Other highlights in the May 5 JNCI
...cer. Among men who had increased prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in 1982, the researchers also found an association between higher selenium levels and a reduced risk of all prostate cancer. In an editorial, Scott M. Lippman, M.D., of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and...Technique plucks rapidly evolving genes from a pathogen's genome
...ite an immune response. By constantly changing its antigen coat, a pathogen can elude the immune system, evolving eventually into a new strain to challenge the human immune system again. "The fact that we found most antigens were quickly evolving under our metric confirmed that our technique works," Fraser s...Protein may help prevent autoimmune attacks
...tivity levels. In this experiment, they found that antigen presenting cells could provoke a reaction in type B T cells regardless of which compartment received the protein. "These results suggest that H2-DM appears to be playing an editing role in the lysosome, blocking the pathway that leads to an MHC-prote...Study suggests insect-derived antimicrobial peptides could be used as drug-delivery vehicles
...re also exploring the peptides' ability to deliver antigen to immune cells in an effort to explore whether th...are a type of antigen-presenting cell, which shows antigen on its surface to T cells to prompt an immune system response. Researchers have been exploring wheth...'Crystal engineering' helps scientists solve 3-D protein structures
...larly stubborn proteins, including the so-called V antigen of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes the plague. Despite numerous attempts, researchers had been unsuccessful in unlocking the secrets of this protein, which plays a key role in the bacterium's ability to cause the plague. Working with Derew...JCI table of contents, 2 April 2004
...have recently identified remarkably similar B-cell antigen receptors among a group of individuals suffering f... finding of similar Ig rearrangement in the B-cell antigen receptors from this group of patients suggests that some form of selection played a role here, and m...Immunity gene predicts severe adverse drug reaction
...th SJS carried the genetic variant human leukocyte antigen B* 1502 (HLA-B* 1502), while only 3 percent of those tolerant of the drug carried that version of the HLA gene, the team found. HLA markers -- perhaps most familiar for their use in determining suitable matches for bone marrow transplantation -- play...GenVec, U.S. NMRC, and PATH's Malaria Vaccine Initiative partner to expand malaria vaccine efforts
...ve that a vaccine containing more than one malaria antigen will be necessary to adequately impact disease. Th...s. "The partnership combines the latest in malaria antigen optimization with GenVec's advanced adenovector delivery technology," he concluded. Dr. Denise Doo......thological examinations, such as prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, tumor stage, Gleason score, and genetic approaches that look for specific oncogenic alterations. Used together, these tools still have only limited classification capability. Recent studies utilizing cDNA microarray technology have in...JCI table of contents, 15 March 2004
...thological examinations, such as prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, tumor stage, Gleason score, and genetic approaches that look for specific oncogenic alterations. Used together, these tools still have only limited classification capability. Recent studies utilizing cDNA microarray technology have in...DNA vaccine protects against anthrax
...or either the lethal factor (LF) or the protective antigen (PA) component of the anthrax toxin in order to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies against those compounds. The researchers tested the ability of the vaccine to both stimulate antibody production and protect against lethal infection. ...Topical vaccine protects against inhaled ricin
...edle-free alternative for vaccination in which the antigen is mixed with adjuvant and applied directly to the skin or on a patch that is applied to the skin. The vaccine was then applied either directly to the skin of mice or incorporated into a patch. After several weeks all the mice showed high levels of ......ch gene being sought. Each probe is attached to an antigen (a substance that can be recognized by an antibody) that also gloms onto mRNA from the genes being sought. Mauch preserved chicken embryos, and then exposed them in test tubes to the probes for the three genes with activity she wanted to ill...VaxGen reports Phase I clinical trial results of anthrax vaccine candidate
...d immunogenicity study of a recombinant protective antigen (PA) anthrax vaccine (rPA102). The International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases (ICEID), February-March 2004. Slide Session No. 57. Media Contact: Kesinee Angkustsiri Yip Associate Director, Corporate Communications Mobile: 650-238-468...JCI table of contents, March 1 2004
...sity of Texas discusses the orchestration of lipid antigen presentation by LCs. TITLE: Langerhans cells utilize CD1a and langerin to efficiently present nonpeptide antigens to T cells AUTHOR CONTACT: Robert L. Modlin University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA. Phone: 310-825-5420 Fax:...Approved drug blocks deadly anthrax toxin
...-- as well as a molecular escort called protective antigen that helps the toxins enter cells -- are what make... likely to survive. "The two toxins and protective antigen all multiply each other's effects," explains Tang, "so blocking any one of them should have a major ...JCI table of contents, February 2, 2004
...ustave Roussy, France, examined epitopes (parts of antigen molecules) derived from murine telomerase reverse transcriptase (mTERT) an enzyme expressed in more than 80% of human tumors as potential anticancer vaccines. In the February 2 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation they report that epitope...JCI table of contents, January 2, 2004
...Ls, but not by CD4+ helper T cells, before foreign antigen complexes are recognized. The CTL ring junction ac...s as a presynapse, setting the stage for sensitive antigen recognition. This structure may play an important role in immune surveillance by CTLs and implies un...JCI table of contents, December 15 2003
...ondritis is unknown. However, the human lymphocyte antigen DQ8 has been associated with various autoimmune di...s are between MHC-matched/minor histocompatibility antigen (miHA)mismatched individuals. miHAs with expression restricted to the recipient hematopoietic compar...Researchers look to stem cell therapy and bone marrow transplants to find a cure for diabetes
...ne marrow-derived stem cells may not have the same antigen as pancreatic beta cells, which would eliminate the potential for rejection or a negative immune response after cellular implantation." Results from this study showed that human bone marrow-derived single stem cell lines demonstrated an abil...