 |
|
Common diabetes drug may 'revolutionize' cancer therapies
June 04, 2009Researchers at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that a widely used anti-diabetic drug can boost the immune system and increase the potency of vaccines and cancer treatments. Their findings will be published June 3 in the journal Nature.
The discovery was made by Dr. Russell Jones, an assistant professor at McGill's Goodman Cancer Centre and the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yongwon Choi, PhD, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and postdoctoral fellow Erika Pearce, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania. They discovered that the widely prescribed diabetes treatment metformin increases the efficiency of the immune system's T-cells, which in turn makes cancer and virus-fighting vaccines more effective.
The specialized white blood cells of the human immune system known as "T-cells" remember pathogens they have encountered from previous infections or vaccinations, enabling them to fight subsequent infections much faster. This "immunological memory" has been the subject of intense study for many years, but until now the underlying cellular mechanisms behind it were not well understood. Now, the researchers say, they can use diabetic therapies to manipulate T-cell response and enhance the immune system's response to infections and cancer alike.
"Many genes involved in diabetes regulation also play a role in cancer progression," Jones explained. "There is also a significant body of data suggesting that diabetics are more prone to certain cancers. However, our study is the first to suggest that by targeting the same metabolic pathways that play a role in diabetes, you can alter how well your immune system functions."
"We serendipitously discovered that the metabolizing, or burning, of fatty acids by T-cells following the peak of infection is critical to establishing immunological memory," Pearce added. "We used metformin, which is known to operate on fatty-acid metabolism, to enhance this process, and have shown experimentally in mice that metformin increases T-cell memory as well as the ensuing protective immunity of an experimental anti-cancer vaccine."
Few talk about cancer and diabetes in the same breath. However, recent advances have uncovered common links between cancer and diabetes, in particular how metabolic pathways, the basic chemical reactions that happen in our cells, are controlled in these diseases. The recent findings suggest a new link between the metabolic pathways deregulated in cancer and diabetes and their role in immune cell function. The results suggest that common diabetic therapies which alter cellular metabolism may enhance T-cell memory, providing a boost to the immune system. This could lead to novel strategies for vaccine and anti-cancer therapies.
"Our findings were unanticipated, but are potentially extremely important and could revolutionize current strategies for both therapeutic and protective vaccines," Choi said.
McGill University
"Many genes involved in diabetes regulation also play a role in cancer progression," Jones explained. "There is also a significant body of data suggesting that diabetics are more prone to certain cancers. However, our study is the first to suggest that by targeting the same metabolic pathways that play a role in diabetes, you can alter how well your immune system functions."
"We serendipitously discovered that the metabolizing, or burning, of fatty acids by T-cells following the peak of infection is critical to establishing immunological memory," Pearce added. "We used metformin, which is known to operate on fatty-acid metabolism, to enhance this process, and have shown experimentally in mice that metformin increases T-cell memory as well as the ensuing protective immunity of an experimental anti-cancer vaccine."
Few talk about cancer and diabetes in the same breath. However, recent advances have uncovered common links between cancer and diabetes, in particular how metabolic pathways, the basic chemical reactions that happen in our cells, are controlled in these diseases. The recent findings suggest a new link between the metabolic pathways deregulated in cancer and diabetes and their role in immune cell function. The results suggest that common diabetic therapies which alter cellular metabolism may enhance T-cell memory, providing a boost to the immune system. This could lead to novel strategies for vaccine and anti-cancer therapies.
"Our findings were unanticipated, but are potentially extremely important and could revolutionize current strategies for both therapeutic and protective vaccines," Choi said.
McGill University
Immune System Current Events and Immune System News RSSFirst reconstitution of an epidermis from human embryonic stem cells
Stem cell research is making great strides. This is yet again illustrated by a study carried out by the I-STEM* Institute (I-STEM/ Inserm UEVE U861/AFM), published in the Lancet on 21 November 2009. The I-STEM team, directed by Marc Peschanski has just succeeded in recreating a whole epidermis from human embryonic stem cells.
New findings suggest strategy to help generate HIV-neutralizing antibodies
New discoveries about anti-HIV antibodies may bring researchers a step closer to creating an effective HIV vaccine, according to a new paper co-authored by scientists at the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.
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.
New culprit for viral infections among elderly -- an overactive immune response
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that exaggerated responses of the immune system explain why the elderly succumb to viral infections more readily than younger people.
Women at risk from vitamin A deficiency
Almost half of UK women could be suffering from a lack of vitamin A due to a previously undiscovered genetic variation, scientists at Newcastle University have found.
Immune system activated in schizophrenia
Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have discovered that patients with recent-onset schizophrenia have higher levels of inflammatory substances in their brains. Their findings offer hope of being able to treat schizophrenia with drugs that affect the immune system.
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.
Largest gene study of childhood IBD identifies 5 new genes
In the largest, most comprehensive genetic analysis of childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an international research team has identified five new gene regions, including one involved in a biological pathway that helps drive the painful inflammation of the digestive tract that characterizes the disease.
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
Hoping for a fluorescent basket case
Although recent advances have raised hopes that a protective vaccine can be developed, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) remains a major public health problem.
More Immune System Current Events and Immune System News Articles
 |
The Immune System 3e by Peter Parham (Author) The Immune System, Third Edition emphasizes the human immune system and synthesizes immunological concepts into a comprehensible, up-to-date, and reader-friendly account of how the immune system works. Written for undergraduate, medical, dental, and pharmacy students in immunology courses, it makes generous use of medical examples to illustrate points. The Third Edition has been extensively revised and updated and includes two new chapters on innate and adaptive immunity, which explore the physical, cellular, and molecular principles underlying these responses to infection. It also features enhanced coverage of aspects of innate immunity such as the complement system, Toll-like receptors, defensins, and C-reactive protein; the role of dendritic cells... |
 |
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. |
 |
The Immune System Cure: Optimize Your Immune System in 30 Days-The Natural Way! by Kensington (Producer) What causes one person to catch a cold or flu and another to avoid it? Why do serious outbreaks of infectious diseases leave some individuals untouched? What allows someone to be incapacitated by allergies? The answer lies within nature itself-our immune system. The Immune System Cure provides simple techniques for supercharging your immune system to resist and prevent disease. Through diet, exercise, stress reduction and nutritional supplements, including plant sterols and sterolins, you can harness the power of your immune system in just 30 days and help it combat: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria Fibromyalgia Allergies Hepatitis C Tuberculosis Cancer Rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases Chronic fatigue syndrome and more Now you can maintain a healthy... |
 |
The Immune System by Peter Parham (Author) The Immune System, Second Edition has been designed for use in immunology courses for undergraduate, medical, dental, and pharmacy students. This class-tested and successful textbook synthesizes the established facts of immunology into a comprehensible, coherent, and up-to-date account of how the immune system works, rather than presenting immunology as a chronology of experiments and discoveries. Emphasizing the human immune system the text has been designed to break down the barriers which often divide basic and clinical immunology. The reader-friendly text, section and chapter summaries, and full-color illustrations make the book accessible and easily understandable to students. The Immune System is adapted from Immunobiology by Janeway, Travers & Walport. New in... |
 |
In Defense of Self: How the Immune System Really Works by William R. Clark (Author) We live in a sea of seething microbial predators, an infinity of invisible and invasive microorganisms capable of setting up shop inside us and sending us to an early grave. The only thing keeping them out? The immune system. William Clark's In Defense of Self offers a refreshingly accessible tour of the immune system, putting in layman's terms essential information that has been for too long the exclusive province of trained specialists. Clark explains how the immune system works by using powerful genetic, chemical, and cellular weapons to protect us from the vast majority of disease-causing microbes-bacteria, viruses, molds, and parasites. Only those microbes our bodies need to help us digest food and process vitamins are admitted. But this same system can endanger us by... |
 |
90-Day Immune System Makeover by Janet C. Maccaro (Author) No matter how your health has been in the past, there is something you can do right now—a complete makeover to give you the vitality and energy to embrace life at your best! In just ninety days, Janet Maccaro will enable you to build and strengthen your immune system to bring your body into proper balance and experience disease-free living. Birthed out of Maccaro’s twenty-year struggle with poor health and immune dysfunction, this book provides time-tested natural alternatives to strengthen your body, mind, and spirit. If you’re tired of being sick and tired, and if you’re ready for a complete immune system makeover, this easy-to-follow guide to renewed health can show you how! |
 |
The Top 100 Immunity Boosters: 100 Recipes to Keep Your Immune System Fighting Fit by Charlotte Haigh (Author) Eat well today for a healthier tomorrow! With proper nutrition, we can actually bolster our immune system—and, as these 100 recipes prove, it’s not only easy to do, it’s also delicious. Here are foods rich in important vitamins, such as A, B complex, C, and E; in minerals, including zinc, selenium, and calcium; in Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids; and in protein and fiber. For each choice, there’s a tasty recipe, and information on its beneficial nutrients. Enjoy a sweet potato summer salad (with lots of betacarotene); cholesterol-lowering guacamole; broccoli stir-fry (a potential cancer-fighter); and a tasty blueberry smoothie. An ailment directory makes it simple to locate the right food for any problem. |
 |
Maximum Healing: Improve Your Immune System and Optimize Your Natural Ability to Heal by H. Robert Silverstein (Author), Tom Monte (Author) If you suffer from—allergies, asthma, high blood pressure or cholesterol, cancer, chronic fatigue, headaches, heart disease, joint pain, skin disorder, or rheumatoid arthritis—then this may be the most important book you will ever read. Inspiring case histories demonstrate successful treatment and prevention of these and many other illnesses. |
 |
Boost Your Immune System Naturally: A Lifestyle Action Plan for Strengthening Your Natural Defences by Beth MacEoin (Author) Today many of us are faced with extremely high levels of pollution, allergens, and other threats to our health in the form of certain strains of bacteria that are immune to antibiotics. Boost Your Immune System Naturally shows you how to improve your overall health to ward off illness and keep you in optimal health. Written by an expert in nutrition and naturopathy, these easy-to-follow diet, lifestyle and supplement plans provide a totally natural way to strengthen your natural defenses. |
 |
Supercharge Your Immune System: 100 Ways to Help Your Body Fight Illness - One Glass at a Time by Ellen Brown (Author), Karen Konopelski (Author) It's now an accepted medical fact that the nutrients in certain fruits and vegetables make them "super foods" because they are the highest in the vitamins and other nutrients that naturally build our immune systems. Smoothies --frosty, thick, luscious drinks--are a way that all members of the family can gleefully boost their nutrition and maintain strong immune systems, and Supercharge Your Immune System is a book that allows them to do so deliciously. One hundred recipes for special smoothies include a delicious assortment of food and flavors, take minutes to prepare, and are packed with the vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that fight autoimmune disorders. Most importantly, they taste great-because readers won't benefit from what they don't drink. Includes recipes that are... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |