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Disarming lymphoma's ability to escape immune response may lead to new treatments

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Universal flu vaccine steps closer

Flu vaccines in the US are made to target a small number of viral strains based on public health experts predictions. Buy Arimidex (Anastrozole) with no Rx Scientists hope that, one day, a universal flu vaccine will be developed that will be effective against all strains, and the findings of a new study may take researchers one step closer to this goal. Influenza is dangerous in adults aged over 65, who are most likely to have serious complications from the illness. The study, published in Cell, found that chemical modifications to a specific region in antibodies could be used to improve current flu vaccines. "We believe these results may represent a preliminary step toward a universal flu vaccine, one that is effective against a broad range of the flu viruses," states senior author Jeffrey Ravetch, head of the Leonard Wagner Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Immunology at the Rockefeller University, New York. Vaccines in the US are typically formulated to target H1 and H3 influenza A viruses along with influenza B strains predicted by experts to be prevalent during the coming flu season. Videx Ec (Didanosine) with no prescription If the experts predictions are inaccurate, however, then the vaccines are rendered ineffective. Just this January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that this season s flu vaccine was only 23% effective across all age groups, due to a large proportion of this season s viruses being "drift variants." "While the conventional flu vaccine protects only against specific strains, usually three of them, our experiments show that by including modified antibodies within the vaccine it may be possible to elicit broad protection against many strains simultaneously," explains Ravetch. Influenza can be a dangerous illness - particularly in adults over the age of 65 and people with other health conditions. About Glucophage SR (Metformin) with free Rx The American Lung Association state that 90% of deaths from influenza occur in adults older than 65. It is a difficult virus for scientists to target with vaccines due to the wide variety of strains that exist, with new strains emerging regularly. Buy Co-dergocrine Mesylate with free Rx Because of how elusive the virus can be, a universal vaccine represents a dream goal for scientists and has been the focus of many research projects. The new study revolves around a new strategy involving the Fc region of antibodies - the region that connects with immune cells. About Cialis Flavored (Tadalafil) without prescription The researchers, led by Taia Wang and Jad Maamary, already knew that modifying the Fc region affected how the antibodies interacted with immune cells, and so the team set out to investigate how changes to the region might improve an immune response. Efficacy of improved vaccine: no small accomplishment Healthy volunteers were vaccinated with a seasonal flu vaccine containing an inactivated strain of the H1N1 virus - also known as swine flu. Buy Nail Care online Using blood samples, the researchers tracked how the participants immune systems responded, looking for chemical modifications to antibodies against a surface protein. Around a week later, the researchers noticed an increase in the number of sialylated antibodies present. http://asthmareview.wordpress.com Sialic acid is a molecule crucial to signaling, meaning that the presence of these antibodies indicated a positive response to the vaccine. Experiments on cell cultures and mice revealed that sialylated Fc regions bind to a receptor protein called CD23 on specific immune cells called B cells. In turn, CD23 activates another receptor known as FcyRIIB that discourages B cells from producing low-affinity antibodies. In short, sialylated Fc regions lead to the activation of B cells producing the highest affinity antibodies. The researchers found that this higher affinity resulted in broad protection against influenza viruses from the H1 subtype (to which H1N1 belongs). Using this discovery, the researchers modified the H1N1 vaccine by adding sialylated antibodies against the virus protein. The new and improved vaccine was then tested on mice. "When we immunized mice with just the H1 protein from one strain or with the sialylated complexes containing the same viral protein, we found both offered equal protection against the same strain of flu," explains Maamary. "However, when we exposed them to strains expressing different versions of the H1 protein, only the sialylated immunizations offered protection." Wang believes the new mechanism they have uncovered could potentially be utilized to reduce the rates of morbidity and mortality attributable to seasonal influenza virus infections. "We are now looking into applying this strategy toward improving existing vaccines; ideally, this would result in a vaccine that provides lifelong immunity against flu infections," she states. Earlier this year, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting that a newly discovered class of antibodies could lead to a universal flu vaccine "within 5 years." Written by James McIntosh

Preclinical trial data brings new hope for HIV vaccine

Publishing data from preclinical trials in nonhuman primates in the journal Science, Crucell Holland B.V, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, reveal encouraging results for their HIV vaccine. "Our ultimate goal is to develop a vaccine that prevents HIV in the first place," says Dr. Silvitra (Sildenafil + Vardenafil) with free Rx Paul Stoffels of Johnson & Johnson. "Despite great progress in HIV treatments," says Dr. About Aldara (Imiquimod) without Rx Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer and worldwide chairman of pharmaceuticals at Johnson & Johnson, "HIV remains one of the greatest global health threats of our time with millions continuing to be infected each year." "Our ultimate goal is to develop a vaccine that prevents HIV in the first place," Dr. Buy Periactin (Cyproheptadine) with no Rx Stoffels continues. Buy Ciplox with no Rx "By Janssen collaborating with multiple stakeholders on new tools, we hope one day to help eradicate HIV." Repeated attempts to develop an effective HIV vaccine over the past 30 years have so far been unsuccessful. About Diabecon () without prescription Previously, Medical News Today has looked at studies examining the reasons why experimental HIV vaccines are famously prone to "backfiring." However, last month, Science and the journal Cell published the results from studies investigating an immunogen that may be effective as the first in a series of immunizations against HIV. Buy Low Carb Bars online This immunogen, called eOD-GT8 60mer, was designed by a team at The Scripps Research Institute s International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. Risk of infection per exposure estimated to be 100-fold lower Speaking to NBC News about the new vaccine, Hanneke Schuitemaker, vice president in charge of developing viral vaccines at drug company Janssen, said that "based on epidemiological data, we estimate that the risk of a person to become infected per exposure is about 100-fold lower." According to the results of the preclinical trial, the vaccine provided "complete protection" to the 12 nonhuman primate trial subjects from becoming infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) - the nonhuman primate equivalent of HIV. http://pharmaceutical-journal.blogspot.com The primates were each exposed to the virus six times. The study results suggest there is also a strong link between the vaccine s protective ability and the number of antibody functions to fight the virus. The vaccine developers cite this "polyfunctionality" as evidence that the vaccine may be effective in human subjects. "We are very encouraged by the results of this preclinical HIV vaccine study, and the findings lead to a clear path forward for evaluating this HIV vaccine candidate in humans," says lead author Dr. Dan H. Barouch, PhD, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, both in Boston, MA. Currently, 400 volunteers are being recruited in the US and Rwanda for a phase 1 trial of the vaccine in humans. Different components of the vaccine are also currently being evaluated in ongoing phase 1 clinical studies. However, this has not been the only big piece of HIV vaccine news this week. HIV vaccine researcher jailed for falsifying data On Wednesday, The Washington Post reported that a former Iowa State University researcher, Dong Pyou Han, had been jailed for falsifying HIV vaccine research. Han spiked rabbit blood with human antibodies, which gave a false impression that the rabbits in his team s studies were mounting an immune response that was neutralizing the HIV virus they were infected with. Han began spiking the rabbit blood in 2008, reportedly to cover up the accidental contamination of blood samples. However, it was not until 2013 - when Harvard researchers attempted to validate the team s results - that human antibodies were discovered in the samples, which unraveled the deception. Sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison, Han has also been ordered to repay the $7.2 million in federal government grant funds that his team received using the falsified results. He has also been banned for pursuing federal research grants for 3 years. Written by David McNamee

African-American, Latino citizens at increased risk of mental health issues

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