Spondyloarthritis is one of the most common types of chronic joint inflammation affecting nearly 1-2% of the Western population. Cytokine blockade of Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and more recently Interleukin-17 (IL-17) has revolutionized the perspectives of patients suffering from this disease by achieving high levels of therapeutic efficacy. The disease differs substantially from rheumatoid arthritis, another form of...
Category: <span>Immunology</span>
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The science is clear: with HIV, undetectable equals untransmittable
NIH officials discuss scientific evidence and principles underlying the U=U concept NIH/NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES IMAGE: QUOTE FROM R.W. EISINGER, C.W. DIEFFENBACH AND A.S. FAUCI CREDIT: NIAID WHAT: In recent years, an overwhelming body of clinical evidence has firmly established the HIV Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) concept as scientifically sound, say officials from the...
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Researchers identify experimental Immunotherapy approach to target acute myeloid leukemia
University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have identified a potential way to target a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, a form of immunotherapy in which patients’ immune cells are genetically engineered to recognize and track their cancer. Credit: CC0 Public Domain At the 60th...
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Researchers reveal new mechanism to ‘activate’ the immune system against cancer
A new mechanism for activating the immune system against cancer cells allows immune cells to detect and destroy cancer cells better than before, according to a study published this week in the journal Nature. Image: Prof. Erez Levanon, Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences. Credit: Bar-Ilan University The study was led by Prof....
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Types of Antibodies
Antibodies are glycoproteins, termed as immunoglobulins (Igs), which are produced in response to an immune reaction and specifically bind to antigens responsible for initiating the reaction. Antibody structure An antibody is composed of two heavy chains (50 KD each) and two light chains (25 KD each), which are joined by disulfide bonds to form a ‘Y’ shaped structure (150...
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What are Immunoassays?
Immunoassays are bioanalytical methods that use the specificity of an antigen-antibody reaction to detect and quantify target molecules in biological samples. These methods are frequently used in clinical diagnostics, drug discovery, drug monitoring, and food testing. Types of immunoassays The principle of an immune assay is based on competitions between a fixed amount of labeled...
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Chronic fatigue syndrome: New evidence of immune role
Researchers recently investigated the immune system’s role in chronic fatigue system in unprecedented depth. The findings might help design future treatments. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a mysterious condition. The main symptom of CFS is extreme and often unrelenting fatigue. Others include muscle and joint pain, sleep issues, and flu-like symptoms. Researchers do...
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Some brain tumors may respond to Immunotherapy, new study suggests
Immunotherapy has proved effective in treating a number of cancers, but brain tumors have remained stubbornly resistant. Now, a new study suggests that a slow-growing brain tumor arising in patients affected by neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) may be vulnerable to Immunotherapy, which gives the immune system a boost in fighting cancer. The findings, made by an international consortium led by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of...
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Successful anti-PD-1 therapy requires interaction between CD8+ T cells and dendritic cells
A team led by a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigator has found that successful cancer immunotherapy targeting the PD-1 molecule requires interaction between cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, which have been considered the primary therapeutic target, and dendritic cells, critical activators of T cell response. The report that will be appearing in the journal Immunity and...
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Researchers discover unique immune cell likely drives chronic inflammation
For the first time, researchers have identified that an immune cell subset called gamma delta T cells that may be causing and/or perpetuating the systemic inflammation found in normal aging in the general geriatric population and in HIV-infected people who are responding well to drugs (anti-retrovirals). Even with effective viral control, HIV-infected individuals are at...