StemCell Therapy

Sarah Ross guessed it was leukemia long before the doctors confirmed it. Five years ago, she had been feeling lousy in a way she had never experienced before. When a blood test came back with some indicators pointing to the disease, Ross stalled for a while before doing a follow-up.

In her heart, she said, she already knew what was happening. Ross, who had worked for years as a veterinarian's technician, would eventually need a bone marrow transplant at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. She has spent the last few years in recovery, receiving treatment for some related complications.

A few days ago, lost in thought after an appointment at Roswell, she was headed toward a lobby exit lobby when any worries or fatigue vanished from her mind. Her stride accelerated as she made a sharp pivot, and she asked her mother, Frances Ross, to wait for just one minute.

Ross had spotted Bella, which meant the dog was doing her job even before Ross, of Tonawanda, realized just how much they have in common.

Bella is a Weimaraner, a memorable breed whose striking appearance has led to the nickname of "gray ghost." About three years ago, the dog moved in with Sue and Shane Currey of Tonawanda after their dog, Sophie, another Weimaraner, died at 11. Bella came to them from a breeder near Erie, Pa. he called the dog Bertha, a name the Curreys decided to change and made her available for adoption.

She is perfect, it turns out, for the role she plays at Roswell.

In the lobby, Ross made a beeline to the dog, who wore a bright red bandana. She asked Currey if it was OK to say hello, then dropped onto her knees, where a few strokes of velvet fur and the dog's long ears quickly shifted into a full embrace.

Ross loves animals. She explained how she often distracts herself during appointments at Roswell by thinking of her rabbits, Quake and Thunder, and she offered a gentle gasp when she heard Bella's story.

The dog is also a cancer survivor.

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center patient Donato Morgante gets a kiss from Bella at the hospital as Bella's owner Sue Currey, left and Jacquie Morgante, Donato's mother, enjoy the moment. (Mark Mulville/Buffalo News)

Sue Currey, an executive assistant at Roswell, had seen the difference therapy dogs can make for patients. Sue dreamed someday of bringing in her own dog for those duties. Bella went through a sequence of training sessions, tests and community interactions to become one of roughly a dozen dogs who provide that service at Roswell, which Bella did even before the Curreys knew about her illness.

Bella, it turns out, had a form of cancer that required the surgical removal over the summer of six malignant tumors. Sue, for a while, feared for Bella's life. But the dog recovered quickly from surgery, and she was back to her rounds at Roswell by this fall.

Ross, her forehead pressed against Bella's soft fur, was not surprised at the tale.

"Dogs and kids," she said. "They put no limitations on themselves."

Dr. Philip McCarthy, director of Roswell's blood and marrow transplant program, said the demeanor of each dog is critically important. Any scratch or bite from a restless or anxious animal could lead to infections for patients with fragile immune systems, he said.

When you find such dogs as Bella, animals of serene and soulful demeanor?

In that case, McCarthy said, they often "emanate good feelings and unconditional love."

[Related: Sean Kirst: Cancer survivor rides for Roswell and for the doctor who saved him]

"The effect these dogs have is amazing," said Barb Lenahan, who certifies the animals as part of Therapy Dogs International.

From the lobby, Sue and Bella followed Jim Hickey, a Roswell volunteer, through the hospital corridors, where the dog touched off lightning transformations. Doctors, nurses, patients, weary relatives: They crouched down, tired faces instantly softening. They spoke in familiar, quiet tones to Bella, whose curious eyes did a long study of each of them.

[Related: Murphy, the therapy dog, spreads joy at Oishei Children's Hospital, Roswell Park]

The point made by Ross about childhood resilience was evident in a reception area for the pediatric clinic. When Bella entered the room, Owen Chase of South Buffalo, a 5-year-old in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pajamas, was tugging around a rolling IV, followed by his mother, Colleen.

She and her husband, Michael, learned of Owen's leukemia more than 11 months ago, just before Christmas, and the child is now receiving "infusions of chemo," Colleen said. He is doing well, and Colleen said the couple is buoyed each day by an avalanche of love and support.

"A lot of families," she said, "go through a lot worse."

Owen and Bella stood eye to eye, and the little boy whose dog at home, Gemma, often sleeps on his bed dropped his hand delicately onto the dog's neck. After a moment or two of communion, Bella turned to walk directly into a nose-to-nose encounter with 1-year-old Donato Morgante.

Not long ago, Jacquie and Joe Morgante of Clarence learned their child had a grapefruit-sized growth on his kidney, the result of a rare childhood cancer known as Wilms tumor. That sent him into surgery, and then chemotherapy.

"He's been really good with all of it," said Jacquie, who talked it over with Joe and then stayed home with their son on Thanksgiving, because his system remains too vulnerable for a big family crowd.

Owen Chase, left, who is at Roswell Park for leukemia treatment, and his mother, Colleen Chase, visit with Bella and her owner Sue Currey, in the pediatric unit at the hospital. (Mark Mulville/Buffalo News)

When the toddler saw Bella, there was instantly no Roswell, no chemo, no waiting room. It was only Donato and this dog with ears as soft as Hush Puppies.

"Fantastic," Jacquie said. "It just relieves all the stress."

The response was the same for Krista Gabler, a Florida resident and native of West Seneca who has spent two months in Buffalo while her mother, Sandy Mussehl, receives radiation treatment for cancer of the tongue. Gabler had just stepped through the door of a waiting room, fatigue in her expression, when she noticed Bella approaching in the corridor.

Instantly, Gabler dropped down, bowed her head and placed it alongside the dog's.

"I needed something uplifting today," she said.

Brendon Edwards shared in that communion. At 14, he is a freshman at Frewsburg High School in Chautauqua County, a teen who loves football and has played on youth teams since he was in grade school. His favorite Buffalo Bill, he said, is Dawson Knox, an interesting choice: Brendon picked a rookie, not one of the big names on that ascending squad, a guy whose quiet contributions are filling a hole.

Bella wandered straight to Brendon, who had thrown himself deep into the soft cushions of a couch. The kid began petting the dog and scratching her neck, and boy and dog stayed that way for a long time while the adults around them talked.

His aunt, Brandy Davies, said she figured it was just a bug when Brendon had some stomach problems this autumn. She took him to a doctor. It was colon cancer, and it had already started to spread. Brendon is now in chemotherapy at Roswell, where his love for football is a kind of gleaming template, with his goal of playing again a central theme as he receives each treatment.

The teenager has always loved dogs, Brandy said, and Bella clearly sensed this was a guy who understood. At Roswell, the dog flipped onto her back and allowed him to scratch her stomach, revealing the scars from her own cancer surgery.

Asked for his dream in life, Brendon replied, "Beating this."

The proof that it can happen watched him speak, and wagged her tail.

Sean Kirst is a columnist with The Buffalo News. Email him at skirst@buffnews.com or read more of his work in this archive.

Excerpt from:
Column: At Roswell, dog that beat cancer provides joy and comfort to patients - Buffalo News

The holiday season is a time for decorations, presents and winter getaways. Its also when you and everyone you know gets sick. Yes, flu and cold season are upon us, and those nasty viruses never seem to care if you have travel plans. But should you be pushing through and getting on a plane if youre feeling sick?

As you head off on your holiday travel, the last thing you want to experience is a health emergency in the air where you cant get medical attention, Dr. Nate Favini, medical lead at Forward (a membership-based preventive care clinic), told The Points Guy. Theres also the risk of getting kicked off your flight and, of course, you dont want to spread an infection to other passengers.

In fact, according to theJournal of Environmental Health Research, you are 100 times more likely to catch a cold on a plane. And the Wall Street Journal previously cited a study that said the likelihood increases by 20%. So many people got sick at once during a 2008 flight from Boston (BOS) to Los Angeles (LAX) after an ill passenger with norovirus boarded that the plane actually made an emergency landing three hours into the trip.

With this in mind, we consulted several experts to learn how to tell when youre too sick to fly, for your sake as well as the safety of other passengers.

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

A good rule of thumb is to never fly when you have a fever, according to New York-based internist Dr. Frank Contacessa. Of course, this would include having the flu. In addition to the obvious risk of spreading your germs, the cabin environment is not a friendly place when you are sick, he said. Having a fever, in general, will accelerate fluid loss from your body. The very low humidity of the cabin air will dehydrate you even faster. Dehydration makes you feel even worse, increasing weakness, headaches, lightheadedness, etc.

Sure, there might be vomit bags in the seatback pocket. But you probably shouldnt be using them if youre throwing up before you get on the plane. If you have a fever over 100.4 degrees or are experiencing vomiting, theres a really good chance that youre contagious, said Favini. Airlines have been known to remove passengers who are experiencing these symptoms.

Related: Its flu season heres how to avoid getting sick on a plane

Another potential problem can arise if you have a lower respiratory infection such as bronchitis or pneumonia. The pressurized cabin air has less oxygen, which can make you feel short of breath if your airways are already inflamed from an infection, said Contacessa.

Favini added, Flying is stressful on your body and your immune system in particular, so it can reduce your ability to fight off an infection. The air onboard is incredibly dry, and even healthy people end up extremely dehydrated at the end of their flight. You may end up being sicker or sick for longer because of flying while ill.

If you have the flu and youre still experiencing any symptoms, including fever, cough, runny nose, congestion, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, you are still contagious and should avoid flying, according to Favini. The CDC states that people with flu are most contagious in the first 3 to 4 days after their illness begins.

Not only are you able to infect someone up to six feet away, but you could also feel horrendous on the plane. Anyone who has flown with sinus congestion will agree that the headache can be unbearable, Contacessa added. So, having a fever and sinus congestion should be good reasons to ask for a medical note from your doctor to change your flight reservation.

Related: How to boost your immune system so you dont get sick while traveling

Do you know how your ears sometimes pop during taking off or landing? Well, if you have ear pain and pressure, then that brief moment of discomfort can become severe. The changes in pressure during the flight can cause your eardrum to burst if you have an ear infection and its not properly treated before you take off, said Favini.

Even if you dont have the sniffles or more obvious symptoms of being sick, there is one tell-tale warning sign that you absolutely shouldnt fly. If you do, you could experience a serious medical emergency.

If youre experiencing chest pain or a racing heartbeat, especially if this is new or severe, dont get on your flight, said Favini. This can be a sign of a life-threatening medical condition, and even if the pilot does land your flight, it might not be fast enough for you to get the help you need. The same goes for shortness of breath.

Related: The best travel insurance policies and providers

Ok, lets say youve determined youre too sick to fly. When can you reschedule your trip?

If you do change your plans and postpone your trip, you should wait until you have been without a fever for at least 24 to 48 hours, said Contacessa. If you are recovering from the flu, you should wear a mask to protect your fellow travelers. If in doubt, use your common sense. If you think that you are too sick, stay home.

Featured photo by Roos-Koole/Getty Images.

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How to tell when youre too sick to fly - The Points Guy

Injections of stem cellseither a patients own or from a donorinto the hearts of people with cardiac conditions has been shown in some cases to improve heart function. How the cells help has been a mystery. A paper in Nature today (November 27) shows that activation of an innate immune response can explain, and even recapitulate, the beneficial effects of stem cell transplants in the hearts of mice.

The findings suggest stem cells may not be required to boost cardiac repair, but some researchers argue that, by finally providing a mechanistic explanation, the study supports the use of cell therapy.

This work is paradigm-shifting because it demonstrates a mechanism to explain a perplexing phenomenon that has intrigued cardiologists as a result of decades of cardiac stem cell trials, writes cardiologist Jonathan Epstein of the University of Pennsylvanias Perelman School of Medicine in an email to The Scientist. Now the focus can shift from injecting cells into the heart to understanding how to modulate the immune system so that heart function is improved, continues Epstein, who was not involved in the study.

The idea of applying stem cells, derived from the bone marrow or elsewhere, to the heart to fix damage caused by myocardial infarction or cardiovascular disease has been the subject of intense pre-clinical and clinical investigations for the best part of two decades, and yet the field is highly controversial. Aside from the retractions of fraudulent papers that misguided the larger heart regeneration community for years, the observed benefits of cell transplant therapies are generally modest and, because the underlying mechanism of repair is unknown, there is a lack of consensus about which of the many types of stem cells and delivery approaches might work best, as well as which types of patients may benefit.

A better knowledge of the mechanism would drive better clinical trial design, says Jeffery Molkentin, a cardiovascular biologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center who led the latest project. Indeed, he says, if mechanistic studies had been done up-front then we would have been much further along in the clinical trials [at this point].

For transplanted cells to produce functional benefits in the heart, its likely the cells would need to remain there after injection. So Molkentins team studied a variety of stem cell types injected into mice to see if any of them ever engrafted in the heart, he says. We had a list of five of the most prominent ones and none of the five ever engrafted, and they were all cleared within less than two weeks and sometimes within five or six days. But, the team did spot something else happening. In all [cases], he says, there was this really noticeable inflammatory response.

The team then showed that whether they injected live stem cells, dead stem cells, or zymosana potent activator of the innate immune systeminto the hearts of mice that had been given an experimental myocardial infarction, functional improvement of the heart occurred. By contrast, an injection of cyclosporinewhich suppresses the innate immune systemafter the cell delivery eliminated the beneficial effects.

The team went on to show that in the injured hearts of mice that received cell therapy or zymosan treatment there was evidence of improved muscle mechanical properties as well as scar remodeling and reduction. Both treatments recruited certain subtypes of macrophages that experiments indicated were driving this remodeling.

A heart attack triggers innate immunity automatically, prompting the essential scarring without which the heart would rupture, says Molkentin. The cell therapy (or zymosan treatment), being delayed by one week, does not exacerbate this initial inflammation, he says, but instead somehow realigns the healing process and makes for a better scar.

It seems like it optimize[s] the properties of the area around the scar and the contractility of that area, Molkentin says, but we dont know exactly why yet. . . . Were trying to figure this out.

Whatever the precise mechanism, the study shows the importance of the immune system, says Paul Riley of the University of Oxford who studies regenerative medicine but was not involved in the research. Its certainly very important for the field to be aware of this [finding], he continues. It will stimulate further interest in targeting or modulating, or thinking about the way the immune response . . . can effect more optimal function and repair after acute myocardial infarction.

If the results hold true in humans, it could have implications for any future trials in which patients might receive immunosuppression to prevent cell rejection, suggests Riley. Although its not thought any such trials are currently underway, according to Molkentin and Joshua Hare, a cardiologist and stem cell researcher at the University of Miami who was not involved in the study, if embryonic stem cells were ever approved for trial they would require immunosuppressives, Hare says.

Hare has been involved in a number of stem cell therapy trials and sees the paper not as evidence that the stem cells themselves arent necessary, but instead as a mechanistic explanation for the fact that they do work. It is often the case in medicine, he says, that once a treatment is in use, we change our perspective on how they work. Fundamentally, he says, we know that the cells are working, and that theyre safe. He therefore thinks the paper supports the field and . . . substantiates that we were on the right track. That said, he adds, If someone takes these findings and comes up with a better approach, a safer approach, a more efficacious approach, thats great.

R.J. Vagnozzi et al., An acute immune response underlies the benefit of cardiac stem-cell therapy,Nature, doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1802-2,2019.

Ruth Williams is a freelance journalist based in Connecticut. Email her atruth@wordsbyruth.comor find her on Twitter @rooph.

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Activation of the Immune System Underlies Cardiac Cell Therapies - The Scientist

A newborn immune system responds to HIV infection less effectively than a more mature one, so an HIV-positive baby should be started on antiretroviral therapy as soon after birth as possible, new research suggests.

Although treatment early in life was known to be advantageous, the study, published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine, shows the immune systems response in detail for the first time. The study could energize efforts to treat newborns with HIV, several experts say, and it may help pave the way for an eventual long-lasting treatment or even a cure.

In the study, 10 HIV-positive newborns in Botswana were started on antiretroviral therapythe gold-standard treatment for HIVwithin hours or days of birth instead of the more typical four months. If an HIV-positive pregnant woman is receiving treatment, and the amount of virus in her body is well controlled, she will not pass the disease on to her baby, although the infant will have antibodies to HIV in his or her bloodstream. If the mothers disease is not well controlled, the baby may be born with HIV.

To look for HIV-positive babies, the team screened more than 10,000 newborns using very small amounts of blood. The researchers identified 40 who were HIV-positive and began treating them with a three-drug cocktail within days of birth. The study reported on 10 of those babies, who are now almost two years old, and compared them with HIV-positive babies who did not receive treatment until four months of age.

The early treated babies fared much better in measures of viral levels in their bloodstream and lower levels of immune activity, which predicts the course of the disease, according to the study, which was conducted by a research team at the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Brigham and Womens Hospital, and the Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership in Botswana. The babies coped well with the drug regimen, with only one having to discontinue therapy because of side effects, said Roger Shapiro, a seniorauthor of the paper and an immunologist at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, in a news conference on Tuesday.

The stakes are high for getting these babies treated, says Pat Flynn, an infectious disease specialist at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., who was not involved in the new study. HIV infection can have devastating neurological consequences, likely because of ongoing inflammation in the brain.

Every day, between 300 and 500 babies in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with HIV, according to the studys authors, who cite data from the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Up to half of them will die by age two if they do not receive antiretroviral therapy. Infants infected in utero face even worse outcomes than those infected during birth or breastfeeding, said Mathias Lichterfeld, a co-author and an infectious disease specialist at the Ragon Institute and Brigham and Womens in the news conference. Putting all HIV-positive pregnant women on antiretroviral therapy is the best way to prevent them passing the virus to their babies, but many such women face barriers to accessing treatment, Shapiro said.

Scientists have known since a study published in 2008 that treating HIV-positive babies as early as possible leads to better outcomes, but the new paper provides a very comprehensive scientific rationale for why that is the case, says Sten Vermund, dean of the Yale School of Public Health and a pediatrician and infectious disease epidemiologist, who was not involved in the new research. As soon as possible might be too late. We really would be better treating right at birth.

Compared with the immune system of an older baby or an adult, Vermund says, the newborn immune system is much more immature but developing at a breakneck pace. Thats why infants are particularly vulnerable to intrauterine infections, which include toxoplasmosis, rubella, syphilis and Zika. And, he says, HIV can be added to that list, given the findings of this study.

Unfortunately, Vermund says, it is unrealistic to think that most HIV-positive babies born in sub-Saharan Africa could be treated soon after birth. The science is terrific, he says of the new paper, but it may not have much effect in the real world. The clinical relevance in Africa is not at all obvious to me, Vermund adds.

In most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, infants are tested for HIV at four to six weeks of age, Shapiro said in the conference. This practice enables doctors to catch babies who are infected during pregnancy, at delivery or very early in life,but it missesthe chance to start treatment immediately if the child is infected at birth. Adding a second test at birthas South Africa now doeswould be complicated and expensive, he conceded, but thats really the direction that the rest of the world should be following.

Yet even something that is simple in the U.S.such as drawing blood from a newborn, taking the blood to a lab, and getting results back to the clinic and the familyremains a major barrier to identifying those babies who are infected very early on, Flynn says. Instead it may make sense to determine women who are at high risk for transmitting HIV and put their infants on therapy even before the test results can be returned. But even then, maintaining stocks of antiretroviral drugs continues to be an issue in sub-Saharan Africa, she says, with funding streams to pay for medications being uncertain.

In the U.S., no more than about 50 babies are born each year to mothers who did not know they were HIV-positive, and they are generally identified at birth, Vermund says. The new study should stimulate obstetricians and pediatricians to be especially aggressive in promptly diagnosing and treating those newborns, Vermund says.

The research team plans to follow the babies and track how much viral reservoir they continue to carry. In a natural experiment in the U.S., the so-called Mississippi Baby was thought to be cured when her HIV remained undetectable for two years after stopping therapy. But then the disease rebounded, suggesting that early aggressive therapy is not a cure.

To improve long-term treatment of HIV-positive children, the researchers hope to put some of the babies on so-called broadly neutralizing antibodieswhich can recognize and block many types of HIV from entering healthy cells. They want to see if, long-term, these antibodies can substitute for the antiretroviral regimen, which is costly and cumbersome and comes with significant side effects.

Yvonne Maldonado, an expert in pediatric infectious diseases and epidemiology at Stanford University, who was not part of the new study, says the real benefit of the new study may not be in how it impacts the care of newborns with HIV but rather in the insights it offers into the HIV reservoirs that remain in the body even during treatment. This is really geared toward How do you get to the cure? rather than How do you treat babies? she says.

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HIV-Positive Babies Fare Better When Treatment Starts at Birth - Scientific American

Millions get the flu every year, and getting the yearly flu vaccine is far and away the best way to protect against it. But medical researchers have discovered that for the more than two-thirds of Americans who are overweight or obese, the vaccine doesnt seem to work as well, NPR reports.

Health officials first noticed the pattern during the 2009 flu pandemic, when they observed that the disease was especially bad for those who were significantly overweight. For some reason, the virus was able to grow to higher concentrations in obese patients, even spreading deeper into their lungs,Stacey Schultz-Cherry, an infectious disease specialist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, told NPR.

Besides getting people sicker, this also made them more likely to spread the disease, which is bad news for public health. When researchers studied the phenomenon more closely they found that the breath of obese patients contained more virus particles and that overweight people could spread the virus for an extra day, on average, compared to those with lower body weight.

Now, researchers are trying to figure out why so they can make the flu vaccine more effective.

Melinda Beck, a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is studying how obesity impacts the immune system. Beingsignificantly overweight changes a persons metabolism, which impacts a range of bodily functions and canhamper the immune system.When we get sick, proteins in our bloodstream called antibodies attack viruses, while other cells, called T cells, also help fight disease. These T cells are what fail in the case of obese patients, Beck told NPR.

Beck has studied this phenomenon in mice and says the loss of T cell function is similar to whats observed in the elderly. So, a "30-year-old obese person has the immune cells that look a lot like what you might expect in an 80-year-old individual," Beck told NPR. She thinks T cells could explain why the flu vaccine doesnt work as well for significantly overweight people and the elderly.

Schultz-Cherry is part of an effort to develop a new vaccine that will work better for these vulnerable groups. Developing this new flu shot is likely to take years, but Schultz-Cherry emphasized that this is no reason not to get the vaccine in the meantime, as its still our best chance of avoiding a disease that infected between 37 and 43 million people last flu season.

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Flu shots are less effective for overweight people - The Hill

A recent study has reported that rapamycin, a drug that has long served as an immune suppressor, may also slow aging in human skin.

The small clinical trial found that regular application of rapamycin to the backs of the hands appears to reduce wrinkles and sagging and improve skin tone.

After 8 months, most of the hands that had received rapamycin treatment showed an increase in collagen and lower levels of a marker of aging in skin cells compared with a placebo.

In a recent Geroscience paper, the researchers conclude that rapamycin treatment showed a "clear impact" on skin aging at both the molecular and clinical levels.

The team that led the trial comes from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA, where senior study author Christian Sell, Ph.D., is an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology.

Since discovering rapamycin in the soil of Easter Island half a century ago, scientists have found that the bacterial antifungal compound has many effects in the body.

The drug, which takes its name from Rapa Nui, the native term for the Pacific island, can suppress the immune system and prevent cell replication in mammals.

A major mechanism through which rapamycin interacts with cells is the aptly-named mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). Studies have linked the disruption of this pathway to cancer, obesity, and diabetes, as well as genetic and neurological conditions.

An earlier study by Sell and colleagues had demonstrated that rapamycin could improve cell function and slow aging in cultured cells.

Other researchers have also shown that by blocking TOR proteins in yeast cells, rapamycin causes the yeast to grow smaller cells that live longer.

"If you ramp the pathway down, you get a smaller phenotype," explains Sell.

Scientists have also discovered that rapamycin can slow aging in flies, worms, and mice.

"When you slow growth, you seem to extend lifespan and help the body repair itself at least in mice," Sell continues, noting, "This is similar to what is seen in calorie restriction."

The new investigation, however, is the first to demonstrate an anti-aging effect in living human tissue.

For the study, which took the form of a clinical trial, the team recruited 13 volunteers who were over 40 years of age.

They asked the participants to apply rapamycin cream to the back of one hand and a placebo cream to the back of the other hand every 1 or 2 days before bedtime.

The participants attended evaluation visits every 2 months for 8 months. During the visits, investigators took photographs to evaluate skin wrinkles and general appearance.

The participants also gave blood samples at the 6-month visit and underwent a skin biopsy of both hands at the 8-month visit.

Tests on the blood samples showed that the rapamycin had not entered the participants' bloodstream.

At the end of 8 months, most of the hands that had received rapamycin treatment showed an increase in collagen and a reduction in p16 protein.

Collagen is a protein that gives skin its structure, and p16 is a measure of cell senescence, or deterioration through aging. Skin that has more senescent cells is more wrinkled.

Skin that has higher levels of p16 carries a greater risk of infection and also tends to tear more easily and heal more slowly. These are all signs of dermal atrophy, a skin condition that is common in older people.

Investigations of p16 have shown that human cells release the protein as part of a stress response that occurs following cell damage. These studies have also demonstrated that p16 can function as a tumor suppressor, a type of protein that stops cell growth and division happening too fast or in an uncontrolled way.

Cancer develops when cells begin to behave abnormally. This can happen as a result of a mutation that causes cell processes to go awry. As a tumor suppressor, p16 slows down the cell cycle, promoting aging instead of cancer.

"When cells age, they become detrimental and create inflammation," comments Sell.

"That's part of aging," he continues, adding, "These cells that have undergone stress are now pumping out inflammatory markers."

The researchers point out that the new findings are just the early stage of their research, and they need to do a lot more before they can say how best to apply rapamycin to delay aging.

They foresee applications that include improving human performance and extending lifespan.

These would require developing a form of the drug that works at much lower doses than those used to prevent organ rejection and treat cancer.

Sell, and another team member are shareholders of a pharmaceutical company that holds the license for the technology, for which there are two patents pending.

"As researchers continue to seek out the elusive 'fountain of youth' and ways to live longer, we're seeing growing potential for the use of this drug."

Christian Sell, Ph.D.

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Rapamycin has anti-aging effect on human skin - Medical News Today

Data published in the European Journal of Nutrition indicated that daily consumption for three months of the probiotic combination which is commercially available as Probi Defendum by young children in day care led to absences from day care of 1.7 days, compared to 2.4 days in the placebo group, with the severity score of the respiratory tract infections was also decreased in the probiotic group.

The current study provides for the first-time evidence that Lactobacillus plantarumHEAL9 and Lactobacillus paracasei8700:2 reduce the severity of common colds in children as reflected in symptom relief, reduced need for medication during the study and reduced absence from day care due to sickness, wrote the researchers from Probi AB in Sweden.

The study adds to an ever-growing body of science supporting the potential immune health benefits of probiotics. Although the effects are often strain-specific, a recent economic modeling study reported that reductions in the incidence and duration of flu-like respiratory tract infections in the US as a result of probiotic supplements may translate into over $1 billion of costs savings.

Data published in Frontiers in Pharmacology indicated that probiotics may reduce the duration of the infection, the use of antibiotics, and missed days at work, all of which would translate into significant cost savings for the US population.

The new study used two specific strains: Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL9 and Lactobacillus paracasei 8700:2. The potential immune health benefits of these strains have been tested in adults, to mixed results. The new study is the first time the combination has been tested in children.

The researchers recruited 131 healthy children attending day care between the ages of one and six and randomly assigned them to receive either the Probi Defendum product or placebo on aspects of common cold.

Results from the 106 children who completed the study indicated that daily probiotic consumption significantly reduced the severity of the symptom nasal congestion/runny nose, compared to placebo.

In addition, the probiotic use reported less concomitant medication use, compared to placebo.

The results also supported a reduction in absences from day care, a reduction in the overall severity per day in the children, and a reduction in crying more than usual for the children receiving the probiotic, compared to placebo.

Commenting on the potential mechanism(s) of action, the researchers noted that Lactobacillus paracasei 8700:2 and strains genetically similar to Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL9 may induce innate cell-mediated immune functions and activate T-lymphocytes (white blood cells that play a role in the immune system).

Big changes are coming to how many of the most popular and commercially important probiotics are classified. The nameLactobacillusis instantly recognizable to many consumers and healthcare professionals, but the genus is extremely diverse and includes 251 species. Scientists have been working for years on this reclassification, and these changes will have significant impacts on many areas, from labeling to scientific publications and IP.

Join NutraIngredients-USA for a FREE educational webinar about this topic:Lactobacillus: What Brands Need to Know About the Taxonomic Changes, will take place on December 11 at 12:30pm Eastern/ 9:30am Pacific. For more information and to register, please clickHERE.

Source: European Journal of NutritionPublished online ahead of print, doi: 10.1007/s00394-019-02137-8Evaluation of the efficacy of Lactobacillus plantarumHEAL9 and Lactobacillus paracasei8700:2 on aspects of common cold infections in children attending day care: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studyAuthors: I. Lazou Ahrn et al.

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Probiotic combination shows immune health benefits for children in day care - NutraIngredients-usa.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University researchers have identified a mechanism involving the body's ability to resist fungal infection. The work could help advance research on cancer therapies that use the body's own immune system to fight disease.

In a study published Nov. 21 in the journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, IU scientist Yan Yu and colleagues found that two immune receptors -- named Dectin-1 and TLR2 -- must work together to trigger an inflammatory response that resists fungal infection.

The threat of fungal infection was recently highlighted in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's release of the 2019 AR Threats Report on Nov. 14, which for the first time included several antibiotic resistant fungi, such as Candida auris.

The PNAS study's leaders compared the use of two receptors to trigger immune response against fungus to the use of two identification codes, versus a single password, in online security -- a form of authentication popularly known as "dual login."

"It was previously known that Dectin-1 and TLR2 enhanced each other's function to achieve maximal immune response against fungal infection," said Yu, a professor in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Chemistry. "But nobody had been able to pinpoint the mechanism by which immune cells manage the receptors to regulate the anti-fungal inflammatory response."

In order to fight infections, immune cells -- also known as white blood cells -- must first identify outside pathogens, which triggers a "search and destroy" response throughout the body. As part of this process, immune cells reply upon specific combinations of immunoreceptors to accurately and effectively detect foreign bodies.

If this process fails, Yu said, people are left vulnerable to life-threating diseases. She added that identifying the specific receptors whose "passwords" work together to regulate proper immune responses may help lead to new treatments for these diseases, as well as improve existing cancer immunotherapies.

To understand specifically how Dectin-1 and TLR2 trigger an immune response, Yu's team created two microparticles -- disguised as fungi -- with different binding patterns on their surface that activate these receptors. They then observed how different patterns triggered different levels of immune response.

By comparing the different patterns against the response to their "faux fungus," Yu and colleagues could see that white blood cells mounted the strongest defense when the molecules that bind to Dectin-1 and TLR2 were placed 500 nanometers apart.

"Both these receptors are regarded as important for stimulating immunity in cancer treatment," Yu said. "This discovery suggests the cancer immunotherapy could be made more effective by developing drugs that target both receptors in a single compound."

Yu added that the discovery was made possible in part by the use of Janus-particles, a nanotechnology named after the two-faced god of Roman mythology, in which two receptors are placed on opposite sides of the same particle. The researchers found that these particles triggered a weaker immune response due to their separation compared to particles where the receptors were paired evenly across their surface. As a result, Yu and colleagues concluded that close proximity played an important role in triggering a "maximal" immune response.

"The unique properties of Janus particles let us 'decouple' the receptors without affecting the rest of the experiment, which was key," she said. "No one had revealed this mechanism prior to our work."

Next, Yu said her team plans to use the study's methods to understand how the immune system resists other nonfungal infections -- as well as ultimately work toward creating new nanomaterials to enhance cancer immunotherapy.

Other authors on the paper were Wenqian Li, a Ph.D. student in biochemistry working in Yu's lab at IU, and Jun Yan at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Indiana University's world-class researchers have driven innovation and creative initiatives that matter for nearly 200 years. From curing testicular cancer to collaborating with NASA to search for life on Mars, IU has earned its reputation as a world-class research institution. Supported by $680 million last year from our partners, IU researchers are building collaborations and uncovering new solutions that improve lives in Indiana and around the globe.

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'Dual login' mechanism found to resist fungal infection in cells - IU Newsroom

The holidays are truly the most hectic times of the year, putting our immune systems at risk.

Most businesses have to meet end-of-year deadlines. Some of us are planning holiday shopping around travel plans. In fact, in 2018 it was predicted that a record-breaking 112.5 million people more than a third of all Americans [were] expected to travel for the entirety of the holiday season. And, then, of course, others are preparing their homes and daily routines to be upended by visiting family.

Yeah, theres a lot going on in these cold and holiday-filled months.

While we all love to visit and be visited by our loved ones and spend the holidays enjoying their company, its also important to note that staying healthy and avoiding illness is an integral part of that enjoyment. Yet, everything about the holidays from travel to holiday parties to new people in your home makes staying healthy so much more difficult.

What can you do?

First off, nobody should let the potentiality of sickness stop them from enjoying the holidays with their loved ones. So, instead of focusing on what you may catch or how much stress you may be taking on in the next sixty days, look at how you can boost your body to support you in these hectic times. Most importantly, its the time to incorporate as many plant-based immune system-boosting agents into your daily menu as possible!

kalhh/Pixabay

Theres a lot to staying healthy. The food you eat, your physical lifestyle, the amount of stress in your life on and on and on. Yet, when it comes to simply steering clear of the common cold or the flu, it all comes down to your immune system and how robust this essential weapon is.

So, how does it work?

The basics? The immune system is what keeps the bad stuff out. Its a network of organs, cells, and proteins that protects your body from outside invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and toxins (chemicals produced by microbes). Breaking it down even further, youll find the innate immune system which you are born with and the adaptive immune system which you develop when your body is exposed to microbes or chemicals released by microbes. Basically, the one you come with and the one you build.

sweetlouise/Pixabay

If youre stuck on a plane, a train, a bus, or any other highly human-congested compartment, then youre most likely in the presence of one of the following (if not more) illnesses. In fact, a recent study discovered the terrifying reality that its more than 100 percent more likely for someone to catch a cold on a plane than in daily life.

Alright, so you know to expect the common cold, but what else is out there that youre most likely to catch? Read further to find out the most common illnesses that are contracted during holiday travel.

Capri23auto/Pixabay

Ive lumped these two together because, while different in how they present, the reasons for their love of the holidays is similar.

To be fair, if you havent caught a cold or the flu from a coworker, the person sitting next to you at dinner last night, or even one of your own family members, then lets just call it lucky. But, luck doesnt run so far and you just know the moment you step on that flight home, with at least a few passengers coughing and sniffling, that youll walk off the flight with more than you came with.

So, what is are these illnesses and why are they so prevalent during the holidays?

Lets start with the common cold.

A cold referred to as common cold, if you were wondering the difference, there isnt one is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the nose [as well as] the throat, sinuses, and larynx. Since its a virus, theres little that you can do besides resting, eating nutritious meals, and hydrating. The problem? For some, generally those with preexisting health concerns, the common cold can develop into pneumonia, which is a very serious condition that can cause hospitalization and even death.

The flu short for influenza is a bit trickier and a lot less appealing than the common cold. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. While the common cold generally remains benign, unless in those rare instances, the flu can oftentimes become a severe illness, and, at times, can lead to death.

Its not necessarily that the holidays bring about an uptick in the common cold, but its a combination of cold weather its believed that the immune system is compromised by cold weather and more people out and about shopping, attending parties, and traveling. Plus, take a moment before turning up your thermostat. Central heating can lower our defences by drying out the nasal mucous that prevents viruses from entering the body.

PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay

This is a less common illness, but definitely a virulent, knock-you-off-your-feet, variety.

The norovirus affectionately referred to as the winter vomiting bug is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Unfortunately, this virus is super easily transmitted via contact with an infected person, drinking contaminated water or consuming contaminated food, or even by touching contaminated surfaces then putting your unwashed hands in your mouth. Its due to the ease of spreading, lowered immune system via the cold, and a huge increase of people comingling in public spaces that causes cases of the norovirus to go up during the holidays.

The good news?

The norovirus generally clears up in only a couple of days, even though those few days are pretty unpleasant. Plus, you can enact some key habits to help avoid the bug such as frequently washing your hands, and to avoid sharing your personal items, especially things like clothing, bedding, and towels, with people who are or may be infected.

nastya_gepp/Pixabay

While theres lots more health-related discomfort to choose from in regards to the holiday months aches and pains, dry skin, Seasonal Affective Disorder, to name just a few I think one of the most pertinent that many of us suffer from, but dont talk about is stress-induced digestive upset.

We love our family and we love our friends, yet maneuvering through social events, especially when theyre lapped one-over-the-other can absolutely be stressful. On top of that, theres the work-life stress as deadlines approach before the end of the year, holiday parties to prepare for, and, of course, amidst all of this, youre most likely unable to attend to your healthy eating habits.

Simply put, youre stressed out even if youre happy during the holidays and this can cause digestive issues, increased headaches, body aches, and an uptick in anxiety and even depression. This can manifest in a variety of ways from bloating, constipation, diarrhea, cramps, and gas, to more serious digestive conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Inflammatory Bowel Disease, to name just a few.

Its important to listen to your body and take note of your mental state during the holidays. Try to find a quiet moment every day to honestly check in with yourself. Most likely, if your body is all of a sudden not feeling well, it may be an indicator of elevated stress.

Ajale/Pixabay

One of the many benefits of eating plant-based foods is the increased consumption of protective qualities. Most plant-based foods are naturally rich in immune system-boosting nutrients. While a well-rounded diet is a great key to overall health, there are certain nutrients that offer a bit more of a leg up when looking to kick the common cold or the flu. Plus, many of these foods can be properly packed into travel-friendly recipes. Infuse your body with protection while youre on the plane, bus, or train!

Dark Cherry Smoothie Bowl/One Green Planet

You may be sick of hearing about getting your vitamin C, yet during the holidays its as important as ever to make sure youre getting enough of this vital nutrient. This water-soluble vitamin is found in many fruits and vegetables, including oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit, bell peppers, broccoli, kale and spinach. Along with battling high blood pressure, potentially reducing the risk of heart disease, improving absorption of iron, and protecting your brain, vitamin C is also well known for its ability to boost your immune system. How so? Vitamin C has been shown to help your white blood cells function at their optimal ability, thereby providing better defenses against foreign invaders.

Looking for the best fruits and veggies for vitamin C? While you may go directly for that navel orange, try a few of these alternative foods that are even higher in vitamin C content: acerola cherries, chili peppers, guavas, thyme, mustard spinach, kale, kiwis, Brussels sprouts, and strawberries, to name just a few.

Now you knowwhatto buy, now what do you cook? Here are some creative vitamin-C recipes to get you started!

Dark Cherry Smoothie Bowl, Superfood Kale Salad,Pomegranate Guava Smoothie, Thyme and Concord Grape Scones, Mango, Chili, and Lime Quinoa Salad, Kiwi Avocado Juice, or this Good Morning Beet Juice.

6-Ingredient Matcha Cookies/One Green Planet

Antioxidants. You hear about them everywhere. You know theyre good for your body. So, whats up with these plant-based white knight agents?

Turns out antioxidants prevent damage to immune cells by neutralizing free radicals agents in the environment that may damage your cells and reduce your immunity. Hold up, what are free radicals? These compounds can cause harm if their levels become too high in your body and theyre linked to multiple illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Due to the fact that plants use antioxidants in their own defenses against free radicals and oxidative damage, that means when you consume plant-based foods, youre also consuming that plants antioxidants. While your body requires certain antioxidants to live such as vitamins C and E there are other non-essential antioxidants [which] occur in food that play an important role in general health.

Where do you get antioxidants? To be honest, antioxidants are pretty much spread across the board in a plant-based diet. With that said, there are a few standouts in the crowd including berries, green tea, coffee, and dark chocolate.

It doesnt sound too hard to get to consuming these antioxidant powerhouses, does it! Here are a few holiday festive recipes to get you started amping up your immune system for your travels: Nut-Free Strawberry Vanilla Crumble Bars, Raspberry Breakfast Muffins, Blueberry-Almond Dark Chocolate Bark, 6-Ingredient Matcha Cookies, Matcha Latte, No-Bake Mocha Doughnuts With Chocolate Frosting, or this Coffee Cake Banana Bread.

Spicy Kale Chips/One Green Planet

Hand-in-hand with antioxidants is inflammation. Antioxidants are actually a wonderful component to help fight bodily inflammation. Alright, but whats up with inflammation? Youve most likely heard lots about inflammation being linked to health. In fact, Harvard Health published an article entitledInflammation: A unifying theory of disease in which they lay out the case for the linkage between chronic bodily inflammation and a vast array of diseases.

Inflammation in a nutshell in short, inflammation is part of a process that depends both on the physical actions of white blood cells and the chemicals that they produce: antibodies, cytokines, and the like. Basically, inflammation is a natural and necessary part of the immune response, yet, its been discovered that certain aggravators may cause the body to be in a state of chronic inflammation, which leads down unruly paths into disease.

Luckily, just like antioxidants, plant-based foods are also rich in anti-inflammatory agents as well! In particular, tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy veggies, nuts, and lots of fruits. Plus, there are certain spices, such as turmeric and Ceylon cinnamon, which are known to help decrease inflammation as well.

Get your anti-inflammation on this holiday season with these delightful recipes: Homemade Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Pepper and Almond Spread,No Bake Choc Squares, Almond & Date Shortbread,Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Olive Oil and Orange Cookies,Savory Citrus Arugula Steel Cut Oatmeal, Golden Milk Frapuccino, or these Baked Kale Chips.

Spicy Carrot Clementine Juice/One Green Planet

If youre like me, then most medications upset the normal rhythm of your body including inducing nausea, causing constipation, and even aggravating heartburn. When it comes to holiday illness, in particular, the common cold, try seeking some herbal remedies instead? Herbs are an ancient source of medicines dating back to Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicinal practices.

When it comes to kicking your ailments, while traveling look to some fo the powerhouses such as ginger, garlic, and echinacea. Ginger is great for soothing a sore throat or cough and is a powerhouse when treating nausea. Garlic has a compound called allicin, which may have antimicrobial properties, and may alleviate the severity of your symptoms. Echinacea has been used for centuries and is believed to have therapeutic effects on the body due to its high levels of flavonoids.

You dont have to down bitter tinctures in order to enjoy an herbal remedy. When it comes to ginger and garlic, add these aromatic delights to your favorite holiday (or non-holiday) recipes such as thisSpicy Carrot Clementine Juice, these Ginger-Beet Moscow Mules, theseSweet Potato Fries With Maple-Tahini Garlic Dip, or this soothing Italian Minestrone.

Echinacea, on the other hand, can be used in a variety of ways, yet the most popular and effect are in supplemental form Vegan Echinacea Goldenseal Capsules or as a tincture Immune Booster with Echinacea Goldenseal.

We also highly recommend downloading ourFood Monster App, which is available foriPhone, and can also be found onInstagramandFacebook. The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!

For more Vegan Food, Health, Recipe, Animal, and Life content published daily, dont forget to subscribe to theOne Green Planet Newsletter!

Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Pleasesupport us!

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Plant-Based Immune System Boosters to Keep You Healthy During the Holidays - One Green Planet

Nov. 27, 2019 13:00 UTC

CULVER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NantKwest, Inc. (Nasdaq: NK), a next generation, clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on harnessing the unique power of our immune system using natural killer (NK) cells to treat cancer, infectious diseases and other diseases, today announced that on Monday, December 2, 2019, it will host a key opinion leader (KOL) meeting in New York City on the current treatment landscapes and unmet medical needs of patients with Merkel cell carcinoma, triple-negative breast cancer, solid tumors and the state-of-the-art treatment in the induction of Immunogenic Cell Death.

This event will feature presentations from KOLs George Ansstas, MD, Washington University of Medicine in St. Louis, Chaitali Nangia, MD, Chan Soon-Shiong Institute for Medicine, and Clint Allen, MD, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, as well as Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of NantKwest.

NantKwests management team will also provide pipeline updates on their haNK and PD-L1.t-haNK programs utilizing the Companys Activated Natural Killer (aNK) cell platform to target these diseases. This platform harnesses the power of the innate immune system and is uniquely positioned to provide broadly available, off-the-shelf cell therapies capable of being administered in the outpatient setting.

Clint Allen, MD is an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Principal Investigator of the Translational Tumor Immunology Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH. His research focuses on understanding how the immune system responds to squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, and how this can be enhanced therapeutically. He leads a large pre-clinical and clinical laboratory program focused on translational pre-clinical studies in syngeneic models of squamous cell carcinoma and the assessment of clinical trial specimens. He is the director of the inpatient Otolaryngology consultation service at the NIH Clinical Center and maintains a surgical practice for the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine based out of Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, MD.

George Ansstas, MD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section of Medical Oncology, Division of Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Ansstas's clinical expertise includes brain tumors, neuro-oncology, skin cancer, and melanoma. He received his medical degree from University of Tishreen, Latakia, Syria in 2001. Dr. Ansstas completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at Washington University, St. Louis.

Chaitali Nangia, MD is an Hematologist/Oncologist based in Costa Mesa, California and is affiliated with Hoag Hospital System. She received her medical degree from Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi, India and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Resurrection Westlake Medical Center in Illinois. She then completed her Fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at the Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan. She worked as an Associate Professor at University of California-Irvine and as an Associate Program Director at University of California-Irvine Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program prior to her current role. She acted as the principal investigator for several clinical trials and has been an author of several publications.

This event is intended for institutional investors, sell-side analysts, and business development professionals only. Please RSVP in advance if you plan to attend, as space is limited. Members of the media and the public are invited to participate via the live webcast, which can be accessed through our company website at https://nantkwest.com/nantkwest-key-opinion-leader-event/. The event is expected to start at noon EST on Monday, December 2, 2019.

About NantKwest

NantKwest (NK) is an innovative, clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on harnessing the power of the innate immune system to treat cancer and virally induced infectious diseases. We are the leading producer of clinical dose forms of off-the-shelf Natural Killer (NK) cell therapies. Our activated NK cell platform is designed to destroy cancer and virally infected cells from the body. The safety of our optimized, activated NK cells, as well as their activity against a broad range of cancers, have been tested in phase I clinical trials in Canada and Europe, as well as in multiple phase I and II clinical trials in the United States. By leveraging an integrated and extensive genomics and transcriptomics discovery and development engine, together with a pipeline of multiple, clinical-stage, immuno-oncology programs, NantKwests goal is to transform medicine by delivering living drugs in a bag and bringing novel NK cell-based therapies to routine clinical care. NantKwest is a member of the NantWorks ecosystem of companies. For more information, please visit https://nantkwest.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning or implying that NantKwest will be successful in improving the treatment of cancer. Risks and uncertainties related to this endeavor include, but are not limited to, obtaining FDA approval of NantKwests NK cells as well as other therapeutics as part of the NANT Cancer Vaccine platform as a cancer treatment.

Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, these forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

These and other risks regarding NantKwests business are described in detail in its Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including in NantKwests Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any obligation to update these statements except as may be required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191127005192/en/

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NantKwest Hosting Key Opinion Leader Meeting on Novel Immunotherapeutic Approaches to Address the Unmet Medical Needs of Patients with Merkel Cell...

When a woman gets pregnant, there is a change in her immune system. (Source: Thinkstock/Getty)

By Dr Aparna Jha

Pregnancies usually last for about 40 weeks. If a baby is born before 37 weeks, it is known as premature birth. In such cases, the infant is too small for breathing or regulating body temperature. This can lead to brain bleeds and other organ troubles. Premature birth can also lead to disability, cognitive problems, development delays, and infant death. Many of such babies will require speech and/or physical therapy later. It can also seriously affect the health of the mother.

It has been difficult knowing the cause of preterm birth. In most of the cases, there have been no risk factors involved. Here are some risk factors for premature birth:

Some researchers believe that the immune system of a mother can play a role in predicting preterm birth. The immune system is sensitive to environmental changes. It might be the common denominator for all the factors contributing to preterm labor. For decades, all the immune-related proteins and genes involved in inflammation have been associated with preterm births. However, there has been no link in treatments or predictive tests.

When a woman gets pregnant, there is a change in her immune system. Chemicals are released into the body that stop the immune cells from attacking the cells of the embryos as the foreign invaders. After the cells are implanted into the uterus walls, decidua, a thick layer of tissue, starts forming between the embryo and the mother. Also, anti-inflammatory immune cells like regulatory T cells are used for keeping the immune system at bay.

When the woman reaches the last stage of her pregnancy, between 37 to 40 weeks, this immuno suppression is switched. All the immune cells start flooding the area and setting off a chain reaction. This triggers the contraction of the uterus. Also, due to the inflammation, enzymes are released from the cells that dissolve the membrane that surrounds the foetus. This results in the breaking and releasing of the amniotic fluid. Now, it is important that these processes happen, but not before 37 weeks.

In the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology, it was reported that inflammation involves a protein called cytokines that were present in a higher amount in the amniotic fluid of women who gave preterm birth. The higher the cytokine levels, the earlier was the delivery. Also, women with short cervix had higher levels of a cytokine named MIP-1B or Macrophage Inflammatory protein-1 beta present in their amniotic fluid.

There are thousands of contributing factors in the blood and microbiome of the mother towards preterm birth. These factors can be analysed through a system:

It is clear that these changes can be predicted earlier by researching the immune system of the mother. For solidifying the connection between the immune system and preterm birth reliable immune markers need to be detected in the blood and tied to the difference visible in the amniotic fluid. Now since every cause of preterm birth is still unknown, it is not possible to find these biological markers.

(The writer is Consultant Gynecologist and Obstetrician, Apollo Cradle, Bangalore.)

Go here to read the rest:
How the immune system can predict preterm birth - The Indian Express

Some men who have exhausted all other treatment options for advanced prostate cancer could survive for at least two more years on immunotherapy, new research suggests.

Researchers found this small proportion of men, described as super responders, were alive and well even after the major clinical trial ended, despite having a poor prognosis before treatment.

One in 20 men with end-stage prostate cancer responded to the immunotherapy pembrolizumab.

However, the scientists say that while this number was small, these patients sometimes gained years of extra life.

Our study has shown that a small proportion of men with very advanced prostate cancer are super responders to immunotherapy

According to the study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the most dramatic responses were seen in patients whose tumours had mutations in genes involved in repairing DNA.

Researchers are now looking at whether this group might especially benefit from immunotherapy.

Johann de Bono, Regius Professor of cancer research at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: Our study has shown that a small proportion of men with very advanced prostate cancer are super responders to immunotherapy and could live for at least two years and possibly considerably longer.

We dont see much activity from the immune system in prostate tumours, so many oncologists thought immunotherapy wouldnt work for this cancer type.

But our study shows that a small proportion of men with end-stage cancer do respond, and crucially that some of these men do very well indeed.

The study involved 258 men with advanced prostate cancer who had previously been treated and became resistant to androgen deprivation therapy and docetaxel chemotherapy.

Some 5% of the men treated with the immunotherapy saw their tumours shrink or disappear, while 19% showed some evidence of tumour response.

Among a group of 166 patients with particularly advanced disease and high levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), the average length of survival was 8.1 months with pembrolizumab.

Nine of these patients saw their disease disappear or partly disappear on scans.

Of these, four were super-responders who remained on treatment at the end of the study follow-up, with responses lasting for at least 22 months, scientists say.

A second group of patients whose PSA levels were lower, but whose disease had spread to the bone, lived for an average of 14.1 months.

Pembrolizumab was well tolerated, with 60% of patients reporting any side effects and only 15% of patients experiencing grade three to five side-effects.

Professor Paul Workman, chief executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: Immunotherapy has had tremendous benefits for some cancer patients and its fantastic news that even in prostate cancer, where we dont see much immune activity, a proportion of men are responding well to treatment.

A limitation with immunotherapy is that theres no good test to pick out those who are most likely to respond.

Its encouraging to see testing for DNA repair mutations may identify some patients who are more likely to respond, and Im keen to see how the new, larger trial in this group of patients plays out.

Immunotherapy uses the immune system to fight cancer, and works by helping the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells.

The phase II clinical trial was led by a team at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and The Royal Marsden Foundation Trust, and funded by the drugs manufacturer Merck, Sharpe & Dohme.

More:
Prostate cancer super responders gain years of life on immunotherapy study - BreakingNews.ie

ImmunologistAli Ellebedywas working on a studyanalyzing the immune response to flu infection in humans. During his research, he spotted a new type ofpowerful antibody in a blood sample from a patientinfected with human influenza virus.

Ellebedy then sent samples of the antibody to Florian Krammer a microbiologistwho proved the effectiveness of theantibodies by testing them againstextensive samples of virus proteins dating back to the 1970s. These proteins, called neuraminidase, enable the virus to spread through the human body.

The study, whichwas jointly conducted byScripps Research, Washington University's School of Medicine in St. Louis and theIcahn School of Medicinein New York, was published in the Octoberissue of Science.

Future vaccine could survive antiviral resistance

Krammer told DW that the beauty of this new antibody, called 10G1, is that it binds to the parts of the virus that never change. This means that even if new strains of influenza viruses are detected, a potential vaccine containing new antibodies would still be effective.

Moreover, the antibody has a powerful potential to attack both A and B subtypes of influenza viruses, making it an even better candidate for a universal vaccine that would combat human, swine, and bird strains, as well as other rarerstrains of lethal flu viruses.

Read more:Is medicine for the flu coming?

There arethree types of influenza viruses that affect humans. These are A, B, and C. Type A causes epidemics of seasonal flu. Among these are swine H1N1, bird H5N1, and human influenza flu H3N2. Type A viruses circulate between humans and other species, whereas type B and C are only known to exist in humans, causing mild infectionsand usuallywithout symptoms.

DW analyzed data about virus activity throughout the US and Europe, sourced by the World Health Organisation's Global Surveillance and Response System(GISRS). The results, presented in the heatmap below, show that there has been a steady rise in influenza virus activity forboth A and B virus subtypes,especially in the US, the UK, Portugal, Germany and Croatia.

Moreover, the results point to a high activity in the first and last weeks of the year.

Not only to prevent, but also to cure

Even though commonly mistaken for a cold due tosimilar symptoms like coughing, a runny nose, sneezing, and experiencing a high fever seasonal flu can be very dangerous. Untreated influenza can have fatal outcomes, as it can lead to severe respiratory infections. This is particularly the case forsensitive groups like infants, pregnant women, the elderlyand people with chronic diseases.

One of the biggest problems with current vaccines is that they usually last one seasonbefore the virus mutates. However, researchers working on this study also tried to create resistant viruses in the labto test whether the new antibody would still work. The results proved that the antibodies still bound to the virus and neutralized it.

The antibodies proved to be effective even against strains of the virus resistant to Tamiflu, a powerful cure used to treat severe cases of influenza viruses like swine and bird flu.

"Infected mice [in the study]reacted very well to these antibodies even three days after they wereinfected, and the window for Tamiflu was closed. This means that the discovered antibodies would have a potential for the development of both vaccine and a cure,"Krammer told DW.

Read more:Do I have the flu or the common cold?

Rise in global deaths from flu

There is a steady rise in global annual deaths from influenza viruses.Now, there are an estimated 290,000 to600,000 mortality cases per year, but it is still hard to determine real numbers.

"There is pretty good data for North America and Europe, so it really depends on how good the surveillance systems are.Unfortunately there are a lot of countries that don't have good surveillance systems for influenza."

Furtherdata analysis by DW shows that the year 2018 saw particularly high influenza virus activity comparedto the past several years.

The most common flu infections were caused by the virus A, which was not subtyped. Krammer told DW that unsubtyped A viruses mean that it is hard to identify if the virus belongs to theH1N1swine flu, or H3N2, which is human influenza virus.

A newreportfrom the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention also suggests thatinfluenza season in the United States started earlier this year, and that widespread virus type A activity has been recorded in Puerto Rico, and seven other states including Texas, Alabama, and Nevada.

On the other hand, Krammerexplained that flu seasons vary in the northern and southern hemispheres. In the north, flu seasons are common in winter, but in countries like China and Singapore, influenza is spread throughout the yearbecause there is no real winter. That makes iteven more difficult to determine the real burden ofinfluenza.

"It's still not quite clear to what extent influenza seasons are influenced by the changing weather and to what extent they are influenced bythe changing behavior of humans during these weather changes,"said Krammer.

Read more:Top 10 most dangerous viruses in the world

High risk of pandemic

Krammer pointed out that the chances for a global pandemic are increasing. It's hard to predict when the next big pandemic willhappen, he said, but heis certain it will happen again.

He also explained that the most deadly influenza virus type, which dominated flu seasons overthe past few years, is the human influenza virus H3N2. But it's impossible to say which virus will cause the next big outbreakand cause the most deaths.

"We have approximately three to fourpandemics per century. We had the one in 1918, 1957, 1968and one in 2009, so it's not very predictable," he said.

"The chances for a pandemic are, however, increasing because there is a lot more global interaction. Pandemic viruses come from avian species, like wild birds, chickens, ducks, where all these influenza viruses circulate. If we look at the number of chickens we raise for food, they are increasing, because the global population is increasingand we need to feed people."

Globally between 290,000 and 600,000 people die from influenza per year

Read more:Next flu pandemic 'a matter of when, not if,' says WHO

Prevention best way to avoid lethal flu infections

Even though newly discoveredantibodies have enormouspotential for the development of a truly universal vaccine and cure for influenza, it will take years of costly clinical trialsbefore it hits the market, Krammer said.

The first step is to examine if it's possible for all humans to develop the 10G1antibodies.

Until auniversal vaccine is developed, one of the best ways to stay safe is to take precautionary measures, Krammer suggested.

"First, get vaccinated. The vaccines we have now are not perfect, but they really work. The second step is to keep ourselves healthy. If we are healthy, infections have less impact. The new generation of a vaccine we have now is against four viruses which circulate in humans which are H1N1, H3N2 and two types of influenza B viruses."

Read more:Flu season wreaks havoc on German workforce

The immune system needs many different types of fuel. Fruit and vegetables provide them. Your diet should be healthy and colorful: Oranges, red peppers, green leafy vegetables and red cabbage provide a potpourri of vitamins, and are especially rich in natural vitamin C.

In order to ensure your immune system is top-top, make sure you have all the necessary immunizations. Adults often forget to refresh vaccinations they had when they were young. Check if you need booster shots for tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, hepatitis, pneumococcus, meningitis, measles, mumps, rubella, the flu and others. Be sure to talk to your doctor!

Scientific studies suggest that regular muscle training (jogging, nordic or pole walking, taking a stroll), three times a week for 20 minutes can boost your defenses. But be careful: overdoing it can also drain your immune system.

Sufficient sleep doesn't just allow your body to recuperate. During the slow-wave sleep phase, neurotransmitters are released and the immune system springs into action.

Studies show that good spirits and a zest for life promote a strong immune system. Laughing and playing don't just provide for a better quality of life, they also boost the body's defenses.

Negative stress activates the release of adrenalin and cortisol. These hormones can paralyze the immune system. Sensible stress and time management allows the body to rest and replenish new energy. Selective relaxation exercises like meditation, autogenic training and yoga can significantly boost the immune system.

Taking walks in the fresh air gives you a change of temperature and exercise - both stimulate the body's defense systems. Mucous membranes also benefit from improved circulation and the increased humidity makes it easier to fight off attacks.

Studies have shown that burning up short chain sugars like fructose and glucose uses up many vitamins that are no longer available to the body.

Alternating hot and cold showers help regulate body heat and improve blood flow. An invigorating massage with a massage sponge or brush stimulates the immune system even more.

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New discovery could spell end to seasonal flu - DW (English)

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, November 27, 2019 Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA, OTC: BVNRY) today held an Extraordinary General Meeting with the results as follows:

The Board of Directors was authorized, until June 30, 2020, to increase the share capital of the Company with pre-emptive rights for the existing shareholders through one issue of up to a total of nominally DKK 415,000,000, corresponding to approximately 128% of the Company's registered share capital. This authorization entails the adoption of a new Article 5e of the Articles of Association as follows:

"Article 5eFor the period ending on 30 June 2020, the Board of Directors shall be authorised to increase the Company's share capital through one issue of up to a total of nominally DKK 415,000,000 (41,500,000 shares of DKK 10 each) by the subscription of new shares. The existing shareholders shall have pre-emption rights to subscribe for the amount by which the share capital is increased, proportional to their shareholdings. The share capital shall be increased by cash payment at a subscription price which may be lower than the value of the shares.

The terms and conditions of the subscription for shares shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

The new shares shall be negotiable instruments, shall be registered in the names of the holders and shall be entered in the Company's register of shareholders. No restrictions shall apply to the transferability of the new shares, and no shareholder shall be obliged to have his shares redeemed - in whole or in part. The shares shall carry the right to dividend as from the date fixed by the Board of Directors, but not later than the first financial year following the capital increase.

About Bavarian NordicBavarian Nordic is a fully integrated biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative therapies against infectious diseases and cancer. Using our live virus vaccine platform technology, MVA-BN, we have created a diverse portfolio of proprietary and partnered product candidates intended to unlock the power of the immune system to improve public health with a focus on high unmet medical needs. In addition to our long-standing collaboration with the U.S. government on the development and supply of medical countermeasures, including the only FDA-approved, non-replicating smallpox vaccine, our infectious disease pipeline comprises a proprietary RSV program as well as vaccine candidates for Ebola, HPV, HBV and HIV, which are developed through a strategic partnership with Janssen. Additionally, we have developed a portfolio of active cancer immunotherapies, designed to alter the disease course by eliciting a robust and broad anti-cancer immune response while maintaining a favorable benefit-risk profile. For more information visit http://www.bavarian-nordic.com or follow us on Twitter @bavariannordic.

ContactsRolf Sass SrensenVice President Investor RelationsTel: +45 61 77 47 43

Company Announcement no. 25 / 2019

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Bavarian Nordic A/S Report on the Results of the Extraordinary General Meeting, held November 27, 2019 - GlobeNewswire

If you think daily exercise and a healthy diet were the key to a long life, think again.

Scientists say that the secret to living more than 100 years comes down to a hardy immune system, thanks to an abundance of a particular infection-fighting white blood cell.

In a study coordinated by scientists at Japans RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) and Keio University School of Medicine, researchers discovered that supercentenarians those aged over 110 years have an excess of cytotoxic CD4 T-cells.

These super immune system cells, according to the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), are more aggressive and known to kill any damaged cell that crosses its path, such as virus-infected or cancer cells.

We believe that this type of cells, which are relatively uncommon in most individuals, even young, are useful for fighting against established tumors, and could be important for immunosurveillance, said Piero Carninci, deputy director of RIKEN, in a statement. This is exciting as it has given us new insights into how people who live very long lives are able to protect themselves from conditions such as infections and cancer.

Scientists noticed that most of Japans supercentenarians had managed to dodge illness most of their lives, leading them to believe their advanced age might have something to do with their extraordinary immune systems.

To find out, they pulled a total of 41,208 immune cell samples from seven supercentenarians, and 19,994 cells from younger individuals ages 50 to 89. They found that while both groups had about the same number of T-cells altogether, the supercentenarians had an excess of the unique cytotoxic CD4 T-cells.

This finding might help explain why so many centenarians will say that drinking booze regularly didnt stop them from reaching 100. Others, though, credit a life without the stress of marriage or children as helping them to outlast their peers.

Amparo Perez, 105, told The Post she doesnt regret never remarrying when her first husband died. No aggravation, she said, [is] the most important thing, not to have aggravation.

Caroline Binns, 101, would agree that husbands were only trouble. She told The Post last year, Id rather be left in peace, not in pieces.

Her friend, 101-year-old Lucille Watson, said dancing and cheesecake inspires her to get out of bed every morning: Lifes pleasures are meant to be enjoyed.

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110-year-olds live so long thanks to 'super' immune systems: study - New York Post

Share on PinterestDesign by Alexis Lira

Its that time of year time to break out the boots, light up the fireplace, and restock your over-the-counter cold medicine.

But maybe this year youre not so keen on the de rigueur drowsiness that comes with Tylenol Cold or the sugary aftertaste of Emergen-C. If so, consider the power of plants to up your immunity and help you hedge infections.

Yep, this is how to build a cold/flu season first aid kit with herbs.

Remedies made from herbs and plants are a modality full of powerful allies for your health and immunity, explains Sarah Corbett, Atlanta-based clinical herbalist at Rowan and Sage and science is starting to agree: Research is beginning to confirm the efficacy of folk medicines people have been using for hundreds of years, says Corbett.

Here are six easy herbal medicines you can add to your medicine cabinet (or fridge, as it may be) for a prevention booster, or as a healing aid.

Get the power combo

Herbs may give your immune system a little boost but nothing says wellness booster like the flu shot. Each year the flu shot is updated to help better fight viruses going around, because yes, the virus gets stronger and so should you. Get your flu shot.

Chances are, youve already tried elderberry in some form or another, as this deep-purple berry has definitely gone mainstream in the past few years.

Also called sambucus, elderberry is antifungal, antibacterial, and antimicrobial, so its good at knocking out any kind of crud youve got going on. Theres evidence that elderberry is effective at treating the flu, as well.

Its most commonly found as a syrup (it will make your kitchen smell divine if you DIY), but tinctures (a plant extract made with alcohol or glycerin), lozenges, and even gummies can work too.

Corbett advises taking this remedy once per day if youre trying to prevent sickness, and then much more frequently once youre already sick every few hours or so.

Elderberry is considered safe, but dont chug a whole bottle or anything like that a teaspoon to a tablespoon of syrup at a time will work. Keep syrups in the fridge, as they arent shelf-stable. If you have any autoimmune disorders, its probably best to stay away (because it stimulates the immune system).

Another well known immune booster is echinacea, aka coneflower. It works by stimulating the immune system to produce natural killer cells and other sickness-fighters.

A 2015 meta-analysis concluded that echinacea may benefit folks with low immune function the most, even reducing the risk for a cold up to 35 percent.

Corbett suggests echinacea is most effective used right when you start to feel that tickle at the back of your throat, rather than when a full blown sickness has already taken hold.

A tincture is the best way to take it, she says, but teas wont fail you either (especially since youll be hydrating your system in the meantime). Look for Echinacea angustifolia or a whole plant extract, because its the most chemically bioavailable (easily absorbed and used by the body).

Its important to note that if you have a ragweed allergy, you may also be sensitive to echinacea so if you feel any telltale allergy symptoms like itchiness, hives, or increased congestion, stop taking it immediately.

If you have an autoimmune disorder, skip echinacea.

Yes, ginger will soothe an upset stomach, but its also great for boosting your overall immunity during cold and flu season.

This versatile plant (which has been shown to be antimicrobial, antibiotic, and anti-inflammatory) lends its natural fire to many different uses sip on a ginger tea, head to the juice bar for a fresh ginger shot if youre feeling icky, or just add more ginger to your cooking.

Its pretty safe when used in cooking and remedies, but pregnant people shouldnt ingest more than 2 grams of dried ginger per day.

Garlics powers go well beyond making food taste delicious. Its thought to stimulate the immune system and boost the efficacy of white blood cells, though studies are inconclusive.

Garlic is really easy to use eat it every day to keep yourself feeling top notch. Up your garlic intake when youre actually sick, too. Make a super garlick-y soup (dont skimp on the bone broth, either), eat a couple of raw garlic cloves, roast a garlic bulb, or pack it into a jar of honey and let it sit for a few weeks to infuse.

Dietary doses of garlic are pretty safe. It would be difficult to take enough to harm you, but if youre on anti-clotting medications, be cautious. (And brush your teeth if you find yourself going high on the hog with raw garlic, too!)

This intense liquid, sometimes also called the Master Tonic, is kitchen medicine at its best: an intense mixture of garlic, ginger, onion, horseradish and hot peppers (plus any number of other immune-boosting ingredients like turmeric, or tasty ones like lemon or rosemary) marinated in apple cider vinegar.

Fire cider gets its efficacy from the communal power of these sinus-clearing, warming, infection-fighting plants plus an extra boost from the fermented ACV. And yes, this immune brew will burn (in a good way!) going down.

Its ridiculously easy to make, so whip up a batch and toss it on your salad every night, sprinkle it on rice or quinoa, or take a shot when you feel a cold coming on. If handcrafting isnt your jam, you should be able to find some from a local herbalist or at a natural food store.

Steer clear if you have GERD or a history of stomach ulcers.

Youve probably heard this wellness world buzzword in the last few years adaptogens but may not be clear on what exactly it means.

Essentially, adaptogens are therapeutic herbs that support the body in combating and adapting to stress. Theyre great to use for people who get sick often, says Corbett, or in times of heavy stress, travel, or extra exposure to pathogens (rather than for every day maintenance or prevention).

Ashwagandha, reishi (both of which stimulate your infection fighting lymphocytes, or white blood cells,) and holy basil (stimulates the immune system and also fights viruses) are all good choices for immune support, explains Corbett.

Buy reishi as a powder and mix it into anything youre eating or drinking its safe to take in small doses (like a scoop of powder or a squirt of tincture). Ditto for ashwagandha although steer clear of ashwagandha if youre taking thyroid hormones like Synthroid.

Holy basil can be made into an infusion and sweetened with honey (dont take it if youre pregnant, though, says Corbett). Research some other options, try a few, and see which ones work for you.

Corbett explains that many people think that herbal remedies dont work, but that its often because they arent using enough.

One cup of your basic grocery store cold-fighting tea blend per day isnt really going to do much to help your immune system flush out any offending bacteria, especially once youre already showing symptoms.

If you want to get the benefits from a tea, you have to steep it longer and/or use more herbal material (read: 2 or 3 tea bags per cup, or load everything up in a French press and let it really brew for 30 or more minutes).

The same goes for tinctures when suffering an acute condition, you need to be ingesting a full dropper (or whatever the guideline on the tincture bottle says) every few hours or so.

When in doubt about dosage (or even whether or not a certain herb will work with your body), consult a trained clinical herbalist, holistic physician, naturopath, or other trusted source regarding natural medicine.

And always see your healthcare provider or a pharmacist if youre planning to mix plant medicine with prescription medication.

Above all, tune in to your body before, during, and after any seasonal illnesses, says Corbett. The best medicine for illness is prevention.

While healthy looks different for everyone, there are solid steps you can prioritize this time of year to fight off winter nasties from taking root. You know the drill: sleep, fresh foods when possible, exercise and/or spending time outside, and staying hydrated. And if the cold does creep in, youve got plenty of plant allies to help you out.

No herb is a replacement for a healthy lifestyle, says Corbett. It can help, but it wont fix you. Your body has a vital intelligence that is equipped to send you messages about what it needs. Listen to it.

Carrie Murphy is a freelance health and wellness writer and certified birth doula in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her work has appeared in or on ELLE, Womens Health, Glamour, Parents, and other outlets.

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6 Herbs to Keep Your Immune System in Fighting Shape - Greatist

A single dose of CD45-ADC, an investigational targeted therapy being developed to treat different types of autoimmune diseases, is enough to reset the normal function of the bodys immune system in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), and to delay onset of the disease.

Those findings were presented earlier this week in the poster Administration of a CD45 Antibody Drug Conjugate as a Novel, Targeted Approach to Achieve Immune System Reset: A Single Dose of CD45-targeted ADC Safely Conditions for Autologous Transplant and Ameliorates Disease in Multiple Models of Autoimmune Disease (abstract #120), at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.

CD45-ADC is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) being developed by Magenta Therapeutics in collaboration with Heidelberg Pharma. The medication works by delivering amanitin a toxic compound that belongs to a group of natural poisons produced by some species of mushrooms to overactive immune cells containing the CD45 protein on their surface. That destroys them and restores the normal function of the immune system. (Of note, the CD45 protein is typically found on immune cells and stem cells.)

For that reason, CD45-ADC is currently being explored as a new form of targeted therapy for several autoimmune diseases, including MS.

New findings presented at the ACR meeting showed that in mice withexperimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis(EAE, a mouse model of MS), a single dose of CD45-ADC was sufficient to eliminate overactive immune cells, and to restore the normal function of the animals immune systems.

Moreover, investigators reported that treatment with CD45-ADC, followed by a stem cell transplant to repopulate the animals bodies with healthy immune cells, delayed the disease onset and halted the progression of disease activity in EAE mice.

According to the research team, immune reset through stem cell transplant in which disease-causing cells are replaced by healthy cells to rebuild the immune system has been shown to induce durable remission in patients with autoimmune diseases, including MS.

Given the encouraging results in animal models, the team developed an anti-human CD45-ADC that cross-reacts with non-human primates (NHP). Substantial depletion of both lymphocytes [white blood cells] and hematopoietic [blood] stem cells (HSCs) was observed at well-tolerated doses, the researchers wrote.

CD45-ADC also is being tested in mice models of systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) and inflammatory arthritis, two other autoimmune diseases, and it has shown promising results.

Overall, the results suggest that targeted immune depletion with a single treatment of CD45-ADC may be sufficient for auto-HSCT [hematopoietic stem cell transplant], and allow re-establishment of immune tolerance, the team concluded.

Millions of patients worldwide live with debilitating autoimmune diseases, with no options for curative therapy. Magenta is developing targeted medicines, such as CD45-ADC, to enable more patients with autoimmune diseases to undergo a one-time, curative immune reset, John Davis, MD, MPH, chief medical officer of Magenta, said in a press release:

The data presented at ACR provide important proof of concept for our immune reset platform across a broad range of diseases, including multiple sclerosis and systemic sclerosis, Davis said. We expect to declare a development candidate and progress this medicine into IND [investigational new drug]-enabling studies next year as we work to allow more patients to live their lives without autoimmune disease.

Magenta also announced it has exercised its right to become the exclusive holder of global development and marketing rights of any ADC targeting CD45 based on Heidelberg Pharmas proprietary amanitin toxin-linker platform technology.

Under the terms of the collaboration agreement established between Magenta and Heidelberg Pharma in 2018, Magenta is eligible to use Heidelberg Pharmas proprietary amanitin technology to generate up to four different ADC compounds based on an exclusive target of choice. In turn, Heidelberg Pharma is eligible to receive milestone payments.

Joana is currently completing her PhD in Biomedicine and Clinical Research at Universidade de Lisboa. She also holds a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Evolutionary and Developmental Biology from Universidade de Lisboa. Her work has been focused on the impact of non-canonical Wnt signaling in the collective behavior of endothelial cells cells that make up the lining of blood vessels found in the umbilical cord of newborns.

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Patrcia holds her PhD in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases from the Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, The Netherlands. She has studied Applied Biology at Universidade do Minho and was a postdoctoral research fellow at Instituto de Medicina Molecular in Lisbon, Portugal. Her work has been focused on molecular genetic traits of infectious agents such as viruses and parasites.

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Single Dose of CD45-ADC Resets the Immune System in Mice with MS - Multiple Sclerosis News Today

The following is an article of faith for many who refuse to have their children vaccinated against childhood diseases: That when healthy children get and recover from an infection naturally, their immune systems come out stronger.

However, when it comes to measles, the opposite is true, according to two studies published on Oct 31, 2019.

In a group of 77 Dutch schoolchildren whose parents declined to vaccinate them on religious grounds, the new research documents several ways in which infection with measles can hobble a childs immune function for months, or even years, after that child has recovered from her bout with the virus.

The effect was mild in some of the children.

But in roughly 16% of those who suffered an active measles infection, the result was a severe case of immune amnesia.

In those children, a genetic census of antibodies immune proteins that recognise and destroy invading microbes showed that they had lost at least some immunity to more than 40% of common childhood diseases.

Measles appeared to have stripped away immune protections these children had built over years of exposure to diseases and germs.

Measuring the same childrens immune memory 40 days after measles infection, a second team found significant shrinkage in their stores of B-cells, which fight disease by killing infected cells and spawning legions of antibodies to confront viral invaders in the blood.

For weeks after the unvaccinated children had recovered from measles, their depleted stocks of B-cells signalled a loss of memory for past infections and of strength to mount a defence against new infections.

For some, the damage appeared to be even more extensive.

In two of 19 measles-infected children tested, the machinery that supplies the immune system with new disease-targeting cells was profoundly disrupted, raising questions about whether they would fully recover their previous strength.

The measles virus is like a car accident for your immune system, said Harvard University geneticist Stephen Elledge, one of the papers co-authors.

An unvaccinated child who weathers the measles may emerge only slightly the worse from such a crash.

Or he might sustain an injury from which it takes months or years to recover.

For parents, the studies implications are clear, Elledge added.

We know how to prevent injuries in car accidents by wearing seatbelts.

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is like a seatbelt for your immune system, and parents should buckle their kids up.

The studies were published in the Science and Science Immunology journals respectively.

One in six children who are infected with measles will find themselves more vulnerable to other common childhood illnesses after recovering from measles. PP

A concurrent fall

The research sheds new light on the biological basis for a mysterious phenomenon long recognised by doctors.

After children recover from the measles hallmark rash and fevers, they are highly unlikely to fall ill with it again.

But for two to three years following infection, patients remain unusually vulnerable to catching or developing other infections, from viruses like the common cold and influenza to potentially deadly bacterial infections that can cause pneumonia or swelling in the brain.

Researchers reckon that before the introduction of a measles vaccine in 1963, as many as half of childhood deaths from infectious diseases were linked to measles or the immunosuppression that follows.

In that period, this most contagious of viruses infected over 95% of all children and directly caused over four million deaths a year.

But in places where vaccine campaigns have virtually eliminated outbreaks, public health officials have documented unexpectedly large reductions in childhood deaths from other diseases.

Preventing infection with measles was clearly saving kids from succumbing to other bugs as well, experts say.

The mystery of how measles sets kids up for poorer health might have lost its urgency if global vaccine campaigns were expanding without pushback.

But they are not.

Every year, more than seven million people, mostly in poor countries, are still infected and roughly 100,000 die of measles.

And in recent years, an uptick of vaccine refusal in the United States and Europe has reversed decades of rising vaccination rates in the worlds most affluent countries.

In the first three months of 2019, parents reluctance to have their children vaccinated helped drive worldwide cases of measles up 300% over cases reported in the first quarter of 2018, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The US declared measles eliminated in 2000. But pockets of anti-vaxxers have allowed it to gain a foothold in communities across the nation.

Between Jan 1 and Oct 1, there have been 22 US outbreaks of measles.

Of the 1,250 cases documented in 31 American states during that period, 89% of patients were unvaccinated or did not know their vaccination status.

Not since 1992 has the tally of measles cases in the US reached so high.

While none have died, 119 required hospitalisation and 60 developed pneumonia. One patient suffered encephalitis, a life-threatening swelling of the brain.

Measles is not a trivial disease and these findings add evidence that its important to vaccinate your kids against it, said US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr Anthony Fauci.

Theres scientific proof here that not only is measles itself a serious disease; it can have consequences of suppressing the bodys defence mechanisms for a year or more.

Decreased immunity

The measles virus is somehow related to a loss of over 40% of antibodies for common childhood diseases after it infects a child. 123rf.com

The two new studies human subjects belong to part of the vaccine-refusal movement with deep roots.

Members of a Dutch sect of orthodox Protestants, they form a closed community within Dutch society, with their own churches, schools, newspapers and political party.

Since the 19th century, when vaccination campaigns gained steam and drew protests throughout the US and Europe, these Dutch Protestants have declined vaccination.

Their opposition rests on passages in the Bible that call on believers to trust in divine providence for protection.

In the US, those opposed to vaccination on religious grounds have remained a steady presence.

But discredited claims that the MMR vaccine is a cause of autism have driven down vaccination rates in pockets across California, New York and elsewhere, and prompted vaccine reluctance among many parents.

Most recently, false claims circulating among members of New York Citys Orthodox Jewish community that MMR vaccine contains monkey, rat and pig DNA, and contravenes kosher dietary requirements have figured prominently in recent outbreaks.

More than three-quarters of measles cases in the US this year have been in New York.

The Dutch schoolchildren in the new studies, who ranged in age from four to 17, were followed for only up to eight weeks after their infections.

But each team also conducted animal studies that found measles affects immunity in real and enduring ways.

One of the teams, based in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, used ferrets to demonstrate post-measles vulnerability to flu.

Even after they had been immunised against influenza, ferrets who were infected with measles and then exposed to a flu virus, got much sicker than ferrets who had not had measles.

A second team, led by Harvard epidemiologist Michael Mina and Elledge, assessed the array of antibodies in four rhesus macaque monkeys before and after measles infection, and found that for five months after their infections cleared, the monkeys sustained a loss of immunity to an average of 40% to 60% of diseases.

Mina and Elledge said their work offers new insights into the longstanding mystery of how measles seems to put children at increased risk of infections.

And they added, it underscores the outsize value of a simple protective step: having a child vaccinated with the MMR vaccine just after her first birthday and again between the ages of four and six.

Such evidence may not sway the most committed vaccine opponents, Mina said, but most people are really trying to do whats right for their kids.

Even when those parents are inclined to believe their child could weather a bout of rash and fevers, he added, telling them that for the next few years, theyre going to have to look over their kids shoulder at diseases he might get sick from, that makes this amnesia effect quite a bit more scary. Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service

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Measles infection causes 'amnesia' of the immune system - The Star Online

AsianScientist (Nov. 18, 2019) ASLAN Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage oncology and immunology focused biopharma company, has established a joint venture with Korean pharmaceutical company Bukwang Pharmaceutical to develop preclinical aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) antagonists.

AhR is a druggable protein that acts as a master regulator of the immune system. When kynurenine, a molecule produced in the tumor microenvironment, binds to AhR on a group of immune cells known as T-cells, the anti-tumor activity of T-cells is suppressed. Hence, by targeting AhR, scientists hope to prevent the suppression of T-cell activity, which in turn allows for stronger immune responses that destroy tumors.

Under the terms of the agreement, ASLAN will transfer the global rights to all of the assets related to AhR technology into the joint venture, manifested as the independent company JAGUAHR Therapeutics and based in Singapore. Bukwang will invest US$5 million in JAGUAHR in two tranches to fund the development of the assets, identify a lead development compound and file an investigational new drug application.

The launch of JAGUAHR Therapeutics is an important step by ASLAN to realize the value of our early stage assets and advance the development of our AhR antagonist technology at a time when focus is shifting towards AhR antagonists as a hot new area in immune-oncology, said Dr. Carl Firth, CEO of ASLAN Pharmaceuticals.

Bukwang has a strong track record of achievement in the pharma business, and creating this spinout together allows both companies to quickly progress these exciting compounds and potentially provide novel clinical assets to enrich the ASLAN pipeline. We look forward to working with the Bukwang team as we focus on identifying JAGUAHRs first drug candidate, he added.

Source: Aslan Pharmaceuticals; Photo: Shutterstock.Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

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ASLAN And Bukwang Team Up To Develop Immune-Oncology Drugs - Asian Scientist Magazine

By Gege Li

The keto diet involves foods that are high in fat and low in carbohydrates

Ditching carbohydrates and eating lots of fat may give some protection against the flu. Feeding mice the so-called keto diet seems to boost certain immune cells, which may be responsible for the effect.

The keto diet forces the body to burn fat for energy, which can help with weight loss, and people may get flu-like symptoms known as the keto flu as their body adapts to so little carbohydrate. The keto diet has also been linked to improved heart health and control of blood sugar in diabetes, but much of the evidence is conflicting.

Akiko Iwasaki at Yale School of Medicine and colleagues previously found that the keto diet reduced inflammation in mice with gout. Because inflammation is common to both gout and flu, the team thought the keto diet could similarly deal with flu-related inflammation, which can severely damage the lungs.

To put this theory to the test, the team fed mice infected with influenza A the most serious type of the virus either a keto or standard diet for a week before infection. After four days, all seven of the mice fed a standard diet succumbed to the infection, compared to only five out of the 10 mice on the keto diet. These keto diet mice also didnt lose as much weight, which is usually a clear sign of flu infection in animals.

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The team found that the keto diet amped up the numbers of a specific type of T cell key players in the bodys immune response found in the lungs. Boosting these T cells dampened the sensitivity of cells lining the lungs to infection and increased mucus production.

It seems that this extra mucus is important for protecting the mice, says Iwasaki, because it traps the flu virus to stop it spreading. It still isnt clear what these T cells do outside of this study though, she says.

Although mouse and human metabolisms differ, the finding could mean that people get a similar protection from influenza when on the keto diet.

We already knew of a link between diet and immunity, says John Tregoning at Imperial College London, who wasnt involved in the work. Eating foods rich in vitamin C, for example, is known to strengthen our immune system. Switching to a keto diet may help boost the immune system so that it is better programmed to fight off the infection, says Tregoning.

Journal reference: Science Immunology, DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aav2026

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Eating a keto diet may give some protection against the flu - New Scientist News