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(Medical Xpress)—A newly discovered gene that is essential for embryo survival could also hold the key to treating and potentially controlling chronic infections such as HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-survival-gene-key-hiv-hepatitis.html Immunology Mon, 26 Nov 2012 09:18:48 EST news273143921 (Medical Xpress)—Scanning the DNA of two people with a rare disease has led scientists to identify the precise genetic error responsible for their disorder, primary ciliary dyskinesia.  http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-genetic-error-linked-rare-disease.html Genetics Tue, 16 Oct 2012 06:51:07 EST news269589057 Canada's Supreme Court on Friday decriminalized the non-disclosure of HIV status prior to sex where no realistic possibility of transmitting the potentially deadly virus exists. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-canada-high-court-lowers-bar.html HIV & AIDS Fri, 05 Oct 2012 11:50:01 EST news268655541 A research report appearing in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology helps explain how specific immune cells, called macrophages, accumulate triglycerides to support their function. Because a characteristic finding in atherosclerosis is the accumulation of fat in macrophages in the arterial wall, understanding how macrophages accumulate triglycerides may lead to new approaches toward slowing or stopping the development of atherosclerosis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-macrophage-accumulation-triglycerides-yields-insights.html Medical research Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:42:52 EST news268310550 (HealthDay)—Many U.S. babies born to mothers infected with hepatitis B do not receive recommended follow-up testing after vaccination, a new study finds. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-follow-up-lacking-babies-hepatitis-vaccination.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 27 Sep 2012 21:00:01 EST news267987615 The causes of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have long eluded scientists. In 2009, a paper in the journal Science linked the syndrome—sometimes called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)—to infection with a mouse retrovirus called XMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus). Given that affected patients often have symptoms consistent with a chronic infection, this viral connection seemed plausible, and the findings were celebrated as a major achievement for a complex disease that afflicts nearly 1 million in the U.S. Another study in early 2010 published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences detected murine retrovirus-like sequences (designated pMLV: polytropic MLV) in CFS/ME patients, which provided further support for a viral theory. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-linked-xmrv.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 18 Sep 2012 00:20:01 EST news267099581 Researchers have demonstrated that a refined gene therapy approach safely restores the immune systems of some children with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). The rare condition blocks the normal development of a newborn's immune system, leaving the child susceptible to every passing microbe. Children with SCID experience chronic infections, which usually triggers the diagnosis. Their lifespan is two years if doctors cannot restore their immunity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-children-immune-refinements-gene-therapy.html Immunology Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:24:23 EST news266581422 (Medical Xpress)—The first experimental proof that long-term infection with cytomegalovirus, or CMV, may impair the aging immune system's response to unrelated viruses – such as West Nile or the flu – has been published in the journal PLoS Pathogens. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-presence-common-infectioncytomegalovirushelps-virus-susceptibility.html Immunology Thu, 06 Sep 2012 10:17:26 EST news266145430 Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the viruses that most infected people carry without ill effects. Once infected you are infected for life and, although it normally is dormant, it can become active again at any point in time. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Immunity and Ageing shows that CMV infection is a significant risk factor for the type 2 diabetes in the elderly. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-virus-diabetic-life.html Immunology Mon, 27 Aug 2012 20:00:01 EST news265307310 The cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of the herpesvirus family. Although most people carry CMV for life, it hardly ever makes them sick. Researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and from the USA have now unveiled long term consequences of the on-going presence of CMV: Later in life, more and more cells of the immune system concentrate on CMV, and as a result, the response against other viruses is weakened. These research results help to explain why the elderly are often more prone to infectious diseases than young people. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-long-term-consequences-chronic-virus-infection.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 16 Aug 2012 17:00:07 EST news264345769 (Medical Xpress) -- Scientists studying flu vaccines have identified ways to overcome an obstacle called "original antigenic sin," which can impair immune responses to new flu strains. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-flu-vaccine.html Immunology Mon, 13 Aug 2012 07:20:03 EST news264061178 Chronic infections are a large and growing problem throughout the developed world, and intensive research is being conducted in ways to combat the recalcitrant bacteria. When bacteria aggregate into so-called biofilm, they become resistant to antibiotics. Until now scientists have only been able to speculate about what happens when bacteria overpower the immune system during a chronic infection. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-scientific-method-unmasks-chronic-infections.html Medical research Wed, 08 Aug 2012 11:54:29 EST news263645661 In many types of cancer, activated immune cells infiltrate the tumor and influence clinical outcome. It is not always clear where these cells are activated, but results reported in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, indicate that in a subset of patients with metastatic melanoma, they can be activated in the tumor microenvironment. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-immune-responses-locally-human-melanoma.html Cancer Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:55:27 EST news262965311 (Medical Xpress) -- Comparing the DNA from patients at the best and worst extremes of a health condition can reveal genes for resistance and susceptibly. This approach discovered rare variations in the DCTN4 gene among cystic fibrosis patients most prone to early, chronic airway infections. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-dna-cystic-fibrosis-patients-chronic.html Genetics Sun, 08 Jul 2012 13:00:04 EST news260951107 Researchers have identified the primary player of the biochemical bugle call that musters the body's defenders against viral infection. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-duration-biochemical-bugle-critical-viruses.html Medical research Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:00:05 EST news258804222 (Medical Xpress) -- Cachexia, a syndrome characterized by rapid weight loss and muscle deterioration, is a major cause of death among patients suffering from diseases like cancer, AIDS and chronic infection. In fact, 30 per cent of cancer-related deaths are the result of cachexia-induced muscle loss rather than the primary malignancy. And while scientists are making strides in gaining a better understanding of this deadly condition, no effective anti-cachectic therapies exist to date. However, a newly published study by McGill University researchers shows that a low dose of Pateamine A (PatA) is effective at preventing cancer-induced muscle wasting – findings that could someday point to the development of cachexia-fighting drugs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-tool-combat-cachexia-induced-muscle.html Medical research Wed, 13 Jun 2012 07:30:01 EST news258790639 GW Researchers, Jeffrey M. Bethony, Ph.D., associate professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, and Paul Brindley, Ph.D., professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, along with colleagues from Khon Kaen University in Thailand have determined that plasma Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels are an sensitive and specific biomarker for the detection of the advanced bile duct fibrosis and bile duct cancer that comes from chronic infection with the Asian Liver Fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini). The research, titled, "Elevated Plasma IL-6 Associates with Increased Risk of Advanced Fibrosis and Cholangiocarcinoma in Individuals Infected by Opisthorchis viverrini," was recently published in the journal, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-biomarker-advanced-bile-duct-fibrosis.html Cancer Tue, 29 May 2012 13:23:47 EST news257516615 Broader screening to identify people infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) would likely be cost effective, according to a new report published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online. Significantly reducing HCV-related mortality and morbidity, however, will require a coordinated effort that emphasizes not only increased testing but also linking those infected with the treatment they need. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-broader-screening-hepatitis-effective.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:41:08 EST news250951261 A multi-institutional team of researchers, led by The Wistar Institute, has announced the results of a clinical trial that shows how the immune system can engage in fighting HIV infection if given the right boost. In their study, HIV-infected volunteers suspended their daily antiretroviral therapy to receive weekly doses of interferon-alpha, an antiviral chemical produced by the human immune system. The study provides the first clinical evidence for a means of reducing the persistent amount of HIV in patients and the ability to control HIV without continued antiretroviral therapy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-interferon-decreases-hiv-virus-antiretroviral.html HIV & AIDS Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:36:36 EST news250356989 Common infections in children pose a high risk of ischemic stroke, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-infections-childhood-linked-high-ischemic.html Cardiology Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:47:46 EST news247312039 Chronic infections by viruses such as HIV or hepatitis C eventually take hold because they wear the immune system out, a phenomenon immunologists describe as exhaustion. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-pep-revive-immune-cells-exhausted.html Medical research Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:40:01 EST news243018526 Among known risk factors for hepatocellular cancer, smoking, obesity, and heavy alcohol consumption, along with chronic hepatitis B and C infection, contribute to a large share of the disease burden in Europe, according to a cohort study published online October 21 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-european-hepatocellular-carcinoma.html Cancer Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:25:57 EST news238436749 The stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori is one of the biggest risk factors for the development of gastric cancer, the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Molecular biologists from the University of Zurich have now identified a mechanism of Helicobacter pylori that damages the DNA of cells in the gastric mucosa and sets them up for malignant transformation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-stomach-bacterium-human-dna.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:27:52 EST news234534453 New research suggests that saffron provides a significant chemopreventive effect against liver cancer in animal models. When saffron was administered to rats with diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver cancer an inhibition of cell proliferation and stimulation of apoptosis was observed. Full findings appear in the September issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-saffron-liver-cancer.html Cancer Mon, 22 Aug 2011 09:26:00 EST news233223943 After recovering from the flu or another acute infection, your immune system is ready to react quickly if you run into the same virus again. White blood cells called memory T cells develop during the infection and help the immune system remember the virus and attack it if it comes back. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-fragile-immune-memories-chronic-infections.html Medical research Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:47:13 EST news232897616 With hepatitis B infecting as many as 10% of people of Asian descent, operations researchers collaborated with a liver transplant surgeon to develop mathematical models that verified the cost effectiveness of hepatitis B interventions. These interventions now successfully screen, treat, and vaccinate millions of Asian and Pacific Islander adults in the U.S. and millions of children in China, according to a paper in a journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-hepatitis-decisive-millions-china.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:12:18 EST news230914913 Incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) have increased in the U.S. This population-based study publishing in the August issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, found that metabolic syndrome significantly increases risk of developing these primary liver cancers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-metabolic-syndrome-major-primary-liver.html Cancer Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:30:22 EST news230462997 (Medical Xpress) -- Researchers at Duke University Medical Center used mice to learn why genital Chlamydia infection remains chronic in women. The findings have important implications for developing strategies to treat Chlamydia and perhaps other chronic infections in the future. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-women-chronic-chlamydia-infections.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:25:50 EST news228072335