Tag: "interferon" at biology news

Genes In The Interferon System Important In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

...he some 200 genes thatare seen as belonging to the interferon system, we were able toidentify two genes with suc...virtually the only researcherswho claimed that the interferon system, which is involved in the body'sdefense against viruses, etc., was also behind the autoimmune...

Studies reveal methods viruses use to sidestep immune system

...proteins to activate a transcription factor called interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3). This protein turns on the genes responsible for producing interferon, which neutralizes viruses by suppressing their replication. The researchers also investigated why cells with functioning RIG-I protein still had persi...

Gene Signatures Predict Interferon Response For Multiple Sclerosis Patients

...t how a particular patient is likely to respond to interferon would help doctors decide how close to monitor the...at can predict a patient's therapeutic response to interferon based on their gene expression profiles. Immune cells typically secrete interferons to fend off vir...

Norovirus, AIDS vaccine and Hepatitis Virus

...ot HCV. In the study, a new class of interferons, interferon lambda, was tested for its ability to inhibit HBV ...nd HCV is sensitive to the antiviral activities of interferon lambda," say the researchers. "These results suggest the possibility that interferon lambda may be t...

UCLA study assesses cost-effectiveness of Hepatitis B drugs

...available for over 15 years. The study notes that interferon ?the oldest of all available therapies -- may still be preferred in health care systems with limited resources and is especially cost-effective with "e-antigen negative" patients, which is a more serious type of hepatitis B. "We found that the newer...

New protein vital for immune response is found in surprise location

...s between RIG-I's encounter with the virus and the interferon response is not known. Researchers have been trying to identify and characterize the proteins involved in an effort to better understand the nature of viral infection and how to combat it. Dr. Chen said he and his group believe MAVS is among a group...

VCU study shows hormone-like molecule kills cells that cause inflammation in allergic disease

... demonstrated the means by which a cytokine called interferon gamma (IFNγ induces death of developing mast ...erentiation. "We believe that cytokines, such as interferon gamma, are an important means of controlling mast cell function in the body," said John J. Ryan, Ph....

Climate model links higher temperatures to prehistoric extinction

... demonstrated the means by which a cytokine called interferon gamma (IFNγ induces death of developing mast ...erentiation. "We believe that cytokines, such as interferon gamma, are an important means of controlling mast cell function in the body," said John J. Ryan, Ph....

Hepatitis C responds best to combo of ribavirin and interferon, study concludes

A combination of the drugs ribavirin and interferon is more effective in treating hepatitis C than using interferon alone, but it also increases the risk of side effects, according to a new systematic review of recen...

Scientists show that tick-borne flaviviruses use a novel mechanism to evade host defenses

...ngat flavivirus counteracts the natural ability of interferon to combat the virus. Langat virus was originally i...ver virus have a protein called NS4B that prevents interferon from functioning properly. It was thought that the tick-borne flaviviruses would use the same protei...

Engineered molecule amplifies body's immune response

...es, bacteria, parasites and tumor cells. Recently, interferon has also been shown to play a role in the body's s...pment of cancer. Because of this role, recombinant interferon is often used for the treatment of certain fibrotic diseases as well as cancers. Interferon binds t...

Newfound roadblock to interferon effectiveness against malignant melanoma

...ave uncovered a significant contributing factor to interferon resistance of malignant melanoma cells. The findin...he disease with limited efficiency, and the use of interferon has become the most established immunotherapy for advanced-stage melanoma. However, melanoma tumors ...

Hepatitis C complicated by morphine withdrawal

...g IFN-alpha) by directly inhibiting its activator, interferon regulatory factor-7 (IRF-7), and this effect was more pronounced in HCV replicon-containing cells. Finally, the ability of IFN-alpha treatment to block HCV replicon expression (85%) fell following MW (60%) and PW (50%). This finding, in conjunction...

A new step towards an AIDS vaccine

...itic cell family and the major producers of type 1 interferon in the body. High numbers of pDCs is related to successful control of HIV. In a paper appearing online on October 13 in advance of print publication of the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Nina Bhardwaj and colleagues from N...

Greasing interferon's gears may pave way to greater therapeutic benefits, fewer side effects

... we found a way to grease the gears that drive the interferon signal," says Michael J. Holtzman, M.D., the Selma... a protein called Stat1, which relays signals from interferon at the cell surface to genes in the cell nucleus. The modification up shifted Stat1's response to in...

Study shows combination of immune substances to be safe

...experimental therapy for some cancers. Normally, interferon is used alone to stimulate the immune system to at...d poorly to chemotherapy or radiation therapy. But interferon can have serious side effects that limit its use. Surprisingly, the two drugs used in sequence cau...

Texas scientists discover how a hepatitis C protein promotes liver cancer

... survival. The most effective treatment available, interferon therapy, works only about half the time and often causes debilitating side effects. Those who fail treatment are at risk for fatal cirrhosis or developing liver cancer. Researchers have known for a long time that hepatitis C virus infection can lead...

Cyclosporine inhibits hepatitis C virus in vitro

...aving found that, "combination of Cyclosporine and interferon achieve better antiviral effect than either one alone." Of note, considerably more patients taking Tacrolimus had to reduce or stop the therapy due to side effects. Also of possible significance, more patients taking Cyclosporine died, mostly due t...

Newly discovered killer cell fights cancer

... profile. He found that it produces both types of interferon proteins, normally secreted independently by NK and dendritic cells. He also found both NK and dendriticlike molecules on the surface of IKDCs. Housseau calculated that they account for about 10 percent of conventional dendritic cells in the spleen...

Research reveals control of potent immune regulator

...the production of a potent immune regulator called interferon gamma (IFNg) is controlled in natural killer (NK) cells, immune cells that typically defend the body against cancer and infections. IFNg, produced by NK cells and other cell types, plays a critical role in killing pathogen-infected cells and in def...

1 2