Immunotherapy Weekly back issues from October 2003:
CD44 mediates CCL5-induced cell activation and HIV infectivity enhancement.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- CD44 mediates CCL5-induced cell activation and enhancement of HIV infectivity. "The CC-chemokine RANTES (regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted; CCL5) transduces multiple intracellular signals," scientists in ...
Proteasome dysfunction in cytotoxicity mediated by anti-Ras antibodies.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists have found evidence that proteasome dysfunction in cytotoxicity is mediated by anti-Ras intracellular antibodies. According to published research from Italy, "Anti-Ras intracellular antibodies inhibit cell proliferation in ...
CD8 T, CD16 NK have different telomere shortening rates, telomerase activity.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aging based on telomere length and telomerase activity are different in CD8 T and CD16 NK cells; NK have telomerase activity and delayed senescence. "Telomeres are specialized structures located at the end of eukaryotic chromosomes, that ...
Patients cautioned about melatonin.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- People with asthma should consider limiting the use of melatonin as a sleep aid, according to researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center. Pulmonologist Rand Sutherland, MD, MPH, and his colleagues reported in the ...
Atherosclerosis patients have CMV infection in vessel walls.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Atherosclerotic lesions have human cytomegalovirus infection in the vessel walls; may be a site of latency. According to recent research published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, "Recently, increasing attention is ...
Gemifloxacin is active against Neisseria gonorrhoeae with gyrA mutation.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gemifloxacin is active against Neisseria gonorrhoeae, including strains with gyrA mutations. "The MIC of gemifloxacin and 5 other quinolones was tested against 31 clinical isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae; strains were analyzed for the ...
Biopharma inks agreement with Guangdong Medicine Group Corp.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc., (HEB) announced that it has signed an agreement with Guangdong Medicine Group Corp. to organize clinical trials, marketing, sales, and distribution for both of its lead compounds, Alferon N and Ampligen, in the People's ...
DHHS panel recommends Kaletra as part of protease inhibitor-based regimen.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A panel convened by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has recommended Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir), in combination with zidovudine or stavudine plus lamivudine, as a preferred protease inhibitor (PI)-based regimen for the ...
Salbutamol use may increase eosinophil CXCL8 production, asthmatic response.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Regular salbutamol use may make eosinophil response to allergen stronger, increase airway inflammation via CXCL8/IL-8 increases in asthmatics. "Regular salbutamol use can exacerbate allergen-induced airway eosinophilia in asthmatics, but ...
Restraint stress modulates regulation of inflammation and immunity.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acute restraint stress in allergic contact dermatitis modulates regulation of sensitizer-induced inflammation and immunity. "Previously, we demonstrated that restraint stress applied before chemical sensitization modulates allergic ...
Hepcidin is critical for iron transport, macrophage iron collection.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hepcidin is critical for iron transport, macrophage iron collection; lack of it can produce hemochromatosis. According to recent research published in the journal Blood, "Human hepcidin, a 25-amino acid (aa) peptide made by hepatocytes, ...
Polymer-coated stents offer a way to delivery gene therapy to immune cells.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Polymer-coated stents offer a way to delivery gene therapy to immune cells. According to a study from the United States, "metallic stents coated with a polyurethane emulsion containing plasmid DNA were implanted in rabbit iliac arteries ...
Ofloxacin receives FDA approval.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc. (RPI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited (RLL), has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to manufacture and market ofloxacin tablets 200 mg, 300 mg, and 400 ...
Styryl-lactone goniothalamin induces leukemia cell caspase-dependent apoptosis.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The styryl-lactone plant derivative goniothalamin induces leukemia cell mitochondrial, caspase-dependent apoptosis. According to recent research published in the journal Toxicology In Vitro, "Styryl-lactones such as goniothalamin ...
Human intestinal mucosa is rich in antibacterial, antifungal peptides.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The human colonic mucosa is rich in peptides that have antibacterial and antifungal properties. According to recent research published in the journal Peptides, "Antimicrobial peptides and proteins are effector molecules in the ...
Oral melatonin reduces proinflammatory response induced by amyloid-beta protein.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Oral antioxidants melatonin and vitamins C and E reduced nitrites, lipoperoxides; but melatonin also reduced the proinflammatory response in an amyloid beta inflammation model. "To determine the efficacy of antioxidants in reducing ...
Classical antisense PTOs used against key multimodal targets.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Antisense Pharma focuses on the drug development for cancer treatment by combining precise selection of key cancer target molecules and DNA based phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (PTO). Positive data from phase I/II high-grade glioma clinical ...
Cryptosporidiosis can produce arthritis, resolved by pathogen clearance.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cryptosporidiosis can produce reactive arthritis; pathogen clearance resolves rheumatic disease. "In contrast to arthritic disease caused by different bacterial agents, reactive arthritis due to parasitic infection is rare," scientists ...
Adults fail to follow flu vaccine guidelines.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Adults with asthma are considered a high-risk group for developing complications after contracting the influenza virus, yet the majority of adults with asthma do not receive an annual influenza vaccination, according to a new study. The ...
Asthma is exacerbated by eosinophilic pneumonia; corticosteroids may protect.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Asthmatics who get idiopathic chronic eosinophilic pneumonia have worsened asthma but fewer pneumonia recurrences later, perhaps because they are given more corticosteroids. "Since idiopathic chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (ICEP) and ...
Children's school routines disrupted.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a national sample of members surveyed from the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), asthma is more disruptive of school routines than any other chronic condition, has a significant impact on absenteeism, and many school staff ...
HLA genotypes linked to Artemisia vulgaris allergy identified.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- HLA genotypes linked with allergic reactions to wormood have been identified. "Different human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles have been associated with the development of atopic asthma," scientists in Spain noted. ...
Preschool patients tested for pulmonary function.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In one of the first pulmonary function studies to compare preschool children with asthma to healthy controls of similar age, French researchers, using tests that did not require active cooperation, compared the results of 74 children with asthma to ...
BAFF regulates the number of B cells; high levels relate to autoimmune disease.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BAFF is a member of TNF family that can alter the number of B cells; overexpression causes B-cell expansion and is related to autoimmune disease. According to recent research from Switzerland, "The TNF family member BAFF is a fundamental ...
Septicemia and bacterial DNA can cause autoantibodies and SLE-like symptoms.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Septicemia and bacterial DNA can cause autoantibodies and some systemic lupus erythematosus-like symptoms. According to recent research from Japan, "Recent evidence has revealed that bacterial DNA can promote several of the autoimmune ...
HLA-A genes linked to pemphigus vulgaris in Jewish patients.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Mutant HLA-A region genes have been linked to pemphigus vulgaris (PV) in Jewish patients. According to scientists in Israel, PV "is the most severe autoimmune blistering disorder of the skin that is mediated by circulating autoantibodies ...
Transcription coactivator OCA-B gene may be involved in B-cell expansion.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The OCA-B gene is needed after B-cell receptor ligation and T helper costimulation, and appears to be involved in signaling B-cell expansion. "The tissue-specific transcriptional coactivator OCA-B is required for antigen-dependent B-cell ...
Alpha-proteobacterium in an immunocompetent geriatric patient causes bacteremia.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bacteremia in an immunocompetent geriatric patient is caused by a new organism, an alpha-proteobacterium. According to recent research from North Ireland, "An 89-year-old male with pyrexia and suspected bacteremia was admitted to ...
Catecholamines enhance growth of E. coli but not some other bacteria.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Catecholamines increase growth of E. coli but not some other bacterial species, including oral anaerobes. "The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of catecholamines on in vitro growth of a range of bacterial species, ...
Trials for investigational pathogen inactivation system halted.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cerus Corporation (CERS) and subsidiaries of Baxter International, Inc., (BAX) announced that they are voluntarily halting phase III trials for their pathogen-inactivated red blood cell program. The companies made this decision as a ...
Data from Theratope vaccine trial to be presented at breast cancer symposium.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Biomira, Inc., (BIOM, BRA) announced that data from the final analysis of its Theratope vaccine phase III clinical trial in metastatic breast cancer will be presented at the 26th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) being held at the ...
A dipstick assay works well to detect Brucella specific IgM serum antibodies.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A dipstick assay for detection of Brucella IgM in serum works as well as an agglutination test, and not as well as culture in early brucellosis, but the culture assay works far better on patients sick for over 3 mo. "A dipstick assay for ...
Infection leading to autoimmune disease may also induce retinal vasculitis.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Infection leading to autoimmmune disease may also induce retinal vasculitis. "Retinal vasculitis is a rare, but potentially blinding intraocular inflammatory condition with diverse etiology. Although commonly idiopathic, it has a strong ...
Par Pharmaceutical announces agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb for Megace.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Par Pharmaceutical, Inc., the principal subsidiary of Pharmaceutical Resources, Inc. (PRX), has entered into an agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY) to license the Megace trade name to be used in a potential new product being developed ...
Primary central nervous system lymphoma can have cryoglobulin deposits.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Primary CNS lymphoma can have associated cryoglobulins too. "Primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSLs) represent malignant non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas confined to the central nervous system. Recent years have brought a dramatic ...
Molecular fingerprinting and histology may show contradictory tissues of origin.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cancer samples must be examined for the site of origin of a tumor; molecular fingerprinting should reveal tissue origin, but histology results may not agree. According to published research from Singapore, "Examination of cytological ...
HSP10, HSP60 increase during progression of large bowel, uterine cancer.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Heat shock proteins HSP10 and HSP60 become increasingly overexpressed as progression of large bowel cancer and uterine cancer occurs; could make good markers. "In the present study, we evaluated the presence and the level of expression ...
Drug developed for rare disease may help millions more as cancer treatment.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An antiangiogenesis drug developed at the University of Michigan (U-M) is showing promise in studies of three different disease families, including multiple forms of cancer. The drug, tetrathiomolybdate, or TM, essentially wages war ...
All-trans-retinoic acid improves effect of tumor vaccination.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- All-trans-retinoic acid eliminates immature myeloid cells from tumor-bearing mice and improves the effect of vaccination. "Tumor-induced immunosuppression is one of the crucial mechanisms of tumor evasion of immune surveillance. It ...
Cancer vaccines present unique challenges.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cancer vaccines present unique challenges. According to a study from the United States, "Whether vaccines are designed to prepare the immune system for the encounter with a pathogen or with cancer, certain common challenges need to be ...
HPV-16-transformed cells expressing herpes thymidine kinase induce immunity.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Immunization with live HPV-16-transformed mouse cells expressing the herpes simplex thymidine kinase and either granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or interleukin-2 (IL-2) had antitumor effects. According to recent ...
Immunization in tumor prevention reviewed.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have published a review of immunization for tumor prevention in the journal International Immunopharmacology. According to a study from Italy, "Recent experimental data suggest that immunity can be activated to prevent ...
Progress in field of cancer vaccines reported.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Progress in the field of cancer vaccines has been reported in a recent issue of the journal Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. According to a study from France, "The observation that in some cases tumors undergo spontaneous regression ...
Level of disease activity, oral or vaginal location induce different enzymes.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Candida albicans expresses different enzyme genes at different rates depending on location of infection and level of disease activity. "The in vivo expression of Candida albicans secreted aspartyl proteinase (SAP1-SAP8) and phospholipase ...
Two immune events occur involving dendritic cells and peptide:MHCII complexes.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Two sets of immune events occur with dendritic cells and fluorescently tagged peptide binding to MHCII. "Peptide:MHC II complexes derived from a fluorescent antigen were detected in vivo to identify the cells that present subcutaneously ...
C-section has minor risk of maternal HSV-2 brain inflammation.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cesarean sections can have an HSV-2 meningitis or encephalitis risk for the mother. "Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) encephalitis is rare, especially during pregnancy. In immunocompetent patients, HSV-2 meningitis (contrary to HSV-1 ...
Fc receptor mediates antibody regulation of T-cell immunity.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Antibody regulation of T-cell immunity against intracellular pathogens is Fc receptor-mediated. "Immunity to intracellular microbial pathogens, including Chlamydia species, is controlled primarily by cell-mediated effector mechanisms, ...
Bile acid apoptosis can be blocked by CFLIP-L interacting with p38 MAPK.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bile acid mediated apoptosis in cholestasis can be inhibited by CFLIP-L binding p38 MAPK and blocking activation/ phosphorylation. "In cholestasis, toxic bile acids accumulate within the liver inducing hepatocyte apoptosis, which ...
ICOS may be involved in Peyer patch expansion and IgA, IgG production.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Peyers patches still form but are smaller in ICOS/B7RP-1 negative mice, but IgA and IgG, not IgM, are reduced. "T-cell co-stimulatory molecule, inducible co-stimulator (ICOS)/B7-related protein-1 (B7RP-1) interactions play an essential ...
Pharmaceutical companies to identify drug candidates for an allergy target.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Discovery Partners International, Inc., (DPII) of San Diego, California, and Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., of Tokyo, Japan, announced further details surrounding the collaboration disclosed in the DPI quarterly financial release of July 22. ...
Sonic hedgehog mutations cause reduced protein activity, holoprosencephaly.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Mutations in the Sonic hedgehog gene cause changes in the protein, reduced activity in neural tissue, and some forms of human holoprosencephaly. According to recent research from the United States, "Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is a common ...
C1 inhibitor benefits sepsis due to lowering of neutrophil activation.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The treatment of sepsis patients with C1 inhibitor lowers EA, complement, and IL-8 and thus neutrophil activation. According to a study from Switzerland, "Forty patients with severe sepsis or septic shock recently received C1 inhibitor ....
IL-23 and IL-27 are members of family of IL-12 related cytokines.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Interleukin (IL)-23 and IL-27 are new members of the growing family of IL-12 related cytokines with important implications for therapeutics. "The recent discoveries of the two IL-12-related cytokines, IL-23 and IL-27, reveal that the ...
DNA vaccination may be the answer to stable, protective T-cell memory.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- DNA vaccination may be the answer to stable, protective T-cell memory. "Distinct populations of both CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells have been identified on the basis of their location (lymphoid versus non-lymphoid tissues) and function," ...
The interaction of p53 with its target DNA is stereochemically defined.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Functionality and binding of p53 are dependent on the target DNA's structure for apparent latency or activation. According to a study from Germany, "The most import biological function of the tumor suppressor p53 is that of a ...
Cerebrospinal fluid can be used to distinguish Alzheimers from CJD.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cerebrospinal fluid beta-amyloid ratios can be used to distinguish Alzheimer from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. According to recent research published in the journal Annals of Neurology, "Decreased levels of beta-amyloid peptide 1-42 ...
NS1 serotype specific IgG ELISA distinguishes primary, secondary infection.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NS1 serotype specific IgG ELISA can distinguish primary and secondary dengue virus infection, if serum is taken at disease onset, because secondary IgG is not made immediately. According to recent research published in the journal ...
IL-18BP can bind IL-18, reduce IFNgamma effects of contact hypersensitivity.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- IL-18 increase in skin during contact hypersensitivity can be blocked by IL-18 binding protein; IFN gamma is lowered, but edema is not affected. "Allergic contact dermatitis, the clinical manifestation of contact hypersensitivity, is one ...
Toxoplasma gondii ELISA can give false-positive IgM due to sphingolipids.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Toxoplasma gondii ELISA can have unspecific IgM reactivity that corresponds with sphingolipids or ceramides found in pathogen, but not due to infection, in pregnant or grafted patients. "During a routine serological survey, eight ...
Recombinant vaccines against Japanese encephalitis developed.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have developed recombinant vaccines against Japanese encephalitis. "Japanese encephalitis (JE) is the major form of viral encephalitis in much of the South-East Asia, India, and China. The disease is caused by a ...
Vipoma can be extrapancreatic and nonneurogenic but with anti-VIP antibodies.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vipoma can be extrapancreatic and nonneurogenic; this case had anti-VIP antibody but was in the liver. According to recent research from Tunisia, "Vipoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor most frequently localized in the pancreas. When it ...
Matrix metalloproteinases appear to play a role in endometriosis.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Matrix metalloproteinases may play a role in endometriosis; sometimes this may be in response to steroids. "Retrograde menstruation represents a plausible explanation for the development of most cases of endometriosis; nevertheless, ...
The serotype 2 polysaccharide of E. faecalis is made during log phase.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Enterococcus faecalis serotype 2 polysaccharide has two independent promoters with highest transcription found in log phase. According to a study from the United States, "We previously described a 15-kb genetic cluster consisting of 11 ...
Antiepileptic drugs can alter and be altered by other drugs.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Antiepileptic drugs can alter and be altered by other drugs like antibiotics, hormones, and cardiovascular drugs. According to a study from England, "Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are commonly prescribed for long periods, up to a lifetime, ...
Retinopathy can be caused by thymoma, autoantibodies against eye proteins.
Oct 01, 2003 ... 2003 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Geriatric retinopathy can be cancer associated; the cancer can produce eye proteins and the body can produce an autoantibody response. "A 60-year-old man was admitted for progressive visual loss in both eyes. He was diagnosed with ...