'Nurse cells' make life and death decisions for infection-fighting cells
...sed susceptibility to infection. The function of T cells produced by the thymus is to recognize harmful invaders. Once invaders have been identified, T cells then attempt to eliminate disease-infected cells. "In early studies, it was suggested that thymic ...Intake of vitamin D and calcium associated with lower risk of breast cancer before menopause
... D exert anticarcinogenic effects on breast cancer cells expressing high levels of IGF-1 and IGF binding protein 3. Calcium, vitamin D and IGF binding protein 3 have been shown in vitro to interact with each other in promoting growth inhibition in breast cancer cells." Since blood levels of these compounds...Human antibodies protect mice from avian flu
...ealth, report using antibodies derived from immune cells from recent human survivors of H5N1 avian influenz... on these results, Dr. Lanzavecchia purified the B cells and ultimately created four monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that secrete H5N1-specific neutralizing ant...HIV and malaria combine to adversely affect pregnant women and their infants
... in the first place." PAM occurs when red blood cells infected with malaria parasites gather in the placenta resulting in damage to both mother and developing infant. First-time mothers are particularly susceptible to PAM whereas women in subsequent pregnancies become protected against PAM. Having HIV r...Syphilis screening, lithium fights neurodegeneration, monoclonal antibodies against avian flu
...c to a group of cerebellar neurons called Purkinje cells (which normally coordinate movement) and hippoca m...solated and immortalized antibody-producing immune cells from the patients blood and purified the antibody made by individual cells. These monoclonal antibod...New insights into chronic inflammation and atherosclerosis
... Along with greater prevalence, these inflammatory cells were larger in size. In the middle layer of the vessel wall (the media), MCIs were detected only in patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease. What's more, MCIs were observed in 6 of 7 patients with a history of aortic aneurysm. In addition to ...Experimental gene therapy 'abolishes' arthritis pain and lessens joint damage
...ll, enabling it to respond to the signal. On nerve cells for instance, certain receptors are shaped to acce...pioid receptors expressed on the surfaces of nerve cells that carry pain messages back and forth between an osteoarthritic jaw joint and the spinal cord. Thu...Different type of iron supplement is better at boosting iron levels
...a. Anaemia is defined as a shortage of red blood cells and/or haemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying iron complex) in the blood one cause of which is iron deficiency. The authors say: "Fortification of staple cereal flours could be a cost-effective, sustainable way to improve iron status in developing coun...COX inhibitors may weaken protective qualities of estrogen hormone therapy
...yclin to decrease clotting and oxidative stress in cells and to limit hardening of the arteries. "We were prompted to perform these studies while exploring the mechanism by which NSAIDs confer a cardiovascular hazard, that is suppression of COX-2 derived prostacyclin" says lead author Garret FitzGerald,...Adult brain cells rediscover their inner child
... the chemical signals received by newly made nerve cells in the adult mouse hippocampus, a brain structure ...e adds. The slow and gradual addition of new nerve cells may be like a fine-tuning system, allowing adults to incorporate fresh information without altering ......ar process called apoptosis, in which the prostate cells die in a programmed manner. This reduction in size can improve urine flow and decrease residual urine left in the bladder. BPH is one of the most common diseases affecting men as they age. More than half of all men over the age of 60 and 80 percent...Emory University researchers find persistent and severe asthma associated with obesity
... with the hormone leptin, which is produced by fat cells and plays a role in body weight regulation. Previo...dying how weight loss and hormones produced by fat cells affect the airways of both patients with asthma as well as healthy adults....Stem cells provide clues to cancer spread
...rsity of Manchester study used embryonic stem (ES) cells to investigate how some tumours are able to migrat...iences, studied a crucial change that makes cancer cells able to start moving and spread into other tissues. Normal cells, as well as early cancer cells, a...New Mayo Clinic MRI technology enables noninvasive liver diagnoses
...he liver responds to many diseases that damage its cells by developing scar tissue or fibrosis. MRE uses a ...deposits of fatty acids and triglycerides in liver cells and a common condition in patients with liver disease, did not interfere with detection of fibrosis ...More pounds equals worse asthma?
...tween the hormone leptin, which is produced by fat cells and plays a role in body weight regulation, and inflammation of airways seen in asthma. Obesity also may impact the lungs in other ways to increase the risk of asthma. A recent review of studies, which was published in the ATS's own American Journal...New prevention, treatment methods for patients with painful bowel inflammation
...e use of expanded adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Cx401) is a novel cell therapy based on immunoreg...healed, a second dose of fibrin glue or 40 million cells plus fibrin glue was administered. Fistula healing was evaluated at eight weeks. Healing was defin...Muscle stem cells effectively treat urinary incontinence long term
...ronto. "We now have preliminary evidence that stem cells are safe to use and appear to improve female stres...chool of Medicine demonstrated that injecting stem cells into the urethral muscles increases leak point pressure, leading to the restoration of the deficient...Developments in tissue engineering offer new sources for stem cell treatments
... and controversies surrounding the sources of stem cells as well as their use have fueled increased researc...ny, investigated the possibility of isolating stem cells from human testicular parenchyma and whether those cells could them be differentiated into the diffe...Studies show role of age, gender, race and weight on cancer risk and treatment
...76) Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a cancer of cells in the liver, is on the rise in part due to the high prevalence of chronic hepatitis C infection, which increases the risk for the disease. Surgery is the only potential curative treatment for HCC and this study sought to determine the patterns of u...Scavenger cells may have role blocking obesity, Stanford study shows
STANFORD, Calif. -- Macrophages - the scavenger cells of the body's immune system - are known as trouble...School of Medicine researchers have found that the cells can also be saviors when it comes to metabolism. The researchers highlight the beneficial role of ...