http://medicalxpress.com/immunology-news/ en-us Medical Xpress provides the latest research news on immunology Raising hopes for cell-based therapies, UC San Francisco 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. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-stem-cell-based-strategy-boosts-immune-mice.html Immunology Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:03 EST news287923006 (Medical Xpress)—Labs around the world, and a core group at Penn, have been studying recently described populations of immune cells called innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). Some researchers liken them to foot soldiers that protect boundary tissues such as the skin, the lining of the lung, and the lining of the gut from microbial onslaught. They also have shown they play a role in inflammatory disease, when the body's immune system is too active. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-newly-immune-cell-cells-similar.html Immunology Tue, 14 May 2013 07:10:01 EST news287733340 (Medical Xpress)—Cytokines are molecules produced by immune cells that induce the migration of other cells to sites of infection or injury, promote the production of anti-microbial agents, and signal the production of inflammatory mediators. These events are important for fighting infections. However, sometimes this process goes unchecked, resulting in unwanted inflammation that can damage tissues and organs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-cytokine-producing-cells.html Immunology Mon, 13 May 2013 07:48:16 EST news287650086 Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington 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. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-immune-cells-suppress-genital-herpes.html Immunology Wed, 08 May 2013 13:00:01 EST news287236436 (HealthDay)—A new Swedish study suggests that parents who want to protect their infants from developing allergies should try a simple approach to introducing their children to the wide world of microbes: Just pop their pacifiers into their own mouths before giving them back to their babies. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-tots-allergies-pacifiers.html Immunology Mon, 06 May 2013 09:17:07 EST news287050609 Parents are reporting more skin and food allergies in their children, a big U.S. government survey found. Experts aren't sure what's behind the increase. Could it be that children are growing up in households so clean that it leaves them more sensitive to things that can trigger allergies? Or are mom and dad paying closer attention to rashes and reactions, and more likely to call it an allergy? http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-food-skin-allergies-children.html Immunology Thu, 02 May 2013 04:51:43 EST news286689082 A properly functioning immune system is a lesson in balance, providing protection against disease without attacking healthy tissue. Work led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists and published recently in Nature Immunology has identified a mechanism that helps T cells find that sweet spot where the strength of the immune response matches the threat. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-cells-rheostat-immune-response-threat.html Immunology Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:34:51 EST news286562083 The tiny thymus teaches the immune system to ignore the teeming, foreign bacteria in the gut that helps you digest and absorb food, researchers say. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-thymus-immune-cells-vital-gut.html Immunology Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:04:49 EST news286455882 (Medical Xpress)—Waging an immunological war against a pathogen is not the body's only way to survive an infection. Sometimes tolerance, or learning to live with an invader, can be just as important. In tolerance the body lessens or repairs the damage that the pathogen causes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-infections.html Immunology Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:50:01 EST news286438914 (Medical Xpress)—University of Sydney researchers have discovered a new type of immune cell in skin that plays a role in fighting off parasitic invaders such as ticks, mites, and worms, and could be linked to eczema and allergic skin diseases. The findings have been published today in the journal Nature Immunology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-immune-cells-hint-eczema.html Immunology Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:57:01 EST news285836207 (Medical Xpress)—A previously unknown function of a family of enzymes familiar to biologists may contribute to scientists' understanding of signaling molecules involved in the body's immune response and could help in the treatment of such diseases as rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-immune-response-linked-key-enzyme.html Immunology Fri, 12 Apr 2013 07:10:01 EST news284968011 A research team of Inserm, CNRS and MDC lead by Michael Sieweke of the Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille Luminy (CNRS, INSERM, Aix Marseille Université) and Max Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine, Berlin-Buch, today revealed an unexpected role for hematopoietic stem cells: they do not merely ensure the continuous renewal of our blood cells; in emergencies they are capable of producing white blood cells "on demand" that help the body deal with inflammation or infection. This property could be used to protect against infections in patients undergoing bone marrow transplants, while their immune system reconstitutes itself. The details of the research is published in Nature on April 10, 2013. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-ability-blood-stem-cells-emergencies.html Immunology Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:07:54 EST news284818052 (Medical Xpress)—Trinity College Dublin scientists have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the immune system that could lead to new treatments for diseases such as sepsis and Type 2 diabetes. A team led by Professor of Biochemistry, Luke O'Neill of the School of Biochemistry and Immunology in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute has revealed that during an infection, immune cells switch their "engine" from the more sedate "battery" power, to using the equivalent of petrol to supercharge the engine needed to fight the infection. The work has just been published in the international leading science journal Nature. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-reveal-immune-turbo-charged-hybrid-car.html Immunology Thu, 04 Apr 2013 06:17:21 EST news284275032 The same factor in our immune system that is instrumental in enabling us to fight off severe and dangerous inflammatory ailments is also a player in doing the opposite at a later stage, causing the suppression of our immune response. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-probe-enigma-element-enemy.html Immunology Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:01:53 EST news284202106 Asthma is becoming an epidemic in the United States. The number of Americans diagnosed with asthma grows annually, with 26 million currently affected. And according to a new study, nearly two-thirds or more of all asthmatics also have an allergy, which can make this spring season particularly bothersome. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-asthma-allergy.html Immunology Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:00:08 EST news284037040 Rice University researchers have found an unexpected link between a protein that triggers the formation of blood clots and other proteins that are essential for the body's immune system. The find could lead to new treatments for thousands of patients who suffer from inflammatory diseases and disorders that cause abnormal blood clotting. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-link-blood-clotting-immune-response.html Immunology Mon, 01 Apr 2013 10:36:49 EST news284031401 (Medical Xpress)—Researchers at UC Davis have shown how the innate immune system distinguishes between dangerous pathogens and friendly microbes. Like burglars entering a house, hostile bacteria give themselves away by breaking into cells. However, sensing proteins instantly detect the invasion, triggering an alarm that mobilizes the innate immune response. This new understanding of immunity could ultimately help researchers find new targets to treat inflammatory disorders. The paper was published in Nature on March 31. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-team-cells-distinguish-friend-foe.html Immunology Mon, 01 Apr 2013 10:28:09 EST news284030879 Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have discovered a new biological pathway of innate immunity that ramps up inflammation and then identified agents that can block it, leading to increased survival and improved lung function in animal models of pneumonia. They reported their findings today in Nature Immunology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-immunity-protein-ramps-inflammation-agents.html Immunology Sun, 31 Mar 2013 13:00:01 EST news283951880 About 90 percent of children with two copies of a common genetic variation and who wheezed when they caught a cold early in life went on to develop asthma by age 6, according to a study to be published March 28 by the New England Journal of Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-childhood-asthma-tied-combination-genes.html Immunology Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:00:07 EST news283618892 In an examination of a type of treatment for allergic rhinitis and asthma that is used in Europe but not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, researchers found moderate strength in the evidence from previous studies to support the use of sublingual immunotherapy for the treatment of these conditions, according to an article in the March 27 issue of JAMA. Sublingual immunotherapy involves administration of aqueous allergens under the tongue for local absorption to desensitize the allergic individual over an extended treatment period to diminish allergic symptoms. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-article-sublingual-immunotherapy-treatment-allergic.html Immunology Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:00:07 EST news283523298 Neurons that control hunger in the central nervous system also regulate immune cell functions, implicating eating behavior as a defense against infections and autoimmune disease development, Yale School of Medicine researchers have found in a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-hunger-spiking-neurons-autoimmune-diseases.html Immunology Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:00:13 EST news283435229 Mice with different naturally occurring stomach bacteria have distinct susceptibilities to disease caused by Helicobacter pylori, the well-known cause of ulcers in humans, according to a study published online ahead of print in the journal Infection and Immunity. This is the first study to document (in mice) that the presence of certain bacteria in the stomach microbiota can prevent pathology from H. pylori. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-stomach-microbiota-modulate-resistance-pylori-driven.html Immunology Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:34:40 EST news283433672 In infected individuals, HIV mutates rapidly to escape recognition by immune cells. This process of continuous evolution is the main obstacle to natural immunity and the development of an effective vaccine. A new study published by Cell Press in the March 21 issue of the journal Immunity reveals that the immune system has the capacity to adapt such that it can recognize mutations in HIV. The findings suggest that our immune cells' adaptability could be harnessed to help in the fight against AIDS. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-harnessing-immune-cells-effective-hiv.html Immunology Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:38:36 EST news283088296 Research from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) shows that improving vitamin D status by increasing its level in the blood could have a number of non-skeletal health benefits. The study, published online in PLOS ONE, reveals for the first time that improvement in the vitamin D status of healthy adults significantly impacts genes involved with a number of biologic pathways associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases. While previous studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk for the aforementioned diseases, these results go a step further and provide direct evidence that improvement in vitamin D status plays a large role in improving immunity and lowering the risk for many diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-reveals-potential-immune-benefits-vitamin.html Immunology Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:15:57 EST news283018521 Findings from a Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine study could lead to the development of new drugs to treat gout. The study, led by Liang Qiao, MD, and his colleagues and collaborators, was published March 19 in the journal Nature Communications. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-aid-drugs-gout.html Immunology Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:02:20 EST news282927733 A team of basic and clinical scientists led by the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre's (CRCHUM) Dr. Nathalie Arbour has opened the door to significantly improved treatments for the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). In a study selected as among the top 10% most interesting articles published in the Journal of Immunology, the team identifies the elevated presence in MS patients of a type of white blood cell (CD4 T cell) that expresses NKG2C, a highly-toxic molecule harmful to brain tissues. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-multiple-sclerosis-treatments.html Immunology Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:22:48 EST news282918158 (Medical Xpress)—Examining a case study of near-death experiences for six healthy men who volunteered to test an experimental drug in London has yielded important insights into potentially deadly over-reactions of the human immune system. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-deadly-immune-response.html Immunology Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:09:35 EST news282902967 (Medical Xpress)—For an immune response to get underway, an invading microbe must first be halted in the spleen, and then digested by immune cells known as 'dendritic cells', which guard specific portals. Australian scientists have now shown how these gatekeepers position themselves to undertake their task. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-immune-positions-gatekeepers.html Immunology Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:29:23 EST news282900532 The immune system's T cells, while coordinating responses to diseases and vaccines, act like honey bees sharing information about the best honey sources, according to a new study by scientists at UC San Francisco. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-immune-cells-cluster-bees.html Immunology Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:40:54 EST news282400841 Half of the world's human population is infected with the stomach bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, yet it causes disease in only about 10 percent of those infected. Other bacteria living in the stomach may be a key factor in whether or not H. pylori causes disease, according to a new study led by scientists at the University of California, Santa Cruz. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-bacteria-disease-stomach-infection.html Immunology Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:17:47 EST news282313058