Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may involve a form of sudden, rapid aging of the immune system
Premature aging of the immune system appears to play a role in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, according to research scientists from the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, and Sheba Medical Center in Israel. view more (2009-10-09)
New aging studies improving vaccine efficacy for the elderly
A new study from the Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake, New York, demonstrates that immune system cells important for both pathogen resistance and vaccine efficacy live longer in older animals but because of this longevity acquire functional defects. view more (2009-10-06)
Stem cell success points to way to regenerate parathyroid glands
An early laboratory success is taking University of Michigan researchers a step closer to parathyroid gland transplants that could one day prevent a currently untreatable form of bone loss associated with thyroid surgery. view more (2009-09-30)
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC scientists identify enzyme important in aging
The secret to longevity may lie in an enzyme with the ability to promote a robust immune system into old age by maintaining the function of the thymus throughout life, according to researchers studying an "anti-aging" mouse model that lives longer than a typical mouse. view more (2009-07-13)
Rare disorder gives modelers first glimpse at immune system development
Children born without thymus glands have given Duke University Medical Center researchers a rare opportunity to watch as a new immune system develops its population of infection-fighting T-cells. view more (2009-06-17)
UBC research finds molecular
University of British Columbia researchers have discovered a "molecular key" that could help increase the success of blood stem cell transplants, a procedure currently used to treat diseases such as leukemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma and aplastic anemia. view more (2009-04-23)
Fireflies and jellyfish help illuminate quest for cause of infertility
Genes taken from fireflies and jellyfish are literally shedding light on possible causes of infertility and autoimmune diseases in humans. view more (2009-03-27)
Don't be a stranger to yourself
One of the most important tasks of the immune system is to identify what is foreign and what is self. If this distinction fails, then the body's own structures will be attacked, the result of which could be an autoimmune disease such as diabetes mellitus type 1 or multiple sclerosis. view more (2009-03-16)
Immune cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis have prematurely aged chromosomes
Telomeres, structures that cap the ends of cells' chromosomes, grow shorter with each round of cell division unless a specialized enzyme replenishes them. Maintaining telomeres is thought to be important for healthy aging and cancer prevention. view more (2009-03-05)
Genetic study shows direct link between vitamin D and MS susceptibility 'gene'
Researchers have found evidence that a direct interaction between vitamin D and a common genetic variant alters the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). view more (2009-02-05)
New study shows that important gene controls the ability of the thymus to produce disease-fighting T-cells after an organism's birth
New research, just published by researchers from the University of Georgia, provides the first evidence that a key gene may be crucial to maintaining the production of the thymus and its disease-fighting T-cells after an animal's birth. view more (2008-11-07)
Seemingly suicidal stunt is normal rite of passage for immune cells
Researchers have shown that self-induced breaks in the DNA of immune cells known as lymphocytes activate genes that cause the cells to travel from where they're made to where they help the body fight invaders. view more (2008-10-21)
Embryonic stem cells might help reduce transplantation rejection
Researchers have shown that immune-defense cells influenced by embryonic stem cell-derived cells can help prevent the rejection of hearts transplanted into mice, all without the use of immunosuppressive drugs. view more (2008-09-16)
Identification of protein able to stimulate production of T-cells
A team of Canadian and Finnish scientists has identified a protein able to stimulate the production of T-cells, the white blood cells involved in the recognition and the elimination of infectious agents. view more (2008-07-23)
Cells on path to becoming mature T-cells more flexible than commonly thought
Contrary to the currently accepted model of T-cell development, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that juvenile cells on their way to becoming mature immune cells can develop into either T cells or other blood-cell types versus only being committed to the T-cell path. view more (2008-04-10)
T cell immunity enhanced by timing of interleukin-7 therapy
That the cell nurturing growth factor interleukin-7 can help ramp up the ability of the immune system to remember the pathogenic villains it encounters is well known. view more (2008-02-04)
SLU researchers show how to stop muscle weakness caused by myasthenia gravis
Severe muscle weakness caused by myasthenia gravis - a highly debilitating autoimmune disorder - can be prevented or reversed by blocking a key step in the immune response that brings on the disease, researchers at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine have found. view more (2007-12-21)
Researchers train the immune system to deliver virus that destroys cancer in lab models
An international team of researchers led by Mayo Clinic have designed a technique that uses the body's own cells and a virus to destroy cancer cells that spread from primary tumors to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system. view more (2007-12-19)
A molecular map for aging in mice
Researchers at the National Institute of Aging and Stanford University have used gene arrays to identify genes whose activity changes with age in 16 different mouse tissues. view more (2007-11-29)
UF researchers track genetic journey of HIV from birth to death
University of Florida scientists have discovered how HIV evolves over the course of a person's lifetime into a more deadly form that heralds the onset of full-blown AIDS. The findings could pave the way for new therapeutic agents that target the virus earlier in the disease process, before it takes a lethal turn, researchers say. view more (2007-10-17)
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