Researchers from Northwestern University have leveraged machine learning to aid in the design of nano-medicines for immunotherapy. They utilized a high-throughput method to synthesize 800 unique immunostimulatory nanoparticles called Spherical Nucleic Acids (SNAs). “Spherical nucleic acids represent an exciting new class of medicines that are already in five human clinical trials for treating diseases, including...
Category: <span>Immunology</span>
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Study links patrolling monocytes to lupus-related kidney disease
by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital This work shows for the first time that a type of immune cell called a patrolling monocyte plays a critical role in lupus-related kidney disease. Authors Vanessa Redecke, M.D., Ph.D., Hans Haecker, M.D., Ph.D., and Jeeba Kuriakose, Ph.D. Credit: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital A study led by St. Jude Children’s Research...
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Right combination of diet and bacteria limits cancer progression
by University of Luxembourg Diet can have significant effects on the gut microbiome, the populations of microorganisms such as bacteria that live in the human gut. It is well recognised that through complex metabolic interactions, dietary habits contribute to cancer prevention. More specifically, diets rich in fibre reduce the risk of developing specific cancers such as...
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Identity of allergen responsible for durum wheat allergy is unveiled
by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid An international team of researchers, in which a researcher from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid is involved, has identified one of the main causes of food allergy in the Mediterranean area. Recently, a research team led by Dr. Araceli Díaz Perales from Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP, UPM-INIA), in collaboration with other...
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How the body protects itself from type 2 diabetes
by German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases A specific group of white blood cells, termed “regulatory T cells,” keeps the immune system in balance and suppresses its activity to protect the body against autoimmune diseases. Scientists at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the University of Bonn have now discovered a new mechanism by which...
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Immune study sheds light on vitamin D effects
by University of Edinburgh Scientists have uncovered fresh insights into how vitamin D affects the immune system and might influence susceptibility to diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Vitamin D is produced by the body in response to sunlight and is often lauded for its health benefits. Researchers found it also affects key cells of the immune system. This discovery might explain...
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Researchers develop new vaccine against deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
by University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston A collaborative team from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Saudi Arabia and Canada developed a potent and safe vaccine that protects against the deadly Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS. The findings recently were published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. MERS was first identified when someone died from the viral infection in 2012. The...
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Immunotherapy combination effective for patients with rare neuroendocrine cancer
A combination of two common immunotherapy drugs shrinks rare, aggressive neuroendocrine tumors, according to new research results presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019, held March 29-April 3 in Atlanta. Results from the SWOG Cancer Research Network trial known as DART, short for Dual Anti-CTLA-4 and Anti-PD-1 Blockade in Rare Tumors, show a significant clinical benefit for patients with high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma, a cancer of the neuroendocrine cells that often forms tumors...
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Decades-old misconception on white blood cell trafficking to spleen corrected
by University of Turku Contrary to prior belief, white blood cells enter the spleen primarily via vessels in the red pulp. The research results contradict ideas regarding how the spleen produces antibodies vital for the human body. The spleen is our largest lymphoid organ. Its function is to eliminate outdated red blood cells and to produce antibodies against pathogens. Outdated red blood cells...
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Hope for two million cancer patients: New Immunotherapy is the first to shrink lung, breast and mesothelioma tumors
Immunotherapy is the most cutting edge treatment in cancer therapies The treatment reprograms patient’s immune cells to attack cancer cells So far, one of the leading forms is CAR T therapy, but it only works against blood cancers like non-Hodkins lymphoma But in a world-first, Memorial Sloan Kettering scientists have developed a version of CAR T therapy that can treat...