Gregory Barton, PhD, professor of immunology and pathogenesis, University of California, Berkeley, talked about research on the innate immune system and a key protein involved in the trafficking of a subset of toll-like receptors (TLRs) during FOCIS 2015 in San Diego. To keep the body healthy, the immune system responds constantly to foreign cellular invaders…
How the immune system reacts to potential harm, such as lack of oxygen and inflammation, depends greatly on the human body’s metabolic processes and pathways, according to speakers at FOCIS 2015 in San Diego this past June. During a session devoted to metabolism and the immune system, researchers talked about recent studies that shed light…
The field of rheumatology took center stage when a handful of speakers discussed trends and research during a disease-oriented session of the 2015 Federation of Clinical Immunity Societies (FOCIS 2015) conference held in San Diego in June. Neutrophils in SLE Mariana Kaplan, MD, chief of Systemic Autoimmunity Branch at the National Institute of Arthritis and…
LONDON (Reuters)—U.S. prices for the world’s 20 top-selling medicines are, on average, three times higher than in Britain, according to an analysis carried out for Reuters. The finding underscores a transatlantic gulf between the price of treatments for a range of diseases and follows demands for lower drug costs in America from industry critics such…
(Reuters Health)—Fluorescent lotion and black light revealed that healthcare workers often contaminate their skin and clothing while removing their protective gear, researchers say. This contamination can spread germs and place the healthcare workers at risk for infection, the authors write in JAMA Internal Medicine. “It was surprising for the participants in the study to see…
(Reuters)—Pop singer and actress Selena Gomez has revealed in an interview that she was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease lupus, which led to her canceling the end of her tour in 2013, but that the disease is now in remission. “I was diagnosed with lupus, and I’ve been through chemotherapy,” Gomez, 23, told Billboard magazine….
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors is associated with a doubling of the risk of central nervous system demyelinating disease, researchers from Denmark report. “Based on the current evidence anti-TNF should be used cautiously in patients with an own or family history of demyelinating disease,” Dr. Nynne…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with more-severe acute coronary syndrome and poorer outcomes, according to a new study. “We found that despite the well-researched increased risk of acute coronary events (ACS) in RA, that there was almost no existing data describing clinical characteristics and outcomes of RA- and non-RA patients with ACS,”…
CHICAGO (Reuters)—Seniors have received some unpleasant news in their mailboxes in recent weeks: premiums for many Medicare prescription drug insurance plans will rise at double-digit rates next year. Premiums for the ten most popular Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs) will rise an average of 8 percent next year—the fastest clip in five years,…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—More than 40% of patients with early inflammatory back pain suggestive of axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) show bone loss over the course of two years, according to French researchers. SpA is known to be associated with bone loss at the spine and the hip and an increased risk of vertebral fractures. To investigate…