HIV cure 'more promising than vaccine' Sep 10, 2009
" Prof Lewin cautions a cure for HIV was a "long way away still" but work was now focused on how the virus hides itself within a person's immune system - by attaching itself to a particular type of cell. "A T cell is an infection fighting cell. and HIV likes to replicate in one type of T cell - the CD4 T cell," Prof Lewin explains. "In a CD4 T cell that is activated, HIV jumps in, replicates and kills the cell but in a CD4 T cell that is resting, and not doing anything, HIV can enter it,... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Researchers Seek Better Vaccine Procedure To Combat Flu Sep 10, 2009
9, 2009) As manufacturers work furiously to make a vaccine to protect against 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus, a Rice University bioengineer is trying to improve the process for future flu seasons. The goal is to shorten the time it takes to identify targeted flu strains and manufacture the vaccines for them. (Science Daily)
Transgenic Rice to Benefit Allergy ... Sep 6, 2009
Another form of therapy being developed uses the actual parts of the peptides in an allergen to stimulate T Cell response. The part of the allergen that causes the allergic response is called the epitope. (Suite101.com)
Divide to Conquer: Infection-Specific T Cells Multiply to Fight Infection Sep 4, 2009
AMASSING AN ARMY: Killer T cells are the body's sharpshooters, which are recruited to help fight a specific infection ... Each T cell is only programmed, however, to recognize a specific viral or bacterial strain, so out of every 100,000 T cells, only one might match a novel pathogen ... Up to now researchers have been unsure to what extent the strength of the body's immune response was due to the number of these T cells initially recruited from lymph nodes (clonal selection) and to what extent... (Scientific American)
FDA panel backs Allos Therapeutics' cancer drug Sep 4, 2009
Diagnosed With T Cell Lymphoma. We Can Help, Contact Us. (Yahoo News -- Pharmaceutical Industry News)
New Study Suggests An Unidentified Source As Cause Of Residual Viremia In HIV-1 Patients On HAART Aug 31, 2009
This discovery disputes previous theories that attributed residual viremia to latent proviruses in resting CD4+ T cells and could significantly impact eradication efforts ... When successful, HAART can reduce HIV-1 levels in the blood to undetectable amounts, however, HIV-1 still persists as latent proviruses in resting CD4+ T cells, also known as residual viremia ... Current eradication strategies have focused on these latent T cell reservoirs, however, treatment failure has prompted... (Science Daily)
Elderly skin 'raises cancer risk' Aug 30, 2009
It contradicts previous thinking that defects in a type of immune cell called a T cell were responsible for waning immunity with age. In fact, it is the inability of the skin to attract T cells to where they are needed that seems to be at fault ... A number of volunteers - one group of 40-year-olds and one group aged over 70 - were injected with an antigen to stimulate an immune response from T cells. (BBC News -- UK)
UCLA scientists uncover immune system's role in bone loss Aug 25, 2009
They examined how high levels of oxidized LDL affect bone and whether a type of immune cell called a T cell plays a role in the process. Using blood samples from healthy human volunteers, the team isolated the participants' T cells and cultured them in a dish ... Half of the T cells were combined with normal LDL the rest was combined with oxidized LDL. The scientists stimulated half of the T cells to mimic an immune response and left the other half alone. (EurekAlert!)
Estrogen-dependent Switch Tempers Killing Activity Of Immune Cells Aug 14, 2009
13, 2009) The sex hormone estrogen tempers the killing activity of a specific group of immune cells, the cytotoxic T cells (CTLs), which are known to attack tumor cells and cells infected by viruses. The key player in this process is a cytotoxic T cell molecule which has been known for a long time and which scientists have named EBAG9 ... Dr. Rehm and his colleagues wondered what effect elevated levels of estrogen would have on cytotoxic T cells that attack tumors. (Science Daily)
Key To Strengthening Immune Response To Chronic Infection Found Aug 8, 2009
Effective response by key immune cells in the body, called T cells, is crucial for control of many widespread chronic viral infections such as HIV and hepatitis B and C. Virus-specific CD8 T cells, also known as "killer" T cells, often lose their ability to control viral replication and become less effective over time, a process known as T cell exhaustion. Understanding how optimal antiviral T cell responses are suppressed in these circumstances is crucial to developing strategies to prevent and... (Science Daily)
Hunt For The Blood Test To Determine Melanoma Survival Rates Aug 1, 2009
22, 2008) Melanoma patients infused with a special type of tumor-fighting T cell are more likely to survive without relapse, suggests a new study by researchers in. (Apr. (Science Daily)
Got Zinc? New Zinc Research Suggests Novel Therapeutic Targets Aug 1, 2009
Specifically, scientists from Florida found that zinc not only supports healthy immune function, but increases activation of the cells (T cells) responsible for destroying viruses and bacteria ... Scientists administered either a zinc supplement or a placebo to healthy volunteers to assess the effects of zinc on T cell activation ... After isolating the T cells from the blood, scientists then simulated infection in laboratory conditions. (Science Daily)
Wicked Local Cambridge has the exclusive story. Jul 26, 2009
MBTA operator suspended for breaking T cell phone ban - Cambridge, Massachusetts - Cambridge Chronicle & Cambridge TAB ... MBTA operator suspended for breaking T cell phone ban. (Allston Brighton TAB, MA)
Bcl6 gene sculpts helper T cell to boost antibody production Jul 24, 2009
HOUSTON - Expression of a single gene programs an immune system helper T cell that fuels rapid growth and diversification of antibodies in a cellular structure implicated in autoimmune diseases and development of B cell lymphoma, scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reported today in Science Express, the advance online publication of the journal Science. The gene is Bcl6, which the team found plays the crucial role in differentiating a nave T cell into a T... (EurekAlert!)
Swine Flu Vaccines Being Tested: Vaccine Expected To Be Available In November Jul 19, 2009
ScienceDaily (July 18, 2009) Researchers at the University of Antwerp are currently comparing 4 potential vaccines for H1N1v, also known as swine flu or Mexican flu. 300 to 400 volunteers will be recruited for the tests. (Science Daily)
* Taiwanese team discover immune tolerance process Jul 18, 2009
The molecule, Deltex1, can switch on or off T cells, which identify, attack and destroy infectious agents, Lai Ming-zong (v), a researcher at Academia Sinica, told a press conference yesterday. Previous studies have focused mainly on how T cells are activated, but knowledge was insufficient on the molecular process underlying T cell anergy, a state in which the body becomes unresponsive to antigens, said Lai, who is the research groups team leader ... By conducting tests on mice, Lais... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Genetic Trigger For Disease-fighting Antibodies Discovered Jul 18, 2009
"Dr. Crotty has defined the gene that regulates the formation of certain CD4 T cells," said Dr. Ahmed ... Dr. Crotty said it has been well established that antibody production is a multi-step process that involves interactions between several cellular players, key among them CD4 "helper" T cells, which are disease-fighting white blood cells that tell other cells to produce antibodies in response to infections ... "There were different flavors of these CD4 helper T cells and, for many years, we,... (Science Daily)
Why HIV Progresses Faster In Women Than In Men With Same Viral Load Jul 15, 2009
Now a research team based at the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), MIT and Harvard has found that a receptor molecule involved in the first-line recognition of HIV-1 responds to the virus differently in women, leading to subsequent differences in chronic T cell activation, a known predictor of disease progression ... To explore whether gender-based differences in immune activation were responsible for faster disease progression in women, the Ragon Institute team and their... (Science Daily)
HIV-related Death: Predicting Fatal Fungal Infections Jul 5, 2009
22, 2009) CD4+ T cell depletion by HIV is a major blow to the immune system. Combination antiretroviral therapy (c-ART) restores the T cell population, however not all patients respond to this therapy ... A new study shows that T cells in HIV-infected individuals express a protein called TIM-3, which inactivates their. (Science Daily)
DNA Mutation That Occurs At Beginning Point Of T-cell Lymphoma Identified Jul 1, 2009
There are two types of lymphoma: B cell lymphomas and T cell lymphomas. Both B cells and T cells perform vital functions in the immune system by creating antibodies and destroying virus-infected cells ... Researchers specifically looked at T cell acute lymphoblastic lymphomas (ALL). (Science Daily)
Scientists Identify Key Factor That Controls HIV Latency Jun 28, 2009
A real cure for HIV has been elusive because the virus can "hide" in a latent form in resting CD4-T cells ... The research team, which also included scientists from the University of Utah and Stockholm's Karolinska Institute, developed in vitro models of HIV-1 latency in T cells that harbor a full-length HIV genome ... 22, 2009) CD4+ T cell depletion by HIV is a major blow to the immune system. (Science Daily)
Exercise Improves Functional And Psychological Ability And Reduces Steroid Need In Rheumatoid Arthritis Jun 24, 2009
22, 2005) New research published in Arthritis Research & Therapy found that very early rheumatoid arthritis is characterised by a distinct profile of T cell, macrophage and stromal cell related cytokines. (May 13, 2008) Women who breast feed for longer have a smaller chance of getting rheumatoid arthritis, suggests a new study. (Science Daily)
A new weapon in the war against HIV-AIDS: Combined antiviral and targeted chemotherapy Jun 22, 2009
The study, "HIV reservoir size and persistence are driven by T cell survival and homeostatic proliferation," published in Nature Medicine, was coauthored by Rafick-Pierre Skaly, Elias K. Haddad, Nicolas Chomont, Mohamed El Far, Petronela Ancuta, Lydie Trautmann, Francesco A. Procopio, Bader Yassine-Diab and Genevive Boucher of the Universit de Montral and Centre Hospitalier de Universit de Montral (CHUM), Jean-Pierre Routy, Mohamed-Rachid Boulassel and Georges Ghattas of the McGill... (EurekAlert!)
New Treatment Strategy Offers Hope To Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Who Failed All Other Therapies Jun 19, 2009
22, 2005) New research published in Arthritis Research & Therapy found that very early rheumatoid arthritis is characterised by a distinct profile of T cell, macrophage and stromal cell related cytokines. . (Science Daily)
Rare disorder gives modelers first glimpse at immune system development Jun 17, 2009
D., Division Chief of Computational Biology, tracked three young patients after thymus tissue transplantation to measure the growth of a T cell population with all of its diversity ... They assessed T cell receptor diversity to determine overall T cell levels and to count T cells of certain kinds ... "What we haven't understood until now is how maintaining the diversity of T cells with different receptors works while a body also maintains appropriate T cell numbers overall," said Kepler, who... (EurekAlert!)
Penn study demonstrates new way to boost immune memory Jun 5, 2009
Immunological memory has long been the subject of intense study, but the underlying cellular mechanisms regulating the generation and persistence of long-lived memory T cells remain largely undefined ... In this study, an experimental preventive vaccine was made more efficacious by boosting numbers of cancer fighting T cells with the anti-diabetic drug metformin ... "We serendipitously discovered that the metabolizing, or burning, of fatty acids by T cells following the peak of infection is... (EurekAlert!)
Vaccine Shows Therapeutic Promise Against Advanced Melanoma Jun 2, 2009
The peptide vaccine, known as gp100:209-217 (200M), works by stimulating patients' T cells, known for controlling immune responses. "This vaccine activates the body's cytotoxic T cells to recognize antigens on the surface of the tumor. The T cells then secrete enzymes that poke holes in the tumor cell's membrane, causing it to disintegrate," explained Hwu ... 22, 2008) Melanoma patients infused with a special type of tumor-fighting T cell are more likely to survive without relapse, suggests a... (Science Daily)
Clone cell cancer 'cure' hailed Jun 2, 2009
Scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle concentrated on a type of immune system cell called a CD4+ T cell ... From a sample of the man's white blood cells, they were able to select CD4+ T cells which had been specifically primed to attack a chemical found on the surface of melanoma cells. (BBC News -- Health)
To Spread, Skin Cancer Attacks Immune Dendritic Cells Jun 1, 2009
When they re alert and on guard, they will marshal the body s immunosoldiers, T cells, to battle at the sight of harmful pathogens ... New research shows that one of the most common types of skin cancer has learned such a trick, finding a way to disable apparently healthy dendritic cells, which then allow cancer cell nests to spread around them without calling T cells to the fight ... Under normal circumstances, mature dendritic cells present pathogens to T cells, stimulating the production of... (Science Daily)
Treating Gum Disease Helps Rheumatoid Arthritis Sufferers May 30, 2009
22, 2005) New research published in Arthritis Research & Therapy found that very early rheumatoid arthritis is characterised by a distinct profile of T cell, macrophage and stromal cell related cytokines. (Jan. (Science Daily)
Arthritis Drug Might Prove Effective In Fighting The Flu, Study Suggests May 27, 2009
Teijaro et al. Costimulation Modulation Uncouples Protection from Immunopathology in Memory T Cell Responses to Influenza Virus. The Journal of Immunology, 2009; 182 (11): 6834 DOI. (Science Daily)
What Is The Function Of Lymph Nodes? May 27, 2009
T cells will then go on and orchestrate the defensive response against the invaders, whereas B cells will transform into antibody-producing cells flooding the body with antibodies which act against the hostile microorganisms ... The new paper shows that in the mouse T cell function is unperturbed in the absence of lymph nodes, whereas B cell activation and antibody secretion is strongly affected ... That T cell responses can be launched outside of lymph nodes is highly surprising, because this... (Science Daily)
Tips from the American Journal of Pathology May 22, 2009
A certain type of immune cell, Th17 T cells, plays a pathogenic role in MS and other autoimmune diseases. Using a mouse model of MS, Klenmann et al found that AM80, a synthetic molecule related to vitamin A, inhibited Th17 T cell function without generating general immunosuppression. (EurekAlert!)
Computer Simulation Captures Immune Response To Flu May 21, 2009
Workhorses of the adaptive system include "killer" T cells that attack cells that have been infected by viruses before the virus can turn them into virus factories, and helper T cells that orchestrate other parts of the immune response. Both types of T cells are spurred into action by antigen-presenting cells, which engulf the invading microbes and "show" them to the T cells so that the T cells can recognize the infection ... In lymph nodes, helper T cells, in turn, cause the second major player... (Science Daily)
In the Presence of the President of the State of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres the 2009 Dan David Prize was Awarded to May 19, 2009
Robert C. Gallo (Institute of Human Virology, Baltimore, USA) for his research of the HIV and T cell leukaemia viruses and especially for the development of a robust, simple blood test to detect the HIV virus, the importance of which for the epidemiology of this huge pandemic cannot be overestimated. Mr. Dan David, Founder of the Dan David Prize. (PR Newswire)
Human Nose Too Cold For Bird Flu, Says New Study May 16, 2009
ScienceDaily (May 15, 2009) Avian influenza viruses do not thrive in humans because the temperature inside a person's nose is too low, according to research published May 14 in the journal PLoS Pathogens. The authors of the study, from Imperial College London and the University of North Carolina, say this may be one of the reasons why bird flu viruses do not cause pandemics in humans easily. (Science Daily)
Immune exhaustion driven by antigen in chronic viral infection May 14, 2009
The T cells, or white blood cells, fighting a chronic infection eventually wear out ... To recognize the presence of a viral infection, T cells must be presented with bits of viral protein in a molecular frame supplied by other cells in the body -- called MHC (major histocompatibility complex) class I molecules ... In mice infected by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), T cells became more or less exhausted depending on how much properly framed viral protein was available. (EurekAlert!)
Analysis Of Flu Virus Could Lead To Better Vaccines May 14, 2009
The discovery reveals how boosting T cell immunity could better protect humans from a bird flu. . (Science Daily)
Virologists Developing More Potent Vaccine Technology That Could Apply To Many Viruses May 11, 2009
It obtains its envelope or membrane as it buds from the surface of the host cell it has invaded ... When a foreign particle gets into the body, the body ultimately responds by stimulating 1) B cells to secrete anti-viral antibodies, 2) cytotoxic T cells to kill infected host cells, and 3) helper T cells to regulate and control the response of both cell types ... This serves to neutralize the ability of the virus to infect cells in the respiratory tract. (Science Daily)
Study reveals current multi-component vaccines may need reworking May 8, 2009
One workhorse of the adaptive system is the helper T cell, a white blood cell that partners with dendritic cells to make careful decisions about which disease-causing peptides attract attention ... Once there, major histocompatibility complex (MHC} class II proteins inside the dendritic cells present peptides on the cell's surface for consideration by T cells gathered there ... Activated T cells begin dividing, which greatly increase their number, until they become capable of the destroying the... (EurekAlert!)
Process controlling T cell growth and production identified May 4, 2009
"We knew ELF4 played a role in maintaining T cells," said Lacorazza, who is the principal investigator of the current study. "What we discovered was that ELF4 activates an inhibitor that leads to cell arrest, stopping naive T cells from proliferation." ... Memory T cells are created when nave CD8 T cells are activated to fight intracellular pathogens such as viruses or bacteria. (EurekAlert!)
Narcolepsy is an autoimmune disorder, Stanford researcher says May 4, 2009
The team found that a specific variation of a gene belonging to T cells specialized immune cells that play a role in all immune responses was present in narcolepsy. Because T cells are involved, Mignot believes the mechanism behind narcolepsy stems from the immune system ... Mignot said it's likely that HLA and this T cell variant interact in a way that kills hypocretin cells. (EurekAlert!)
Genetic study confirms the immune system's role in narcolepsy May 4, 2009
The researchers discovered that in addition to unique HLA variants, people with narcolepsy-cataplexy are also more likely to have unique variants of the TCRA gene, which encodes a receptor protein on the surface of T cells. T cells are the mobile infantry of the immune system ... In concert with the HLA proteins, the T cell receptor enables T cells to recognize and attack foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses. (EurekAlert!)
HIV pays a price for invisibility Apr 13, 2009
When HIV infects a cell, a complex of human immune proteins called HLA (short for human leukocyte antigen) alert killer T cells by displaying bits of the virus on the surface of the cell. The T cells recognize these HIV fragments and mobilize an attack ... In people with HLA-B*5703, for example, the virus multiplies less than in people with some other HLA variantslikely because killer T cells in these individuals are quick to attack infected cells. (EurekAlert!)
Girls Lacking The Protein ITK At Risk From Fatal Viral Infection Apr 13, 2009
Huck et al. Girls homozygous for an IL-2 inducible T cell kinase mutation that leads to protein deficiency develop fatal EBV-associated lymphoproliferation. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2009; DOI. (Science Daily)
Earlier HIV Treatment Lengthens Survival: More Compelling Evidence Apr 5, 2009
22, 2009) CD4+ T cell depletion by HIV is a major blow to the immune system. Combination antiretroviral therapy (c-ART) restores the T cell population, however not all patients respond to this therapy. (Science Daily)
Distinguishing single cells with nothing but light Apr 1, 2009
Until now scientists have not had a non-invasive way to see how human cells, like T cells or cancer cells, activate individually and evolve over time ... Preliminary IRAM experiments conducted on T cells have revealed perceivable differences between the initial resting state of a T cell and its state following an encounter with an invader. (EurekAlert!)
HIV infection caught on videotape Mar 27, 2009
HIV reproduces inside (and then kills) a type of immune cell called the T cell ... Now, Benjamin Chen, an assistant professor of infectious disease at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, has used a high-tech video microscope to watch HIV passing across virological synapses in human T cells in a lab dish ... The fluorescent viral protein then enters the contact, and the viral material enters the target cells. (Why Files)
Dendritic Cells Ensure Immune Tolerance Mar 24, 2009
T cells are a type of white blood cell that are key actors in the body's immune defenses. Each T cell has a receptor on its surface for recognizing just one single antigen ... T cells do not dock onto free antigens, however: they rely on other cells which can present antigens to them. (Science Daily)
Combination Therapy Restores T Cell Numbers In HIV-infected Individuals Mar 23, 2009
22, 2009) CD4+ T cell depletion by HIV is a major blow to the immune system. Combination antiretroviral therapy (c-ART) restores the T cell population, however not all patients respond to this therapy ... University of Paris researchers report that administration of interleukin-7 (IL-7) to c-ART--treated, HIV-infected patients with low T cell counts, boosted T cell numbers and was well tolerated for 48 weeks. (Science Daily)
Iron Induces Death In Tumor Cells Mar 14, 2009
low and Professor Dr. Peter Krammer, head of the Division of Immunogenetics at DKFZ, investigated S;zary's disease (also called S;zary syndrome), an extremely aggressive type of cutaneous T cell lymphoma ... low: Inhibition of constitutively activated NF- B induces ROS- and iron dependent cell death in cutaneous T cell lymphoma ... Inhibition of constitutively activated NF-%u03BAB induces ROS- and iron dependent cell death in cutaneous T cell lymphoma. (Science Daily)
IBT Laboratories to Launch New Pneumococcal Antibody Avidity Test at AAAAI Meeting, Booth 729 Mar 13, 2009
Saturday, 9:45-10:45 am - # 41: T Cell Immunity Assessed by Intracellular Cytokine Analysis Following Stimulation of Whole Blood or PBMCs with Microbial Antigens of Mitogens. Sunday, 9:45-10:45 am - # 405: Presence of IgG Anti-IgE Autoantibodies in Chronic Urticaria and Atopic Dermatitis. (PR Newswire)
Human Vaccine Against Bird Flu Within Reach With New Discovery Mar 12, 2009
The discovery, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals how boosting T cell immunity could better protect humans from a bird flu pandemic ... "The 'Killer T cell' is the hit-man of the immune system. It is able to locate and destroy virus-infected cells in our body helping rid us of infection," said A/Prof Stephen Turner, from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne who is a lead author on the paper ... "Unfortunately, current... (Science Daily)
Busy B's: Lymphocyte Uses Multiple Mechanisms To Shape Immune Response Mar 10, 2009
B cells produce critical regulatory chemicals called cytokines and there is some evidence that B cells may amplify T cell dependent immune responses. An earlier study by Dr. Frances E. Lund from the Department of Medicine at the University of Rochester indicated that specific types of B cells may promote the maturation of T cells ... In addition, B cells promoted the production and long-term maintenance of an essential type of T cell, called T helper 2 cells (Th2), which are known to be critical... (Science Daily)
TB Breakthrough Could Lead To Stronger Vaccine Mar 9, 2009
The discovery reveals how boosting T cell immunity could better protect humans from a bird flu. (Feb. (Science Daily)
Discovery May Boost Bird Flu Vaccine Potency Mar 7, 2009
Compound increases ability of 'killer T-cells' to get rid of infection, study says. Thursday, March 5, 2009. (MEDLINEplus)
Immune cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis have prematurely aged chromosomes Mar 5, 2009
By this measure, T cells, or white blood cells, from patients with the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis are worn out and prematurely aged, scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have discovered. Compared with cells from healthy people, T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis have trouble turning on the enzyme that replenishes telomeres, they found ... In rheumatoid arthritis, T cells are chronically over-stimulated, invading the tissue of the joints and causing painful... (EurekAlert!)
Genetic Evidence Points To Potential Therapeutic Bypass For Autoimmune Process Mar 5, 2009
A study in PLoS Biology has discovered genetic evidence that two distinct molecular pathways control the formation of regulatory T cells (Treg), a vitally important cell type in limiting undesirable immune responses ... Treg cells control the vigor of T cell responses ... In addition, the body is unable to suppress T cell responses that recognize and target "self" antigens in the body. (Science Daily)
New origin found for a critical immune response Mar 2, 2009
Type 1 helper (TH1) T cell immune responses are critical for the control of viruses and certain bacteria ... When activated by infection or vaccination, the dendritic cells were thought to move from peripheral tissues into lymph nodes to stimulate T cell responses. (EurekAlert!)
Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) Leads To Pulmonary Hypertension, Study Suggests Mar 2, 2009
HAART is a combination therapy for HIV that consists of at least three antiretroviral drugs that suppress viral replication and restore CD4+ T cell numbers in HIV-infected patients. HAART dramatically improves the prognosis of HIV-infected patients; however, HAART drugs may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. (Science Daily)
T-SPOT.TB responses during treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis Feb 28, 2009
Using the T-SPOT.TB assay and frozen peripheral blood mononuclear cells, we enumerated ESAT-6- and CFP-10-specific IFN-gamma-producing T cells over time in pulmonary TB patients receiving directly observed treatment. T cell responses (measured as "spot forming cells" or "SFCs") were assessed prior to treatment and at 16 and 24 weeks of treatment ... IFN-gamma-producing RD1-specific T cells, as measured in the T-SPOT.TB assay, may be directly related to bacterial load in patients undergoing... (BioMed Central)
Scott Fruhan: From Multiple Sclerosis to Med School--And Music Feb 25, 2009
Whereas normally an immune response is desirable, in patients with an like MS, T cells can attack the body's own nervous system, causing it to function less efficiently. MS patients, they learned, appeared to have fewer of the T cell molecules that down-regulate the immune response, which may contribute to the out-of-control immune system attacks that characterize this debilitating disease. (Scientific American)
When Acute Hepatitis Develops Into Chronic Hepatitis Feb 23, 2009
Subspecies of the T helper cells play a decisive role in achieving this necessary balance between immunological defence and tolerance: effector T cells and regulatory T cells (Treg). Whilst the effector T cells fight a virus infection and kill off the infected host cells, the Treg cells shut down an immune reaction and cut off the effector T cells ... To this end, they took blood samples from Indian patients with hepatitis B and compared the extent to which the altered incidence of the T cell... (Science Daily)
Good bacteria can be EZ Pass for oral vaccine against anthrax Feb 17, 2009
Abstract: Efficient vaccines potentiate antibody avidity and increase T cell longevity, which confer protection against microbial lethal challenge. A vaccine strategy was established by using Lactobacillus acidophilus to deliver Bacillus anthracis protective antigen (PA) via specific dendritic cell-targeting peptides to dendritic cells (DCs), which reside in the periphery and mucosal surfaces, thus directing and regulating acquired immunity. (EurekAlert!)
Targeted Immune Cells Shrink Tumors In Mice Feb 15, 2009
But, Pastan notes, Mesothelin is a promising candidate for generating tumor-targeting T cells, given its limited expression in normal tissues and high expression in several cancers. Previous laboratory research has shown that certain immune system cells, called T cells, can kill tumor cells that express mesothelin ... In the new study, the research team genetically engineered human T cells to target human mesothelin. (Science Daily)
