Immunotherapy Weekly articles from November 1999

Immunotherapy Weekly archives from November 1999

Bioluminescence Helps Researchers Monitor Therapy.(monitor for immunotherapy and chemotherapy)
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) Bioluminescence helps researchers monitor the efficacy of both chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatment in an animal model. Thomas J. Sweeney and colleagues from the Stanford University School of Medicine,...

Drug Company-Backed Research Less Critical than Independent Studies.(drug cost-effectiveness research)
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers have found that studies on the cost-effectiveness of drugs are far more likely to report favorable findings if they are sponsored by the drug companies themselves rather than independent groups. ...

Researchers Kill Latent HIV Infected Cells Using Immunotoxin.
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- In a laboratory study, University of Texas (UT), Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, researchers have linked an antibody to a toxin, killing more than 99 percent of the human cells carrying a latent form of...

Immunologic Reactions Modulated in Hybrid Artificial Liver System.(through use of nafamostat mesilate)
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Nafamostat mesilate is useful in the clinical application of a hybrid artificial liver system, according to a report from Japan. In the clinical application of a hybrid artificial liver system using porcine...

Novel Immunosuppressant Targets Autoimmune Thyroiditis.(FTY720)
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- "While autoimmune disease needs to be continuously treated via long-term, administration of immunosuppressants, conventional immunotherapy using drugs such as cyclosporin and tacrolimus may cause adverse effects,"...

The 17-1A Antigen May Be a Potential Immunotherapeutic Target.
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- "A murine monoclonal antibody against the 17-1A epithelial antigen has been shown to be a useful adjuvant therapy in colorectal cancer, researchers from England report. They even suggest that its clinical use...

Post-Infusion G-CSF of Limited Benefit in Blood Cell Transplantation.(granulocyte colony-stimulating factor)
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapy was of no obvious benefit for adult patients receiving peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, according to a study from Spain. E. Ojeda and colleagues,...

Discarded Thymus Tissue Provides Life for Infants with Rare Disorder.(DiGeorge Syndrome)
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Using thymus tissue that is normally thrown away after pediatric heart surgery, physicians at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, have created a new T-cell immune system for two children who...

Dendritic Cell-Based Immunotherapies Studied.(dendritic cell and anti-infective cytokine immunotherapies)
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Using a murine model of visceral leishmaniasis, researchers from the University of Texas, USA, have begun research on vaccine and treatment strategies that combine dendritic cells (DC) with anti-infective cytokines...

HLA-A2 Polyepitope Vaccine for Melanoma Immunotherapy.
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- "Epitope-based vaccination strategies designed to induce tumor-specific CDS CTL, are being widely considered for cancer immunotherapy," suggested researchers from Australia. "...we describe a recombinant...

Gene Therapy Trial First To Activate Entire Human Immune System Against Cancer.
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Cancer researchers from Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland, reported the successful use of human gene therapy to activate the human immune system against metastatic prostate cancer. The achievement, believed to...

Monoclonal Anti-Porcine CD3 Antibody Characterized.(as a way to treat graft-versus-host disease)
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- The availability of swine T-cell specific reagents should help provide a way to treat potential graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) across xenogeneic barriers. C.A. Huang and colleagues, Harvard University, Boston,...

BCG Therapy for Bladder Cancer Can Cause PSA Elevation.(Bacillus Calmette Guerin; prostate specific antigen)
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Intravesical Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) instillation for bladder cancer can cause elevations in prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels in men. Dan Leibovici and colleagues from Assaf-Harofe Medical Center,...

Reminder: Data from Animal Models Not Directly Relevant to Humans.
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Information from animal models of DNA vaccination are not directly applicable to humans, a researcher reminded attendees of the First International Congress on Cytokines/Chemokines in Infectious Diseases, held...

Antiviral Properties of Drug Encapsulated into Liposomes.(amixine)
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- A liposomal form of the drug amixine may help overcome the problem of high toxicity, according to researchers from the Ukraine. Lyudmila A. Litvinova and colleagues, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,...

Biological Activity of New Isoxazoles Studied.
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers in Poland examined the quantitative structure-activity relationships in new isoxazole immunosuppressing agents. St. Ryng and colleagues from several institutions in Poland presented form and...

U.S. Military Unprotected as Adenovirus Attacks.
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Daniel J. DeNoon, Senior Editor -- With vaccine stocks depleted, U.S. military training programs are undergoing shutdowns due to adenovirus epidemics. There is no relief in sight: there will be no new vaccine...

Retroviral Vectors Are Backbone of Cancer Vaccine.
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) A retroviral vector transduced with interleukin-6 (IL-6) has strong anticancer activity. Andrzej Mackiewicz and colleagues from the University School of Medical Sciences at Great Poland Cancer Center, Poland,...

Growth Factor Supresses Intestinal Lesions.(hepatocyte growth factor suppresses inflammatory bowel disease)
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Hepatocyte growth factor has been used successfully to suppress inflammatory bowel disease. Findings from a study of the treatment were reported at the 1999 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons....

Enzyme May Identify Flu Vaccine Failures.(granenzyme B)
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Daniel J. DeNoon, Senior Editor -- Elderly people who get the flu despite vaccination have low levels of cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) activity. Some of these individuals developed influenza even though they had...

Anti-LPS Drugs May Affect Natural Antibacterial Proteins.(lipopolysaccharide)
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Daniel J. DeNoon, Senior Editor -- They may work in the test tube, but antibacterial drugs may encounter unexpected problems in real life. A promising approach to new antibacterial drugs is the targeting of...

Cardiopulmonary Bypass Surgery Induces Immunosuppression.
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery suppresses cell-mediated immunity. Research has suggested that CPB results in temporary suppression of cell-mediated immunity because it stimulates interleukin-10 (IL-10)...

Interferon Necessary for Successful Adoptive Transfer.(interferon-gamma for adoptive transfer of spleen cells as protection against toxoplasmic encephalitis)
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is critical for successful adoptive transfer of immune spleen cells for passive protection against toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE). H. Kang and colleagues from the Suzuki Research...

Health Canada Grants Vasogen Approval To Proceed with Clinical Trial.
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Vasogen Inc., Toronto, Canada, announced that it has received approval from Health Canada to proceed with a clinical trial to assess the safety and effectiveness of its VAS972 immune modulation therapy in the...

Cytokine Inhibitor Appears To Halt Progression of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Centocor, Inc., Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA, submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval for Remicade (infliximab) for the prevention...

C.W. Henderson Publisher Among Internet's Top Five Sites for Key Health Topics.
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- For major health, medical, and biotechnology niches, C.W. Henderson Publisher's web site is rated one of the five best on the Internet. Based on rankings conducted in October 1999 by the top three search...

Vitamin E Is "Most Important Defense" Against Body Damage.
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- Vitamin E is one of "the body's most important defenses against free-radical damage," medical experts in California say. Dr. Sheldon Margen, professor of public health at the University of California at...

Gene Therapy Used as Possible Weapon Against Prostate Cancer.
November 1, 1999... 1999 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com) -- The Cleveland Clinic has been selected as one of three U.S. medical institutions to participate in a clinical trial of an innovative form of gene therapy for prostate cancer. Patients are currently being recruited...

Memory T Cells Are Recognized by CD4(+) or CD8(+) T Lymphocytes.
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) Memory T cells isolated from the peripheral blood of patients with cancer can be identified and isolated with sensitive effector cell readout assays. Wolfgang Herr and colleagues from the University of Pittsburgh,...

Interleukin-10 Efficacious in Non-Responding Hepatitis C Patients.
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Salynn Boyles, Senior Editor -- Although it has no apparent antiviral activities, recombinant interleukin 10 therapy may have a role in the treatment of refractory chronic hepatitis C. Researchers from the...

HIV Rebounds after Stopping IL-2, Combination Antiretroviral Drug Therapy.(interleukin-2)
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Rebound of HIV and reappearance of HIV reservoirs occurred in patients treated with IL-2 and combination antiretroviral drugs following cessation of therapy. In two HIV infected patients treated with potent...

Immune Response Enhanced by Administration of Tumor-Associated Peptides.
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- In vivo administration of B7.21g, a soluble costimulatory protein, enhanced immune responses in mice, researchers from the United States report. "The identification of both class I- and class II-restricted...

T-Cell Memory Is Long-Lived Even in Absence of Antigen.(in eradication of colorectal cancer metastasis)
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Long-lived T-cell memory against colon carcinoma metastases is established in murine model in the absence of antigen (Ag). "Eradication of established colon carcinoma metastases is a major goal for adjuvant...

Immunization with an Anti-Idiotypic Monoclonal Antibody Studied.(105AD7)
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers from England reported on the use of the anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibody 105AD7 as an adjuvant therapy in early stage colorectal cancer. 105AD7 emulates the tumor-associated antigen 791Tgp72, which...

Novel Immunomodulatory Drug Has Antitumor Activity.(leflunomide)
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- A new immunomodulatory drug, leflunomide, exhibits inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation and pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis. Writing in the journal Biochemical Pharmacology, X.L. Xu and colleagues, Rush...

Technique Described for Endothelial Cell Seeding.
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- An albumin-heparin conjugate coating on surfaces provided a useful substrate for seeding of endothelial cells, researchers reported. Endothelial cell (EC) seeding significantly improves the blood compatibility...

Sequence and Gene Map of Human Major Histocompatibility Complex Completed.
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- A paper authored by members of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) sequencing consortium describes the genomic sequence of the MHC, a region on chromosome 6 essential to the immune system. The MHC...

Learning How Immune System Foils Hemophilia A Treatment.(effort to create a synthetic blood coagulation factor 8 protein that won't attract immune system antibodies)
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- More than 20,000 people in the U.S. have hemophilia A, which leaves them prone to excessive bleeding from minor injuries because their blood does not efficiently clot in a wound. Unfortunately, the only treatment...

Islets Exposed to Allogenic Blood Resulted in Damage.(pancreatic beta cell transplantation)
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- A recent finding may explain the unsatisfactory clinical results obtained with intraportal islet transplantation. The remarkable difference in success rates between clinical pancreas transplantation and islet...

Immune/Antitumor Effects Realized with Transfer of IL-12.(interleukin-12)
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Gene transfer of interleukin-12 (IL-12) has antitumor- and immune-stimulating properties in mesothelioma, researchers from Australia report. "Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a solid tumor of the mesothelium for...

Preliminary Results of Combination Therapy Are Promising.(use of interferon alpha and recombinant interferon gamma for metastatic renal cell carcinoma therapy)
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers from Japan assessed the efficacy and toxicity of alternating administration of natural (n) interferon (IFN)-alpha and recombinant (r) IFN-gamma for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. nIFN-alpha (3 MU)...

Jellyfish Protein Illuminates Active Immune Cells.
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers have illuminated a crucial step in the immune system's response to infection by using live cell imaging to follow the movement of immune system cells that have been genetically manipulated to produce a...

Hemophilus Meningitis Study Indicates Vaccine May Cause Diabetes.
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- A report in the British Medical Journal indicates a causal relationship between the hemophilus vaccine and the development of insulin dependent diabetes. The data are particularly disturbing because they...

Spinal Cord Cell Therapy May Help Restore Body Functions.(autologous macrophage therapy)
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Autologous macrophage therapy for the regeneration of neurons damaged by physical trauma is offering new hope for acute spinal cord injured patients. The therapy is expected to help individuals with debilitating...

Monophosphoryl Lipid A Is Tolerable and Immunological.
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- The addition of monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) to standardized preparations of pollen extracts for specific immune therapy (SIT) is well tolerated and increases SIT immunological activity. M. Wadepuhl and...

Genetic Manipulation Offers Hope for Numerous Disorders.
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Gene therapy, in all of its numerous forms, offers hope for the treatment of disorders ranging from genetic defects to cancer to infectious diseases, suggests a researcher from the Baylor College of Medicine. ...

Immunotherapy Uses Fusion Protein To Shrink Tumors.(treatment combining interleukin-2 and a tumor reactive monoclonal antibody)
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- An anticancer immunotherapy protocol uses antibody-facilitated cell-mediated tumor destruction as its modus operandi. P.M. Sondel and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center...

Melanoma, Ovarian Cancer Vaccine Data Presented.
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Avax Technologies, Inc. (Avax), Kansas City, Missouri, announced that David A. Berd, MD, inventor of the AC Vaccine technology and professor of medicine, Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University,...

High-Dose Interferon Therapy Well-Tolerated , But of Unknown Benefit for Melanoma.
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- M.C. Murray and colleagues from the Hospital Nacional 'Prof. Dr. Alejandro Posadas', Argentina, presented a case study of a pediatric high-risk melanoma patient who successfully underwent high-dose interferon...

Expert Says Medical Practice Should Be Confined to Areas with Solid Scientific Basis.(David M. Eddy)
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Journalists should refrain from reporting on medical research that is anecdotal, provides only interim results, or that makes use of poor controls, according to an expert on medical technology, considered by many as...

Trials of Anti-CD40 Ligand Monoclonal Antibody Halted.(by Biogen Inc. due to adverse events)
November 8, 1999... 1999 NOV 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- Biogen, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, said that it has halted several trials of its anti-CD40 ligand monoclonal antibody compound until the company has completed addressing issues relating to adverse events. ...

Cellular Immunity Activated by Interferon-(beta) Gene Transfer.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) Intratumoral interferon-(beta) (INF-(beta)) gene transfer exhibits antitumor effects and stimulates cellular immunity in a murine model of intracerebral glioma. Research has shown that cationic liposomes...

Long-Term Acceptance of Organ Transplants Foreseen.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- A new combination of drugs promotes long-term acceptance of transplanted organs by driving the immune cells that would otherwise reject the graft to suicide, according to studies in mice conducted by researchers in...

Combination Treatment Prevents CMV, Improves Immune System.(cytomegalovirus)
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- A combination of anti-HIV drugs appears to help rejuvenate the immune systems of people with AIDS and prevent progression of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis, a potentially blinding AIDS-related eye complication....

Rush Immunotherapy in a Dog Applicable to Human Situations.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- According to a study in the U.S., successful implementation of rush immunotherapy against pollen allergens in a dog has relevance to human clinical situations. R. Patterson and colleagues from Northwestern...

Local, Systemic Immune Responses to H. pylori Assessed in Humans.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Immunization against Helicobacter pylori works in humans probably because it induces an immune response against antigens usually not immunodominant during infection, concluded a recent study. "Immunization can...

IFN-(alpha) Enhances Cytotoxicity Through Perforin Pathway.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Interferon alpha may work through the perforin pathway to enhance cytotoxicity in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Cell-mediated cytotoxicity is exerted via perforin and Fas ligand (FasL). Researcher A....

Long-Term Maintenance Interferon Therapy Has Role in Hepatitis C Treatment.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Salynn Boyles, Senior Editor -- Long-term maintenance interferon therapy may be a valuable strategy in chronic hepatitis C virus patients who remain viremic. At least half of patients with chronic hepatitis...

Clinical Trial Evaluates IL-2 and (beta)-IFN in Lung Cancer.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers from the United States conducted a randomized Phase II study of interleukin-2 (IL-2) with and without beta-interferon ((beta)-IFN) for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. "IL-2 and...

Scientists Take New Stance Against Ovarian Cancer.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Hay fever, asthma, and other allergies are giving researchers in the United Kingdom new ammunition against ovarian cancer. Scientists at Kings College Hospital in London have discovered that an antibody that...

Monoclonal Antibody Conjugates Have Pretargeting Applications.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Anti-tenascin monoclonal antibody (mAb)-streptavidin conjugates have pretargeting applications in cancer therapy, suggest researchers from the United States. "Radioimmunopretargeting is based on the separate...

MN/CA IX/G250 a Potential Target for Immunotherapy.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- MN/CA IX/G250 antigen may be a potential target for immunotherapy of renal cell carcinomas (RCC). "The monoclonal antibody G250 (mAbG250) raised against a human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been shown to...

T-Cell Response to Type II Collagen Has Role in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers from South Korea investigated if type II collagen and its immunodominant epitope CII (255-274) induce in rheumatoid arthritis patients specific immune response. "T-cell proliferative responses to...

Functional CD32 Molecules Found on Human Natural Killer Cells.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- According to a study from the United States, the presence of a functional Fc gamma RII on the surface of natural killer (NK) cells could have important clinical consequences in tumor immunotherapy. "Human NK...

Memory T Cells Need Only One Exposure to Antigen.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Just one exposure to an antigen is enough to keep the immune system permanently primed for attack against that particular invader, two new studies show. These findings resolve an important question for vaccine...

Interleukin-2 Can Be Safely Administered to Leukemia Patients.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Interleukin-2 (IL-2) may be safely administered to amyloid leukemia (AML) patients in their first remission. D. Skoric and colleagues from the University Children's Hospital, Yugoslavia, employed IL-2 therapy...

Reversal of Tumor-Induced Immunosuppression Beneficial.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- The reversal of tumor-induced immunosuppression is a beneficial adjunct to glioma immunotherapy, suggest researchers from Colorado. Y. Liu and colleagues from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center...

Trial Results for Antibody in Kidney Transplantation Presented.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Protein Design Labs, Inc. (PDL) announced the presentation of new clinical results using Zenapax (daclizumab) in renal transplantation. The results were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society...

Adjuvant Therapy Well Tolerated in Pediatric Melanoma Patient.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Adjuvant immunotherapy with interferon alfa 2b (IFN(alpha)2b) was well tolerated in a pediatric melanoma patient. W. Pietras and D. Wojcik from the Medical Academy, Poland, reported the case of a...

Gene Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis Targets T Cells.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Gene therapy directed against autoreactive T cells is a viable approach to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, suggest researchers. J. Borniva and colleagues hypothesized that T cells reactive against...

Board Recommends Completion of Phase II Remune Trial in Spain.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- The Immune Response Corporation announced that an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) composed of European and U.S. scientists recommended that the trial in Spain of Remune (trial 2102) in patients...

Trial Initiated for Immune-Based HIV Therapy.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and The Immune Response Corporation announced that a pivotal trial has been initiated to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of Remune (HIV-1 Immunogen), in combination with...

NewsRx.com Health Wire Service Launches in 60 Days.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- NewsRx.com, a daily health news wire service, launches in January 2000 from CW Henderson Publisher, the largest producer of weekly medical newsletters. The health wire service will be distributed daily and...

Treatment's Effectiveness Against Respiratory, Immunological Illnesses Studied.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- A Pediatric Outcomes Study is currently underway at National Jewish Medical and Research Center to investigate how a multidisciplinary treatment approach can minimize the effects of chronic respiratory and...

Clinical Trial of Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Begins.
November 15, 1999... 1999 NOV 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced that it has begun an exploratory Phase II trial of the investigational drug VX-745. VX-745 is an orally administered p38 mitogen-activated...

Immune Privilege in the Eye Can Be Bypassed Successfully.(ocular tumor immunotherapy)
November 22, 1999... 1999 NOV 22 - (NewsRx.com) Tumor-specific, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated immunotherapy can bypass the immune privileged status of the anterior chamber of the eye and successfully prevent and eradicate tumors. Luc R.H.M Schurmans...

MIP-1(alpha) Helps Mediate Protection of Tissues from Viral Infection.(microphage inflammatory protein 1)
November 22, 1999... 1999 NOV 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- The chemokine microphage inflammatory protein 1(alpha) is necessary for natural killer cell migration and interferon-gamma delivery, say researchers. Natural killer (NK) cells can mediate early protection...

Alpha-Emitting Bi-213-Labeled Antibody for Clinical Use.(in myeloid leukemia therapy)
November 22, 1999... 1999 NOV 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- Alpha particle-emitting Bi-213-labeled antibody constructs have finally made it from the bench to the bedside, reported researchers from the United States. "Preclinical evaluation of alpha particle-emitting...

Combination Therapy Tested in Colon Cancer Xenografts.(radioimmunotherapy and chemotherapy combination)
November 22, 1999... 1999 NOV 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- A recent study found the combination of radioimmunotherapy with chemotherapy had increasing antitumor effectiveness. "The feasibility of radioimmunotherapy (RAIT) combined with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was...

Gene Transfer of Leuvectin Safe in Phase I/II Trial.
November 22, 1999... 1999 NOV 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- Immunotherapy of advanced malignancy by direct gene transfer of Leuvectin is safe. "We have completed a Phase I study, followed by three Phase I/II studies, in patients with metastatic melanoma, renal cell...

Multiple Factors Predict Hematologic Toxicity.(complications of radioimmunotherapy)
November 22, 1999... 1999 NOV 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- Multiple factors are responsible for hematologic toxicity after radioimmunotherapy in cancer patients, suggests recent research from the United States. "This study was undertaken to determine the factors...

Radioimmunotherapy and Radiotherapy Compared in Xenograft.
November 22, 1999... 1999 NOV 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- I-131 radioimmunotherapy is not as effective as fractionated external beam radiotherapy in a tumor xenograft model, researchers reported in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. "This article compares the...

Growth Factor May Be an Important Immunomodulatory Agent.(transforming growth factor-beta)
November 22, 1999... 1999 NOV 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- Transforming growth factor-(beta) may be an important immunomodulatory agent in plasma-derived factor VIII concentrate, according to a recent report. Clinical and subclinical immunological abnormalities have...

Chemokine Receptor Is Functionally Active on Cell Lines.(CXC chemokine receptor 4)
November 22, 1999... 1999 NOV 22 - (NewsRx.com) -- The CXC chemokine receptor 4 is functionally active on epithelial cells, according to a recent report. Chemokines and their receptors play an important role in the process of leukocyte recruitment at sites of...