Latest Autoimmunity Stories

NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lupus Research Institute (LRI), the world's leading supporter of innovative research in lupus, invites notable scientists from around the world to submit proposals for $1 million Distinguished Innovator Awards. Selection will be based on originality and potential to uncover the fundamental causes of autoimmunity in lupus that can propel toward a cure. Launched just a year ago as the first $1 million private sector lupus research grants,...

ESA [ Watch The Video ] Living in space weakens astronauts’ immune systems, researchers have discovered. The findings are providing clues on how to tackle diseases on Earth before symptoms appear. Ever since the first humans ventured into space we have known that astronauts can suffer from common infections that would be quickly dealt with by healthy people on Earth. Until now, it was not clear what was blocking astronauts’ immune systems from working normally. In 2006, ESA...

Scientists have identified the gene essential for survival of antibody-producing cells, a finding that could lead to better treatments for diseases where these cells are out of control, such as myeloma and chronic immune disorders. The discovery that a gene called Mcl-1 is critical for keeping this vital immune cell population alive was made by researchers at Melbourne's Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. Associate Professor David Tarlinton, Dr Victor Peperzak and Dr Ingela Vikstrom from the...

NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lupus Research Institute (LRI) - world's leading supporter of innovative research in lupus -- today awards $3.6 million in Novel Research Grants to allow 12 investigators to pursue ground-breaking studies with potential for transformative results. The $300,000 grants provide scientists with the resources to devote their talent to lupus research for three years. In just its first decade of service, the LRI has awarded more than $40 million...

GLEN ALLEN, Va., Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Star Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ: STSI) today announces publication of the first peer-reviewed article examining the effects of anatabine in a mouse model of the debilitating autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, conducted by the Company's research partner, The Roskamp Institute, was designed to determine whether anatabine had beneficial effects on the development of experimental autoimmune...

LEIDEN, The Netherlands and SAN DIEGO, Jan. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) and INOVA Diagnostics are pleased to announce the completion of an exclusive, worldwide license agreement for technology developed at LUMC to detect antibodies to carbamylated proteins (anti-CarP). This technology represents an important advance in the diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). "The detection of autoantibodies in sera of RA patients has provided important...

NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, immune diseases affect upwards of 22 billion people. No one is "immune" to immune deficiency. In fact, up to 10% of men, women and children live with immune diseases that reduce their quality of life. Increased risk of infection, memory problems, cardiovascular disease, joint, muscle and nerve pain, fatigue, malnutrition, and premature death are just a few examples of...

U-M findings reveal how certain genes activate cells that cause rheumatoid arthritis in mice; discovery may extend to other autoimmune diseases University of Michigan research sheds new light on why certain people are more likely to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis – paving the way to explore new treatments for both arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. The new UMHS research in mice identifies how a specific group of genes works behind the scenes to activate the bone-destroying...

Melbourne researchers have discovered that the death of immune system cells is an important safeguard against the development of diseases such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, which occur when the immune system attacks the body's own tissues. The finding suggests that these so-called autoimmune diseases could be treated with existing medications that force long-lived immune system cells to die. In the development of the immune system, some cells are produced that have...

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- INOVA Diagnostics is pleased to announce the full commercial launch of BIO-FLASH, a rapid-response chemiluminescent analyzer for use by clinical reference and hospital laboratories. This signals the global release of BIO-FLASH along with QUANTA Flash® reagents for autoimmune disease diagnostic testing. BIO-FLASH is a technologically advanced analyzer which offers full automation of a broad menu of highly accurate QUANTA Flash immunoassays...