medical Center

Researchers from the University of Chicago, Harvard University and others show that poor immune responses, not egg adaptions, may explain the low effectiveness of the vaccine that year.

Released: 16-Feb-2018 10:05 AM EST
Immune Signature Predicts Asthma Susceptibility
La Jolla Institute for Immunology

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease driven by the interplay of genetics, environmental factors and a diverse cast of immune cells. In their latest study, researchers at La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology (LJI) identified a subset of T cells, whose frequency serves as early childhood immune signature that predicts the risk of developing asthma later on.

   
Released: 15-Feb-2018 11:10 AM EST
Reducing Peanut Allergy Risks in Children – The Nurse Practitioner Presents Update
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

New prevention and treatment approaches can reduce serious health risks due to peanut allergy in children, according to an article in the March issue of The Nurse Practitioner, published by Wolters Kluwer.

Released: 15-Feb-2018 10:05 AM EST
Why Do Healthy Children Die from the Flu? Study Offers New Insights
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

With this year’s severe flu season, one statistic is especially chilling. Each year, around 50 percent of all children under 5 years old who die from the flu were previously healthy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Adults who die from the flu, on the other hand, typically had a medical condition that increased their risk of mortality. A new study published in the Journal of Immunology offers new insights as to why healthy children are much more vulnerable. It also opens new opportunities for treatment.

6-Feb-2018 10:05 AM EST
Leading Cancer Organizations Provide Guidance on Understanding and Managing Immunotherapy Side Effects
National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)

New guidelines developed collaboratively by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) offer clinicians much needed recommendations for assessment and management of side effects related to immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Released: 13-Feb-2018 12:35 PM EST
Scientists Identify Immune Cascade that Fuels Complications, Tissue Damage in Chlamydia Infections
Harvard Medical School

Research in mice pinpoints immune mechanism behind tissue damage and complications of chlamydia infection, the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Separate immune mechanisms drive bacterial clearance versus immune-mediated tissue damage and subsequent disease. Therapies are needed to avert irreversible reproductive organ damage that can arise as a result of silent infections that go untreated.

9-Feb-2018 11:05 AM EST
LJI researchers reveal how to undermine immune cell mobilization in allergic inflammation.
La Jolla Institute for Immunology

LJI researchers report mechanisms used by a subgroup of ILCs, known as ILC2 cells, to undergo maturation required for them to mount an effective immune response. These discoveries suggest a novel approach to treat inflammatory disease caused by overactive ILC2s.

13-Feb-2018 7:05 AM EST
Nivolumab Immunotherapy Safe and Feasible During Chemoradiation for Advanced Head and Neck Cancer
American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)

Analysis of a clinical trial, RTOG Foundation 3504, finds that nivolumab immunotherapy can be administered safely in conjunction with radiation therapy and chemotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed local-regionally advanced head and neck cancers.

13-Feb-2018 7:05 AM EST
Phase II Trial Demonstrates Activity of Durvalumab in Patients with Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer
American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)

Analysis of the phase II CONDOR trial indicates that the immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab is tolerable among heavily pre-treated patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer and has the potential to slow growth in tumors with low or negative expression of the PD-L1 protein.

12-Feb-2018 10:05 AM EST
Smart Bomb Virus Shows Promise as Brain Tumor Immunotherapy
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

A common cold virus engineered to attack the most common and deadly of brain tumors allowed 20 percent of patients with recurrent glioblastoma to live for three years or longer, researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report on a phase I clinical trial in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Released: 12-Feb-2018 12:05 PM EST
When the Body Attacks the Brain: Immune System Often to Blame for Encephalitis, Study Finds
Mayo Clinic

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Encephalitis caused by the immune system attacking the brain is similar in frequency to encephalitis from infections, Mayo Clinic researchers report in Annals of Neurology.

9-Feb-2018 12:00 PM EST
Newly Identified Potential Therapeutic Approach Kills Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells in Pre-Clinical Study
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a highly aggressive, relapse-prone cancer that accounts for one-fourth of all breast cancers, could be the focus of a new area of study for immune checkpoint blockade therapy. A team of researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center revealed that in TNBC a cell process called glycosylation is required for PD-L1/PD1 molecules to interact and identified exactly how and why glycosylation is so crucial.

8-Feb-2018 7:05 AM EST
New Immunotherapy Combination Tolerable, Effective in Patients with Advanced Kidney Cancer
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University

Combining an anti-angiogenesis agent, which blocks blood vessel formation, with an immunotherapy agent, was found to have promising anti-tumor activity and no unexpected side effects in an early-phase clinical trial in patients with advanced kidney cancer.

Released: 8-Feb-2018 8:00 AM EST
Turning Up the Heat on Chemotherapy
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

While cancer treatment advances are being made in precision medicine and immunotherapy, a unique combination of traditional therapies can also provide some patients benefit. A Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey expert shares more about an approach combining cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic chemotherapy for cancers that have spread to the abdominal cavity.

Released: 6-Feb-2018 12:05 PM EST
UNC Researchers Identify Patterns of HIV Risk among People Who Inject Drugs in Vietnam
University of North Carolina Health Care System

In an effort to combat new HIV infections among men who inject drugs in Vietnam, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill conducted the first study to explore how this population mixes together. Their results were published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.

Released: 6-Feb-2018 8:05 AM EST
Researchers One Step Closer to Treating Organ Fibrosis
Thomas Jefferson University

A novel antibody-based therapy that blocks the excessive formation of collagen clusters is safe and effective in multiple animal models of fibrotic disease

30-Jan-2018 5:00 PM EST
Cascading Inflammation Associated with Lyme Arthritis Linked to Overactive Immune Response
University of Utah Health

Scientists at University of Utah Health believe they identified a mechanism that activates T cells, a key component of the immune system, which could explain the elusive link between a tick bite and persistent Lyme arthritis. The results are published online in the February 5th issue of The Journal of Immunology.

5-Feb-2018 1:10 PM EST
New Research Suggests Your Immune System Can Protect Against MRSA Infections
Johns Hopkins Medicine

After years of investigation, researchers at Johns Hopkins, the University of California, Davis, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases have discovered how the immune system might protect a person from recurrent bacterial skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (staph).



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