 |
|
Immunologists find better way to boost the immune system
January 23, 2008Immunologists have discovered how to manipulate the immune system to increase its power and protect the body from successive viral infections.
Published in the current edition of Viral Immunology, these findings may point the way toward developing new and more effective vaccines against diseases like influenza or HIV and enhance new developments in immunology.
The study suggests that scientists can boost the body's resistance and fend off successive viral infections by taking components of the virus and indirectly activating specific populations of killer T cells - the body's virus-killing cells. The virus components are introduced through a process known as "cross priming" whereby virus molecules are engulfed by immune cells to activate killer T cells.
"With this mechanism in mind, we can develop better tools to make more successful and effective vaccines," says Sam Basta, Queen's professor of Microbiology and Immunology, and the principal investigator of the study. The other members of the research team are master's students Attiya Alatery and Erin Dunbar.
The researchers hope to build on their findings by next studying which immune cells do a better job of protecting the body while using this mechanism.
"The answer to this question is like having the Holy Grail of immunotherapy and vaccine design within our grasp," says Dr. Basta.
Dr. Basta suggests that by fully understanding this new mechanism, researchers should be able to shuttle the appropriate viral components to the right immune cells.
The study was funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Franklin Bracken Fellowship program.
Queen's University
"With this mechanism in mind, we can develop better tools to make more successful and effective vaccines," says Sam Basta, Queen's professor of Microbiology and Immunology, and the principal investigator of the study. The other members of the research team are master's students Attiya Alatery and Erin Dunbar.
The researchers hope to build on their findings by next studying which immune cells do a better job of protecting the body while using this mechanism.
"The answer to this question is like having the Holy Grail of immunotherapy and vaccine design within our grasp," says Dr. Basta.
Dr. Basta suggests that by fully understanding this new mechanism, researchers should be able to shuttle the appropriate viral components to the right immune cells.
The study was funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Franklin Bracken Fellowship program.
Queen's University
Immunology Current Events and Immunology News RSSSweet -- sugared polymer a new weapon against allergies and asthma
Scientists at Johns Hopkins and their colleagues have developed sugar-coated polymer strands that selectively kill off cells involved in triggering aggressive allergy and asthma attacks.
UAB Researchers Discover Antibody Receptor Identity, Propose Renaming Immune-System Gene
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have uncovered the genetic identity of a cellular receptor for the immune system's first-response antibody, a discovery that sheds new light on infection control and immune disorders.
Thoughtful words help couples stay fighting fit
Couples who bring thoughtful words to a fight release lower amounts of stress-related proteins, suggesting that rational communication between partners can ease the impact of marital conflict on the immune system.
Faithful mothers have healthier babies
Faculty of 1000 reviewers examine a study from New Zealand on whether prolonged exposure to the father's semen protects new mothers against pre-eclampsia and having an undersized baby
Pathogen protection and virulence: Dark side of fungal membrane protein revealed
Researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and Montana State University have discovered a fungal protein that plays a key role in causing disease in plants and animals and which also shields the pathogen from oxidative stress.
Key player identified in cascade that leads to hypertension-related kidney damage
A key player in a cascade that likely begins with stress and leads to high blood pressure and kidney damage has been identified by researchers who say the finding may lead to better ways to control both.
Common Pain Relievers May Dilute Power of Flu Shots
With flu vaccination season in full swing, research from the University of Rochester Medical Center cautions that use of many common pain killers - Advil, Tylenol, aspirin - at the time of injection may blunt the effect of the shot and have a negative effect on the immune system.
Scientists use world's fastest supercomputer to create the largest HIV evolutionary tree
Supporting Los Alamos National Laboratory's role in the international Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI) consortium, researchers are using the Roadrunner supercomputer to analyze vast quantities of genetic sequences from HIV infected people in the hope of zeroing in on possible vaccine target areas.
The first men and women from the Canary Islands were Berbers
A team of Spanish and Portuguese researchers has carried out molecular genetic analysis of the Y chromosome (transmitted only by males) of the aboriginal population of the Canary Islands to determine their origin and the extent to which they have survived in the current population.
Do 3 meals a day keep fungi away?
The fact that they eat a lot - and often - may explain why most people and other mammals are protected from the majority of fungal pathogens, according to research from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.
More Immunology Current Events and Immunology News Articles
 |
How the Immune System Works (Blackwell's How It Works) by Lauren M. Sompayrac (Author) Understanding the immune system is crucial for both medical and bioscience students, with new research revealing yet more secrets year on year. Many books offer in-depth introductions to the subject, but How the Immune System Works remains uniquely popular for its personable and practical overview of the nuts and bolts of the immune system. This third edition provides a perfect introduction to the essential principles of the immune system, covered in humorous but highly informative 'lectures' accompanied by clear and accessible illustrations. It is perfect for exam preparation or as an enjoyable overview of a difficult subject. Both students and instructors will welcome the clarity and authority that Lauren Sompayrac brings to this timely revision. |
 |
Basic Immunology: Functions and Disorders of the Immune System With STUDENT CONSULT Online Access by Abul K. Abbas MBBS (Author), Andrew H. Lichtman MD PhD (Author) Here's a readable and concise introduction to the workings of the human immune system, with emphasis on clinical relevance. The format makes learning easy with short, easy-to-read chapters, color tables, key point summaries, and review questions in every chapter. Relates basic science to clinical disorders through clinical cases for better application in a real-world setting. Includes a full Glossary to keep you on the cutting edge of immunologic terminology. Includes appendices summarizing the features of CD Molecules, a handy Glossary, and Clinical Cases that test your understanding of how the immune system functions in health and disease. Illustrated with beautiful full-color artwork for enhanced visual learning. Provides the most up-to-date immunology... |
 |
Kuby Immunology (Kindt, Kuby Immunology) by Thomas J. Kindt (Author), Barbara A. Osborne (Author), Richard A. Goldsby (Author) The only textbook written for undergraduates by teachers of the course, this bestseller presents the most current concepts in an experimental context, conveying the excitement of scientific discovery, and highlighting important advances while providing unsurpassed pedagogical support for the first-time learner. The new edition is thoroughly updated, including most notably the new chapter on innate immunity. |
 |
Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Immunology (Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews Series) by Thao Doan (Author), Roger Melvold (Author), Susan Viselli (Author), Carl Waltenbaugh (Author) Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Immunology is a brand-new addition to the internationally best-selling Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews Series. This volume offers a highly visual presentation of essential immunology material, with all the popular features of the series: over 300 full-color annotated illustrations, an outline format, chapter summaries, review questions, and case studies that link basic science to real-life clinical situations. Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Immunology can be used as a review text for a short immunology course, or paired with Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Microbiology for a combined microbiology/immunology course. |
 |
IMMUNOBIOLOGY 7 PB (Janeway's Immunobiology) (Immunobiology: The Immune System (Janeway)) by Kenneth M. Murphy (Author), Paul Travers (Author), Mark Walport (Author) Janeway's Immunobiology, Seventh Edition is an introductory text for use in immunology courses for undergraduates, graduate students and medical students. It guides the reader through the immune system in all its aspects - from the first engagement of innate immunity to the generation of the adaptive immune response and its clinical consequences. The Seventh Edition has been comprehensively updated throughout, and includes new information on topics such as NK cells, Toll-like receptors, AID, viral evasins, mucosal immunity, and celiac disease, to name a few. Each copy of the book includes a revised CD-ROM, Immunobiology Interactive, which contains animations and videos with voiceover narration, as well as the figures from the text for presentation purposes. Janeway's Immunobiology... |
 |
Immunology: A Short Course by Richard Coico (Author), Geoffrey Sunshine (Author) Immunology: A Short Course, Sixth Edition introduces all the critical topics of modern immunology in clear and succinct yet comprehensive fashion. The authors offer a uniquely balanced coverage of classical and contemporary approaches, basic and clinical aspects. As with the previous editions, the strength of the text is in a complete review of modern immunology without burdening the reader with excessive data or theoretical discussions. Each chapter is divided into short, self-contained units that address key topics illustrated by uniformly drawn, full-color illustrations, many brand new to this edition. The sixth edition of this successful textbook newly covers: Toll-like receptors, their ligands and intracellular activation pathways The key role of activation induced... |
 |
Roitt's Essential Immunology (Essentials) by Peter Delves (Author), Seamus Martin (Author), Dennis Burton (Author), Ivan Roitt (Author) Roitt's Essential Immunology has established itself as the book of choice for students of immunology worldwide. This excellent textbook is commonly regarded as 'the best of the immunology primers' and the eleventh edition remains at the cutting edge of this fascinating area of science. The trademark of this book is its highly readable introduction to the subject, its emphasis on core knowledge and its excellent four-color artwork. The internationally renowned authors have extensively updated all aspects of the book to produce a new edition, which will be an invaluable resource to students of immunology and medicine. Roitt's Essential Immunology is supported by a website at www.roitt.com This useful on-line resource includes interactive multiple-choice questions with feedback, key... |
 |
Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Updated Edition: With STUDENT CONSULT Online Access (Abbas, Cellular and Molecular Immunology) by Abul K. Abbas MBBS (Author), Andrew H. Lichtman MD PhD (Author), Shiv Pillai MD (Author) Cellular and Molecular Immunology, by Abul K. Abbas, MBBS, Andrew H. Lichtman, MD, PhD and Shiv Pillai, MD, offers an exceptionally lucid guide to the latest immunology concepts! Readers worldwide have appreciated the book's in-depth yet straightforward, richly illustrated approach to this complex subject. Now, sweeping updates incorporate the latest discoveries about innate immunity, the organization of lymphoid organs, and many other cutting-edge topics. Plus, online access via Student Consult makes this an even more powerful learning resource! Clearly explains the experimental observations that form the basis for the science of immunology at the molecular, cellular, and whole-organism levels-and the conclusions that can be drawn from those observations.Highlights the... |
 |
Immunology Made Ridiculously Simple by Massoud Mahmoudi (Author) A brief, clear overview of the basic science and clinical aspects of immunology. For medical students and other health professionals. The basic science section is a clear presentation of innate and adaptive immunity, immune cells, antibodies and antigens, and other components of the immune system and their interactions. The clinical section clarifies hypersensitivity, autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, common diagnostic tests, vaccination, transplantation, and tumor immunology, all in 85 pages. |
 |
Fundamental Immunology by William E Paul (Editor) The textbook that has defined the field of immunology since 1984 is now in its thoroughly revised and updated Sixth Edition. This comprehensive, up-to-date text will be of interest to graduate students,post-doctoral fellows, basic and clinical immunologists, microbiologists and infectious disease physicians, and any physician treating diseases in which immunologic mechanisms play a role. This edition features expanded coverage of regulatory T cells, innate immunity, and dendritic cells. Additional chapters on cytokines are also included. A companion Website offers the fully searchable text, plus all illustrations in full color and comprehensive lists of references. (www.fundamentalimmunology.com) "Doody's Core Titles™ 2009." |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |