Category Archives: Immunology

Immunology

The Week Ahead: Abbott Laboratories and Johnson & Johnson Due – Morningstar.com

Earnings season continues next week with a medley of narrow- and wide-moat companies announcing earnings.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Abbott Laboratories (ABT) will both release earnings on Wednesday.

Johnson & Johnson has had steady growth for the past several years, and we expect this trend to continue with its fourth-quarter earnings. The company is expected to beat fourth-quarter earning estimates despite a recent onslaught of lawsuits. It is currently fighting over 16,000 asbestos-related lawsuits connected to its talcum powder products. Last October, Johnson & Johnson was also ordered to pay out $8 billion in a Risperdal (an anti-psychotic drug) product liability case.

Our director of equity analysis for North America, Damien Conover, stated that while we expect the quarters results to be under some pressure from patent losses in the firms oncology and immunology divisions, we expect the full-year 2019 earnings growth to be close to 6%. While patent pressures will likely continue into 2020, Johnson & Johnsons diversified platform should enable the firm to offset generic competition. Expected updates on the firms robotic device platforms should also help reinvigorate growth in the companys device segment. However, overall, from a valuation perspective, we view the company as slightly overvalued with some concerns on the firms late-stage pipeline weighing on our fair value estimate.

Abbott Laboratories is changing up its leadership this year with its senior vice president of finance and controller, Robert Funck Jr., becoming CFO and its president and operating chief, Robert Ford, becoming CEO this March. Miles White, the companys current CEO since 1999, will stay on as the executive chairman. Abbott Laboratories is currently waiting upon FDA approval for its new glucose monitor, Freestyle Libre 2.

Overall, the healthcare sector has increased 22% as of the end of 2019, which, while solid performance, underperformed the broader equity market performance of 31%. Concerns around potential healthcare policy change in the United States have increased uncertainty in the sector and have affected performance.According to Conover, although U.S. policy reform is probable, it is unlikely that a major overhaul will occur that will affect drug pricing power, which is expected to remain steady. Additionally, while the sector is slightly overvalued, with the most overvalued stocks in the device and diagnostics industries, there are some pockets of undervalued stocks in the drug and biotech industries.

On Tuesday, IBM (IBM), Netflix (NFLX), Capital One Financial (COF), UBS (UBS), Progressive (PGR), and TD Ameritrade (AMTD) will all be reporting earnings.

Thursday brings another round of earnings announcements, with Microsoft (MSFT), Procter & Gamble (PG), Intel (INTC), Comcast (CMCSA), and Discover Financial (DFS) reporting.

Microsoft has done well in recent months, earning a coveted $10 billion contract with the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure Contract in October. The company has been focusing on the proliferation of its Azure platform and customer adoption of hybrid cloud environments on said platform.

In other economic news, Wednesday also brings with it the FHFA Housing Price Index for January, the Existing Home Sales report for December, and the EIA Crude Oil Inventories for Jan. 18.

Visit link:
The Week Ahead: Abbott Laboratories and Johnson & Johnson Due - Morningstar.com

Immunology

Chemosensory Cells in the Nose Play a Role in Allergic Reactions – The Scientist

There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to understanding how the mammalian respiratory tract responds to allergens, but a study published today (January 17) in Science Immunology, offers new insight. Researchers identified a group of epithelial cells in the mouse nose that are capable of responding to allergens directly and also to ATP released in response to allergens. When exposed to allergens, these so-called brush cells secrete cysteinyl leukotrienes, proinflammatory lipids that have been previously shown to come mostly from immune cells and have been linked to asthma and allergies.

We have been interested in how allergens are recognized by the airway epithelium and how they drive immune responses that are biased towards allergic inflammation, says coauthor Lora Bankova of Harvard Medical School.

Previous research had shown that tuft cells, a solitary chemosensory cell type found in the intestine, are responsible for orchestrating immunity to parasitic worms in the gut, which trigger the same type of immune response as allergens. To determine whether there might be cells playing the same role in the airway epithelium, she and her colleagues investigated a similar cell type in the mouse trachea: brush cells. In work published in 2018, they analyzed the gene expression profile of brush cells and found that brush cell activation was important for airway inflammation.

In the trachea, brush cells are only about half of a percent of the total number of cells. These small numbers made it hard to do in vitro or ex vivo cultures in which it would be possible to directly stimulate them and see what happens, Bankova explains. So the research team looked for these cells elsewhere in the airway. In the current study they found that there are solitary chemosensory cells with similar transcriptional profiles to the tracheal brush cells present in much larger numbers in the mouse nose, where they contribute 48 percent of the total cells.

Because theyre so abundant we were actually able to isolate them and study them directly to see what activates them, what can they produce in response to stimulation, Bankova tells The Scientist.The researchers isolated nasal brush cells from mice and incubated them with ATP, which functions as a cellular stress or damage signal, or with allergens from dust mites or mold.

In response, the brush cells released proinflammatory cysteinyl leukotrienes at amounts comparable to or exceeding what immune cells produced when the research team stimulated them. Brush cell production of these lipids, and the lower levels generated by other cell types, indicate that the epithelial cells are likely the dominant source of cysteinyl leukotrienes in the nose. The researchers also showed that mice without brush cells had a reduced amount of allergic inflammation in response to an allergen.

Allergen activates them, and theyre important for generating the cysteinyl leukotrienes and allergic inflammation in that setting, says Bankova. She explains that its likely that theyre also responding to other sorts of damage in the airway epithelium because they release cysteinyl leukotrienes in response to ATP as well.

That ATP serves as a ligand for brush cells is the most surprising finding, says Christoph Schneider, a biologist at the University of Zurich who did not participate in the study. He adds that open questions include whether or not brush cells are the sole target of ATP and sole source of cysteinyl leukotrienes and whether this is true only for these airway brush cells or whether the same ATP effect is also observed in other situations, in other organs, et cetera.

To develop an asthma-like syndromeespecially if its allergic in natureyou have to have sensitization and then a subsequent response to challenge, so this is providing a mechanism by which the epithelium by itself is critical for sensitization, says Teal Hallstrand, a pulmonary physician at the University of Washington who was not involved in the work. Id be very excited to learn about whether or not people with asthma have an alteration in the number of these cells in their airways and what specific physiological effect that has.

S. Ualiyeva et al., Airway brush cells generate cysteinyl leukotrienes through the ATP sensor P2Y2, Science Immunology, doi:10.1126/sciimmunol.aax7224, 2020.

Abby Olena is a freelance journalist based in Alabama. Find her on Twitter@abbyolena.

Go here to see the original:
Chemosensory Cells in the Nose Play a Role in Allergic Reactions - The Scientist

Immunology

Emerging Biologic Treatments for Allergies and Asthma – Pulmonology Advisor

A great deal of research into allergic diseases has yielded many new observations that have immediate implications for treatment.1-3 Epidemiologic studies in several countries have indicated that the prevalence of allergies and asthma has been steadily increasing during the past 2 decades.2 At the same time, recent investigations have identified multiple pathogenic entities and several distinct allergic diseases with specific phenotypic characteristics and treatment response profiles, including allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis (AD), angioedema, and asthma.2

These findings have all contributed to a game-changing evolution in the treatment of allergic disease that is rapidly moving forward. In 2018, Dagmar Simon, MD, from Bern University Hospital, Switzerland, observed in the first of 2 annual reviews, With the development of novel therapies, of which some have already been approved, we face a new era of disease management and, with that, probably a modification of the expected course of diseases. 2

Targeting Immune Mechanisms for Therapy

Many large-scale studies have expanded the understanding of the important role of the immune system in homeostasis and host defense, which has led to the exploration of small molecule and biologic therapies that target immune mechanisms in allergic diseases. 1-3 The pathogenesis of allergies is determined by a complex of overlapping mechanisms that produce different patterns of inflammatory symptoms, as immune cells distributed throughout the body respond to individual and environmental triggers, mediated by lipids, growth factors, chemokines, cytokines, and endothelial barriers.

This multifaceted etiology of allergic diseases, including asthma, makes it difficult to identify a single target for therapy, so novel biological agents are designed to influence particular segments of the pathogenic pathways. Several types of immunologic therapies, including IgE and interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-13, and IL-5 therapies that target eosinophils and alarmins, have already been approved, based on efficacy in clinical trials against specific subtypes of allergies.

Omalizumab is a monoclonal antibody with a high binding affinity for IgE that has demonstrated good efficacy against asthma and allergic conditions such as AD, reducing the frequency, severity, and chronicity of symptoms by inhibiting the T2 inflammatory action of IgE.3 Omalizumab is considered an appropriate add-on therapy for patients with uncontrolled allergic asthma, as well as those with chronic urticaria.

The IL-4 and IL-13 pathways have been implicated in the production of inflammatory eosinophils in allergic diseases; IL-4 cytokines contribute to IgE mechanisms and hepatic proliferation, whereas IL-13 has effects that are limited mostly to barrier dysfunction and biological disturbances of the skin.3 Dupilumab is a monoclonal antibody that works as a dual inhibitor of IL-4 and IL-13 signaling. It has been approved for the add-on treatment of uncontrolled eosinophilic asthma, AD, and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Expression of eosinophils has a particularly strong association to asthma by contributing to inflammatory obstruction.4 The protein granules in eosinophils can also cause irritation to the airway structure and trigger bronchial spasm.4 Cytokines such as IL-5 produced by eosinophils may also stimulate new eosinophil formation to promote an ongoing cycle of airway dysfunction.4

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that target the IL-5 pathway, including mepolizumab, reslizumab, and benralizumab, have demonstrated rapid reduction of eosinophil levels in patients with severe, uncontrolled asthma.3,4 All 3 drugs have been shown to reduce asthma exacerbations by about 50%.4 The challenges to IL-5 mAbs are that only about 50% of patients with severe asthma respond to these therapies, and the improvement in exacerbations may not be accompanied by improved lung function and quality of life.3 In addition, the benefits to IL-5 mAbs are lost with discontinuation of therapy, which may even produce rebound eosinophilia.3

Key mediators of homeostasis are cytokines such as thymic stromal lymphopoietin and IL-25 and IL-33, known as alarmins, as they initiate inflammation in response to damage or insult to the body. Tezepelumab is undergoing clinical trials as a first-in-class human mAb designed to block thymic stromal lymphopoietin, whereas antibodies to IL-33 and IL-25 are in the early stages of development. 3

Next Steps for Biologic Therapies

A multitude of dynamic internal and environmental factors have a continuing effect on the status of the immune system, eliminating the possibility of a single therapeutic target for many patients with resistant types of allergic diseases, particularly asthma. And although several biologic therapies have shown great promise, researchers are as-yet unable to identify the patients who are most likely to respond to these interventions. A 2020 review by Agache et al3 reported that achieving selective immune modulation without altering the healthy immune response and with a long-lasting disease modifying effect is still not reached. The immediate goals in biologic therapies for allergies and asthma are to develop biomarkers to identify patients who are most likely to respond to these therapies and to monitor disease severity. As experience with biological therapies continues to grow, they are expected move from their current position as add-on therapies for severe allergic disease to play a more prominent role in treatment strategies for many more allergy patients.

References

1. Simon D. Recent advances in clinical allergy and immunology 2019. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2019;180:291-305.

2. Simon D. Recent advances in clinical allergy and immunology. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2018;177:324-333.

3. Agache IO, Catalina C, Laculiceanu A, Rogozea L. Critical points on the use of biologicals in allergic diseases and asthma. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2020;12:24-41.

4. Busse W. Biologic treatments for severe asthma: a major advance in asthma care. Allergol Int. 2019;68:158-166.

Originally posted here:
Emerging Biologic Treatments for Allergies and Asthma - Pulmonology Advisor

Immunology

Cuba’s revolutionary cancer vaccine builds bridges between the island and the United States – AL DIA News

Despite the fact that Donald Trump's government is determined to continue sanctioning Cuba - the charter flights from the U.S. to nine Cuban airports were suspended last week because of the country's support for Maduro's regime, according to statements by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - the collaboration between the United States and the island continues, at least on scientific matters. And this should not surprise us, taking into account the great medical advances made by Cuban professionals in the treatment of various types of cancer.

This is what we'll be able to witness in "Cuba's Cancer Hope," a documentary by Llew Smith that will be released next April by PBS and that sheds light on CimaVax, a revolutionary treatment against lung cancer that prolongs the life of patients in very advanced stages and that the Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM) in Habana has taken more than twenty years to develop.

In fact, the results are so encouraging that the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York soon joined the project and will be the first U.S. institution to conduct a clinical trial of the drug produced on the island.

"The future of our country must necessarily be a future of men of science and thought, because that is precisely what we are sowing most," Fidel Castro, 1960.

Llew Smith himself was one of the volunteers to test this pioneering treatment, according to Prensa Latina, and his results, which were made known two years ago, will be part of the documentary.

"The wonderful thing about working with our Cuban colleagues is that they really believe, in their heart of hearts, that medical care is a human right," said Dr. Kevin Lee, director of the Roswell Park immunology department, in a dialogue with the press, praising the medical advances being made in Cuba and its "great potential to treat and prevent cancer of various kinds."

Cuba a pioneer in science

Biotechnology is one of the most developed branches of Cuban science, which began to be promoted in 1980, when Fidel Castro's government created a group dedicated to the production of interphenon, a possible cancer drug, in addition to promoting scientific parks.

This is a commitment to progress that the current president of Cuba, Miguel Daz-Canel Bermdez, acknowledged to Castro on the occasion of the documentary, and which the late revolutionary leader already advocated in a speech made in 1960when he said:

"The future of our country must necessarily be a future of men of science and thoughtbecause that is precisely what we are sowing most."

But the CimaVax is not the only discovery of Cuban scientists, whose achievements can be traced in the history of the island:

In 1881, the scientist Carlos Juan Finlay was the discoverer of the agent that transmits yellow fever, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which made it possible to clean up the areas invaded by this infectious agent and which, in the end, has prevented millions of deaths.

"The wonderful thing about working with our Cuban colleagues is that they truly believe, deep in their hearts, that medical care is a human right," Dr. Kevin Lee from Roswell Park.

Also at Cuba's Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), Heberprot-P was developed, a unique drug that prevents the amputation of diabetic feet by healing ulcers.

In addition, Cuba was recognized by WHO as the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

The documentary "Cuba's Cancer Hope" also includes other therapies being experimented with on the island, specifically for the treatment of different types of cancer, which once again confirms thatscientific advances are breaking down the walls that apparently separate us.

See the original post here:
Cuba's revolutionary cancer vaccine builds bridges between the island and the United States - AL DIA News

Immunology

PhD life at the National Heart and Lung Institute | Imperial News – Imperial College London

Throughout the year the NHLI welcomes postgraduate research students who are progressing their careers in respiratory, vascular and cardiac sciences.

As every pathway to a PhD is different, we thought we would ask some students about their individual PhD journeys - from finding funding to advice they would give to someone thinking about applying for their own PhD.

First up, some of our respiratory students; Helen Stoelting, Lauren Headley, Karim Boustani, Nicoletta Bruno and Kunyuan Tian.

Helen My PhD centres around remodelling of the lung during asthma or allergic airway disease during early life, looking at both school-age children with asthma, but also pre-school wheezing in the chest which happens before that. A lot of children who have pre-school wheeze go on to develop asthma later in life, but some of them dont and at the moment we dont really know why that is.

Lauren - The methods of diagnosing and assessing asthma are pretty complicated and can be invasive and arent always accurate. So for me, the goal is to make a sampling method where we can just analyse it and tell people you need to be on this medication or this isnt going to work for you, just to simplify the process, making it much easier for patients and doctors and ultimately not see people suffer.

Karim - For my PhD Im looking at the role the antibody response plays in asthma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) a lung disease that scars the lungs - and specifically why some types of antibodies are increased in patients with these diseases. I want to investigate why we find some types of B cells in the airways in the first place. If we can understand how these cells are contributing to inflammation and disease, we can hopefully target them with treatments.

Nicoletta - Im looking at steroid resistant asthma in particular, both in animals and humans. Im looking at the asthma types that are not strictly related to allergy and that are more resistant to the current therapies. Its more about identifying which mechanisms are going on because theres not much known about it, and when we learn more it will make a difference.

Kunyuan - Im looking at genetics and environment, recreating the onset of pre-school wheeze and the progression to asthma. The approach of my project is to set up an animal model using a virus to induce a viral response which will make the mice susceptible to asthma.

Karim - I am funded by an Asthma UK studentship as part of the Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma. After completing my MSc in Immunology at Imperial, I knew I wanted to study respiratory immunology at PhD level so I decided to apply.

Helen - The British Lung Foundation (BLF). My MSc research project supervisor already had funding secured for PhD students through her larger research grant and she helped guide me through the application process which was really helpful.

Lauren - I went on the FindaPhD website which found my MRC/Asthma UK joint PhD on it. It was one of the more straightforward applications Ive done. I had to send over my CV then have a Skype interview. How easy it is all depends on the funding youre applying for and the research group.

Kunyuan - My funding is from Asthma UK which I came across on the British Society of Immunology website. I think the scholarship was also advertised on the Imperial website too. I found the application process very straightforward. I didnt actually apply for this one initially but it was suggested to me that I apply for this PhD instead. I didnt think I was ready for this but when I had a closer look into it, I thought it sounded really interesting so it all worked out well.

Nicoletta - I found my MRC-Asthma UK studentship on the FindaPhD website. It was a fairly easy application process I just had to send a cover letter and my CV, and the interview was quite straightforward compared to other interviews Ive had.

Nicoletta - I studied my undergraduate degree in Biotechnology in Bologna, Italy, then I completed a MSc in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology in both Bologna and in Munich, Germany. I then worked as a research assistant in Cambridge at the Sanger Institute for two years before deciding that I wanted to do a PhD.

Helen - I did my undergraduate degree in Molecular Biomedicine at the University of Bonn in Germany and then I took a year out to do some internships at Bayer, a German biomedical company, and also worked in some university labs. This was a really helpful experience as it made me realise that I dont want to work in industry! I really enjoyed the project I did as part of my MSc in Immunology at Imperial. I had half a year of lectures and then completed my research project with Professor Clare Lloyd, whose group I am working in now.

Lauren - Before coming here I did my undergraduate degree at Kings College London which I extended into an MSci that was Integrated Physiology and Pharmacology for Research. However in order to do the BSc I had to do an Access course as I didnt actually have A Levels. I applied to a few universities for two different courses and I got offers from Kings and London Southbank which I thought was miraculous. It always seemed like it was A Levels or nothing, I was offered a place and I really enjoyed it.

Karim - I did my undergraduate degree London in Biochemistry at Kings College London and then I moved to Imperial to do an MSc in Immunology.

Kunyuan - When I was at high school in Singapore I decided that I wanted to study at a university in London so I applied for an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences at University College London. I then did my MSc in Immunology here at Imperial and was a research assistant over at Imperial Colleges Hammersmith campus before starting my PhD.

Karim - I was already at Imperial for a year doing my MSc and I really liked it, and I knew I wanted to work within the field of immunology and lung inflammation. I knew Imperial had an excellent department so I thought Id apply.

Helen - It was actually more down to chance! I knew I wanted to study Immunology and in Germany there are a couple of universities that are renowned for Immunology, and one of those was where I did my undergraduate degree. I knew I didnt necessarily want to stay in the same city or at the same university so I started applying to places abroad and Imperials MSc just looked really interesting. They had a scholarship which was easy to apply for, and even though I didnt get it, I still came and I dont regret it.

Lauren - After completing my BSc in Pharmacology at Kings College London I actually had a PhD lined up in Australia. It was my dream to go out there but my husband said he didnt want to go! I told him that I would apply for this PhD at Imperial, thinking I was never going to get it so we could still go to Australiabut then I ended up getting it! Its been such an amazing opportunity; I never could have dreamed of coming here.

Nicoletta - Its quite funny actually, I applied and didnt really know that Imperial had such a good reputation for research! It was only once I started that I realised how lucky I was.

Helen - Its difficult to say now because Im still quite early in, but I think your heart has to be in it. There will be some difficult times somewhere along the line and if youre not enjoying research, dont do it. But I do think anyone can do it if you set your mind to it.

Karim - The advice that I would give to anyone thinking about doing a PhD would be to get a feel of the lab and supervisor beforehand if possible. If you can, go and meet with the principal investigator, go for an informal chat, go and see the labs, and see if they have all the equipment and funding you might want or need.

Nicoletta - It needs commitment and it can be stressful but its worth it. Its good because you keep challenging yourself all the time and you have to keep up to date on what everyone else is doing. You need to be motivated because you dont get paid much and you still have to work at weekends. But you get to work with clinicians and thats quite unique as you dont get to do that with many other places in Europe. Here you get clinicians working alongside pure scientists and you can learn from each other.

Kunyuan - Talk to postdocs because they are in a really interesting position theyve already done their PhD so can talk about their experience and at the same time they are still working up the ladder, so they are a very good source of advice.

Lauren - Go for it! The skills that you learn are so transferable, and if you enjoy learning and education, a PhD is perfect.

Continue reading here:
PhD life at the National Heart and Lung Institute | Imperial News - Imperial College London

Immunology

Scientists find powerhouses that fight tumours from within – Digital Journal

Lurking deep inside some tumours are "factories" full of immune cells that help the body fight a rearguard action against cancer and are key to helping some patients recover, new research has shown.

In recent years, doctors have turned to a new treatment for cancer, immunotherapy, which works by leveraging the body's immune system to fight tumours.

The technique has largely focused on white blood cells called T-cells, which are "trained" to recognise and attack cancer cells.

But the innovative treatment only works well for around 20 percent of patients, and researchers have been trying to understand why some people respond better than others.

Three papers published on Thursday in the journal Nature point the way, identifying a key formation inside some tumours: tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS).

These structures function like "factories or schools" for immune cells that help the body fight cancer, said Wolf H. Fridman, a professor emeritus of immunology at the Cordeliers Research Centre of the Paris Descartes University medical school, who helped lead one of the studies.

"The cells need to be educated in schools, which are the tertiary lymphoid structures," where they effectively learn to recognise and attack cancer cells, Fridman told AFP.

- No longer 'innocent bystanders' -

Key to the findings is that T-cells are far from the only immune cells capable of taking the fight to cancer, with researchers finding the TLS were full of B-cells, a kind of immune cell that produces antibodies.

"We have been T-cell addicts for 15 years in cancer," Fridman said with a laugh.

"We analysed these sarcomas to see what groups they had and what's striking is that these B-cells appeared."

Beth Helmink, a fellow in surgical oncology at the University of Texas's MD Anderson Cancer Center who worked on a second study, said the research changed perceptions of the role of B-cells in immunotherapy.

"Through these studies, we find that B-cells are not just innocent bystanders, but are themselves contributing in a meaningful way to the anti-tumour immune response," she said in a statement issued by the Center.

The discovery is something of a surprise, as an abundance of B-cells in cancer patients has sometimes been seen as a marker for poor prognosis.

But the studies found that patients with high levels of B-cells inside TLS in their tumours were more likely to respond well to immunotherapy.

"This series of studies are exciting because they represent real progress in the treatment of different types of cancer," said Louisa James, a lecturer in immunology at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London.

"In the short term, these results provide a new tool to help predict which patients are likely to benefit from treatment with immunotherapy and may also pave the way for improved treatments in the future," added James, who was not involved in the studies.

- Improving cancer treatment -

There are still many unanswered questions, including why the structures form in some tumours and not others.

And while it now seems clear that B-cells inside the structures play a key role in the success of immunotherapy, scientists are not sure precisely how.

It may be that the B-cells are on the frontlines, producing antibodies that attack cancer cells efficiently.

Or they may be bolstering T-cells, or perhaps doing both.

And not all TLS are created equal: the researchers found three categories, but only one type was "mature" enough to churn out cancer-fighting immune cells.

The research opens several promising avenues, the authors said.

Initially, it could help doctors screen patients to see which are most likely to respond well to immunotherapy.

And eventually, the research could mean more patients are successfully treated with the technique, said Goran Jonsson, a professor of oncology and pathology at Lund University in Sweden who worked on a third study.

"If we come up with a treatment that could enhance TLS formation, we could combine this with current immunotherapy regimens," he told AFP.

"Most likely this would lead to more patients responding to immunotherapy."

More here:
Scientists find powerhouses that fight tumours from within - Digital Journal

Immunology

The global plasma fractionation market was valued at $16,823 million in 2018, and is expected to reach $30,536 million by 2026, registering a CAGR of…

Global Plasma Fractionation Market by Product (Albumin, Immunoglobulins, and Coagulation Factor VIII), Application (Neurology, Hematology, Immunology, Critical Care and Others), End User (Hospitals, and Research Laboratories): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20182028

New York, Jan. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Plasma Fractionation Market by Product, Application, End User : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20182028" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05836984/?utm_source=GNW

The global plasma fractionation market was valued at $16,823 million in 2018, and is expected to reach $30,536 million by 2026, registering a CAGR of 6.1% from 2019 to 2026. Fractionation is a mechanical process carried out to separate a certain quantity of mixture. Plasma is the liquid part of the blood which is yellowish and holds blood cells. Plasma fractionation is carried out to separate high quality, proteinaceous products such as albumin, immunoglobulins, and others. These derived products are known as plasma derivatives obtained from fractionation. Moreover, these products are used in various medical fields such as in neurology, hematology, critical care, immunology, and others. For instance, in critical care, plasma is prescribed to prevent and stop bleeding. In addition, plasma products are widely used in clinical research laboratories and hospitals. The factors that boost the growth of the plasma fractionation market include surge in geriatric population across the globe, which is predisposed to various rare diseases that require the use of plasma derivatives. Moreover, rise in use of immunoglobulins and alpha-1-antitrypsin in areas of medicine worldwide also fuel the growth of the plasma fractionation market. Furthermore, surge in plasma collection centers worldwide is another major factor that contributes toward the growth of this market. In addition, favorable governmental support to spread awareness related to the use of plasma derived products also fuels the growth of the plasma fractionation market. However, high cost of plasma derived products restricts the growth of the market. Conversely, growth potential in emerging economies is expected to create lucrative opportunities for the market growth during the forecast period. The global plasma fractionation market is segmented on the basis of product, application, end user, and region. On the basis of product, the market is divided into albumin, immunoglobulins, and coagulation factor VIII. Moreover, immunoglobulins are further divided into subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) and coagulation factor VIII. By application, the market is classified into neurology, hematology, immunology, critical care, and others. On the basis of end user, it is categorized into hospitals and clinical research laboratories. By country, it is analyzed across Russia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, China (Including Taiwan), India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Vietnam, Argentina, Thailand, and Nigeria.

KEY BENEFITS FOR STAKEHOLDERS This report entails a detailed quantitative analysis along with the current global plasma fractionation market trends from 2019 to 2026 to identify the prevailing opportunities along with the strategic assessment. The market size and estimations are based on a comprehensive analysis of key developments in the industry. A qualitative analysis based on innovative products facilitates strategic business planning. The development strategies adopted by the key market players are enlisted to understand the competitive scenario of the market

Key Market Segments By Product o Albumin o Immunoglobulins o Subcutaneous Immunoglobulin (SCIG) o Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) o Coagulation Factor By Application o Neurology o Hematology o Immunology o Critical Care o Others By End User o Hospitals o Clinical Research Laboratories By Country o Russia o Kazakhstan o Indonesia o China (Including Taiwan) o India o Saudi Arabia o Egypt o Vietnam o Argentina o Thailand o Nigeria o Rest of the World

List of key players profiled in the report: Grifols SA Baxter International Inc CSL LTD. Bio Product Laboratory Octapharma AG Sanquin Laboratoire Franais Du Fractionnement Et Des Kedrion Biotest Takeda Pharmaceuticals

LIST OF OTHER PLAYERS IN THE VALUE CHAIN (These players are not profiled in the report. The same will be included on request) LFB S.A. Shanghai RAAS Blood Products Co., Ltd.Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05836984/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

__________________________

Story continues

Clare: clare@reportlinker.comUS: (339)-368-6001Intl: +1 339-368-6001

Original post:
The global plasma fractionation market was valued at $16,823 million in 2018, and is expected to reach $30,536 million by 2026, registering a CAGR of...

Immunology

Scientists Find Powerhouses That Fight Tumours From Within – New Vision

In recent years, doctors have turned to a new treatment for cancer, immunotherapy, which works by leveraging the body's immune system to fight tumours.

The new treatment for cancer, immunotherapy, works by leveraging the body's own immune system to fight tumours. Photo/AFP

In recent years, doctors have turned to a new treatment for cancer, immunotherapy, which works by leveraging the body's immune system to fight tumours.

HEALTH

Lurking deep inside some tumours are "factories" full of immune cells that help the body fight a rearguard action against cancer and are key to helping some patients recover, new research has shown.

In recent years, doctors have turned to a new treatment for cancer, immunotherapy, which works by leveraging the body's immune system to fight tumours.

The technique has largely focused on white blood cells called T-cells, which are "trained" to recognise and attack cancer cells.

But the innovative treatment only works well for around 20 percent of patients, and researchers have been trying to understand why some people respond better than others.

Three papers published on Thursday in the journal Nature point the way, identifying a key formation inside some tumours: tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS).

These structures function like "factories or schools" for immune cells that help the body fight cancer, said Wolf H. Fridman, a professor emeritus of immunology at the Cordeliers Research Centre of the Paris Descartes University medical school, who helped lead one of the studies.

"The cells need to be educated in schools, which are the tertiary lymphoid structures," where they effectively learn to recognise and attack cancer cells, Fridman told AFP.

- No longer 'innocent bystanders' -

Key to the findings is that T-cells are far from the only immune cells capable of taking the fight to cancer, with researchers finding the TLS were full of B-cells, a kind of immune cell that produces antibodies.

"We have been T-cell addicts for 15 years in cancer," Fridman said with a laugh.

"We analysed these sarcomas to see what groups they had and what's striking is that these B-cells appeared."

Beth Helmink, a fellow in surgical oncology at the University of Texas's MD Anderson Cancer Center who worked on a second study, said the research changed perceptions of the role of B-cells in immunotherapy.

"Through these studies, we find that B-cells are not just innocent bystanders, but are themselves contributing in a meaningful way to the anti-tumour immune response," she said in a statement issued by the Center.

The discovery is something of a surprise, as an abundance of B-cells in cancer patients has sometimes been seen as a marker for poor prognosis.

But the studies found that patients with high levels of B-cells inside TLS in their tumours were more likely to respond well to immunotherapy.

"This series of studies are exciting because they represent real progress in the treatment of different types of cancer," said Louisa James, a lecturer in immunology at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London.

"In the short term, these results provide a new tool to help predict which patients are likely to benefit from treatment with immunotherapy and may also pave the way for improved treatments in the future," added James, who was not involved in the studies.

Improving cancer treatment

There are still many unanswered questions, including why the structures form in some tumours and not others.

And while it now seems clear that B-cells inside the structures play a key role in the success of immunotherapy, scientists are not sure precisely how.

It may be that the B-cells are on the frontlines, producing antibodies that attack cancer cells efficiently.

Or they may be bolstering T-cells, or perhaps doing both.

And not all TLS are created equal: the researchers found three categories, but only one type was "mature" enough to churn out cancer-fighting immune cells.

The research opens several promising avenues, the authors said.

Initially, it could help doctors screen patients to see which are most likely to respond well to immunotherapy.

And eventually, the research could mean more patients are successfully treated with the technique, said Goran Jonsson, a professor of oncology and pathology at Lund University in Sweden who worked on a third study.

"If we come up with a treatment that could enhance TLS formation, we could combine this with current immunotherapy regimens," he told AFP.

"Most likely this would lead to more patients responding to immunotherapy."

Visit link:
Scientists Find Powerhouses That Fight Tumours From Within - New Vision

Immunology

Board of Trustees to be created at RSPC for pediatric oncology, hematology and immunology – TVR

The Board of Trustees will monitor the development of the center: it will coordinate the work of the business and the healthcare system and will inform the population. Natalia Kochanova expressed her wish for all the senators to be involved. The chairwoman of the Upper House visited young patients and held a round table discussion on the implementation of the pilot project, housing construction for employees, improving the working conditions of young specialists with the representatives of the Ministry of Health.

Vladimir Karanik, Minister of Health of Belarus: "We are in the top twenty countries in the cure rate of the children in the world. In general, 75% of childrens oncology diseases are cured. This figure has not reached 100 percent, but we will continue to work to improve the results."

See the original post:
Board of Trustees to be created at RSPC for pediatric oncology, hematology and immunology - TVR

Immunology

Probiotics: Don’t Buy the Online Hype – HealthDay

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Many people turn to the internet with health questions, but how reliable is the information you find? When it comes to probiotics, a new study urges caution.

The research found that of 150 websites that came up with a search of probiotics, most were commercial sites, hoping to sell a product. Others were news sites or health portals (providing links to other sites). Many of these sites mentioned potential benefits of probiotics, though not all had scientific evidence to back up those claims. And just 1 in 4 of the websites mentioned any potential side effects from taking probiotics.

"This study demonstrates that a number of online claims on the health benefits of probiotics are not supported by scientific evidence," said study co-author Dr. Michel Goldman, a professor of immunology at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium.

Probiotics are "good" bacteria found in yogurt and other fermented foods and in dietary supplements, according to the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Some of these bacteria are also found naturally in the human body. They may help digest food, fight germs that can cause disease, or produce vitamins.

"Probiotics can clearly be helpful in the management of infectious diarrhea, in pregnant women with gestational diabetes, and as an adjunct to food allergy desensitization therapy," Goldman said. He added that probiotics might also be helpful for the skin condition eczema and for some urinary or genital infections in women.

But his team saw some broad claims online about probiotics' benefits, such as being beneficial in treating cancer. There's no scientific evidence to support those claims.

For the study, Goldman and his colleagues looked at the first 150 pages brought up by Google in response to a search for "probiotics." They reviewed the information on these pages for reliability and searched a large database of clinical trials for evidence supporting those claims.

One bright spot was that Google appears to prioritize more reliable sources of information over commercial websites.

Still, consumers should be wary of health information they get online.

"Consumers should look whether there is scientific information published in peer-reviewed medical journals supporting claims to probiotics and over-the-counter health products that are not regulated as rigorously as prescription drugs. They should discuss with their doctors, the benefits they can expect from probiotics," Goldman said.

Dr. Melinda Ring, executive director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, said she wasn't surprised by the findings.

"This is a big problem in the natural product and dietary supplement area. There's a preponderance of less reputable information from sales and commercial sources," said Ring, who wasn't part of the research.

"People really need to look at the claims websites are making. Are they promising unrealistic cures? Are they referencing scientific data?" she said.

One area where probiotics may be helpful is in maintaining the body's natural balance of beneficial bacteria -- the gut microbiome. "We know the human microbiome is incredibly important to our health and the development of disease, but we're just in the infancy of understanding how to manipulate the microbiome," Ring said.

If you're interested in improving your gut's microbiome, the first place to start is improving your diet, because what you eat is also food for your microbiome, Ring said. Focus on vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

A number of foods have probiotics, such as yogurt and fermented foods. But sometimes the probiotics that occur naturally in foods can be destroyed by processing and preserving. Ring recommended looking for "live cultures" on the packaging.

If you take probiotic supplements, she suggested sticking with reputable brands, and perhaps taking more than one product to make sure you're getting a diversity of probiotics.

Andrea Wong is senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), which represents the supplement industry. She said that research demonstrates that probiotics are safe and have health benefits.

"When it comes to reliable information on probiotics and other dietary supplements, doctors and other health care practitioners are the most trusted sources. CRN encourages consumers to be smart shoppers and do their due diligence when looking for dietary supplement information," Wong said.

The findings were published Jan. 15 in Frontiers in Medicine.

More information

Learn more about probiotics from the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

SOURCES: Michel Goldman, M.D., Ph.D., professor, immunology, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, and co-director, 13th Institute, Belgium; Melinda Ring, M.D., executive director, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago; Andrea Wong, Ph.D., senior vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, Council for Responsible Nutrition; Jan. 15, 2020, Frontiers in Medicine

Original post:
Probiotics: Don't Buy the Online Hype - HealthDay