News tagged with inflammatory diseases

Leading researchers report on the elusive search for biomarkers in Huntington's disease

While Huntington's disease (HD) is currently incurable, the HD research community anticipates that new disease-modifying therapies in development may slow or minimize disease progression. The success of HD research depends ...

Neuroscience created 14 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Extra vitamin D may ease Crohn's symptoms, study finds

(HealthDay)—Vitamin D supplements may help those with Crohn's disease overcome the fatigue and decreased muscle strength associated with the inflammatory bowel disease, according to new research.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 18 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

Inflammatory bowel disease raises risk of melanoma

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at higher risk of melanoma, a form of skin cancer, report researchers at Mayo Clinic. Researchers found that IBD is associated with a 37 percent greater risk for the disease. ...

Inflammatory disorders created 23 hours ago | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Consuming coffee linked to lower risk of detrimental liver disease, study finds

Regular consumption of coffee is associated with a reduced risk of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), an autoimmune liver disease, Mayo Clinic research shows. The findings were being presented at the Digestive Disease ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created May 19, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers identify target to prevent hardening of arteries

The hardening of arteries is a hallmark of atherosclerosis, an often deadly disease in which plaques, excessive connective tissue, and other changes build up inside vessel walls and squeeze off the flow of ...

Cardiology created May 16, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Newly described type of immune cell and T cells share similar path to maturity, according to new study

(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 ...

Immunology created May 14, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

A new 'on' signal for inflammation

(Medical Xpress)—Inflammation is an important response in the body - it helps you to kill off invaders such bacteria that could cause a harmful infection. But if it's chronic or uncontrolled, inflammation can also cause ...

Inflammatory disorders created May 14, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Brain region may hold key to aging

While the search continues for the Fountain of Youth, researchers may have found the body's "fountain of aging": the brain region known as the hypothalamus. For the first time, scientists at Albert Einstein ...

Neuroscience created May 01, 2013 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (21) | comments 8 | with audio podcast

Identifying key regulators of kidney injury

(Medical Xpress)—Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are a recently discovered class of RNA molecules that regulate how genes are expressed. UCD researchers led by Conway Fellow, Professor Catherine Godson are studying the role of miRNAs ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created May 09, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Thymus teaches immune cells to ignore vital gut bacteria

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.

Immunology created Apr 29, 2013 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Type 1 diabetes and heart disease linked by inflammatory protein

Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes appears to increase the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death among people with high blood sugar, partly by stimulating the production of calprotectin, a protein that sparks ...

Inflammatory disorders created May 07, 2013 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Possible treatment for serious blood cancer

A single antibody could be the key to treating multiple myeloma, or cancer of the blood, currently without cure or long-term treatment.

Cancer created May 06, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Large-scale genetic study defines relationship between primary sclerosing cholangitis and other autoimmune diseases

For the first time, scientists show that a leading cause of liver transplant, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), is a distinct disease from inflammatory bowel disease, opening up new avenues for specific PSC treatments.

Genetics created Apr 21, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Roundworm quells obesity and related metabolic disorders

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, have shown in a mouse model that infection with nematodes (also known as roundworms) can not only combat obesity but ameliorate related metabolic disorders. ...

Immunology created Apr 25, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1

Researchers finds Irish Lupus patients likely to benefit from new treatment

Researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) have discovered that a new treatment for the inflammatory condition, Systemic Lupus Erythmstosus (SLE) could potentially benefit Irish patients who suffer from ...

Arthritis & Rheumatism created May 07, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Inflammation

Inflammation (Latin, inflamatio, to set on fire) is the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli as well as initiate the healing process for the tissue. Inflammation is not a synonym for infection. Even in cases where inflammation is caused by infection, the two are not synonymous: infection is caused by an exogenous pathogen, while inflammation is the response of the organism to the pathogen.

In the absence of inflammation, wounds and infections would never heal and progressive destruction of the tissue would compromise the survival of the organism. However, an inflammation that runs unchecked can also lead to a host of diseases, such as hay fever, atherosclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. It is for that reason that inflammation is normally closely regulated by the body.

Inflammation can be classified as either acute or chronic. Acute inflammation is the initial response of the body to harmful stimuli and is achieved by the increased movement of plasma and leukocytes from the blood into the injured tissues. A cascade of biochemical events propagates and matures the inflammatory response, involving the local vascular system, the immune system, and various cells within the injured tissue. Prolonged inflammation, known as chronic inflammation, leads to a progressive shift in the type of cells which are present at the site of inflammation and is characterised by simultaneous destruction and healing of the tissue from the inflammatory process.

For more information about Inflammation, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.