[News release] NIH Researchers Develop Database on Healthy Immune System
From the 12 March 2015 NIH news release
Resource May Help Identify Mechanisms of Immune-Related Diseases
WHAT:
An extensive database identifying immune traits, such as how immune cell function is regulated at the genetic level in healthy people, is reported by researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and their collaborators in the journal Cell. While many genetic risk factors have been linked to various diseases, including autoimmune disorders, how a genetic change causes susceptibility to a disease is not always clear. By studying healthy people, researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Vaccine Research Center, part of the NIH, and colleagues from King’s College London have created a reference resource for other scientists.
M Roederer, L Quaye, M Mangino et al. The genetic architecture of the human immune system: a bioresource for autoimmunity and disease pathogenesis. Cell DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.02.046 (2015).
Mario Roederer, Ph.D., chief of the ImmunoTechnology Section in NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center, is available to discuss the findings.
Related articles
Molecular Secrets of Ancient Chinese Herbal Remedy Discovered [& related Alternative Medicine Resources]
For roughly two thousand years, Chinese herbalists have treated Malaria using a root extract, commonly known as Chang Shan, from a type of hydrangea that grows in Tibet and Nepal. More recent studies suggest that halofuginone, a compound derived from this extract’s bioactive ingredient, could be used to treat many autoimmune disorders as well. Now, researchers from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine have discovered the molecular secrets behind this herbal extract’s power.
It turns out that halofuginone (HF) triggers a stress-response pathway that blocks the development of a harmful class of immune cells, called Th17 cells, which have been implicated in many autoimmune disorders.
“HF prevents the autoimmune response without dampening immunity altogether,” said Malcolm Whitman, a professor of developmental biology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and senior author on the new study. “This compound could inspire novel therapeutic approaches to a variety of autoimmune disorders.”
“This study is an exciting example of how solving the molecular mechanism of traditional herbal medicine can lead both to new insights into physiological regulation and to novel approaches to the treatment of disease,” said Tracy Keller, an instructor in Whitman’s lab and the first author on the paper….
Related General Resources for Complementary/Alternative/Integrative Medicine
- MEDLINE plus: Alternative Medicine Trusted health information links from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Includes basic information, news, organizations, specific conditions, multimedia, financial issues, and more
- Bandolier: Evidenced Based Thinking about Healthcare – Alternative Medicine
The site brings together the best evidence available about complementary and alternative therapies for consumers and professionals. It contains stories, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of complementary and alternative therapies with abstracts. - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
NCCAM is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals.
- New York Online Access to Health (NOAH)
NOAH offers this selection of complementary and alternative therapies without endorsement. - Office of Cancer Complementary Alternative Medicine
The NIH, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM) was established in October 1998 to coordinate and enhance the activities of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the arena of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
Related articles
- American Pain Foundation Provides New Tools and Resources on Safe Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) More than 83 Million Americans Use CAM Therapy (prweb.com)
- Complementary and alternative medicine need more randomized trials (kevinmd.com)
- Dried licorice root fights the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease (with related alternative medicine links) (jflahiff.wordpress.com)
- Upward Trend in Alternative and Complementary Medicine Use Revealed in Nation Center for Health Statistics Report Impacts Puma Method Travel Sickness Prevention Sales (prweb.com)
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments in Psychiatry (beyondmeds.com)
- Why Write About Alternative Medicine? Part One: The Media (jdc325.wordpress.com)
- Second Alternative Medicine Telesummit “Wellness Revolution 2” Launches November 8 (prweb.com)
- Integrative Medicine to Treat Eating Disorders (psychcentral.com)
- Scientists discover molecular secrets of 2,000-year-old Chinese herbal remedy (physorg.com)
- Vote on alternative medicine falls victim to dark arts of the internet (smh.com.au)
- Global Traditional Medicine Market to Reach US$114 Billion by 2015, According to a New Report Published by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (prweb.com)
- Molecular secrets of ancient Chinese herbal remedy discovered (sciencedaily.com)
- Antipodean CAM (sciencebasedmedicine.org)
- Lobby Group Formed to Remove Alternative Medicine, Chiropractic Courses from Universities (truthsupport.wordpress.com)
- Expert Launches Natural Supplement Website and Alternative Medicine Blog (prweb.com)
- Herbal Remedies (prophet666.com)
- Chinese Herbal Medicine (acurelief.wordpress.com)
- Hangovers Cured For Good? Ancient Chinese Herbal Remedy Yields Amazing Results – Huffington Post (huffingtonpost.com)
NIH study shows 32 million Americans have autoantibodies that target their own tissues
NIH study shows 32 million Americans have autoantibodies that target their own tissues
From the 13 January 2012 Eureka news alert
More than 32 million people in the United States have autoantibodies, which are proteins made by the immune system that target the body’s tissues and define a condition known as autoimmunity, a study shows. The first nationally representative sample looking at the prevalence of the most common type of autoantibody, known as antinuclear antibodies (ANA), found that the frequency of ANA is highest among women, older individuals, and African-Americans. The study was conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health. Researchers in Gainesville at the University of Florida also participated.
Earlier studies have shown that ANA can actually develop many years before the clinical appearance of autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. ANA are frequently measured biomarkers for detecting autoimmune diseases, but the presence of autoantibodies does not necessarily mean a person will get an autoimmune disease. Other factors, including drugs, cancer, and infections, are also known to cause autoantibodies in some people…
…
“The peak of autoimmunity in females compared to males during the 40-49 age bracket is suggestive of the effects that the hormones estrogen and progesterone might be playing on the immune system,” said Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., director of NIEHS and an author on the paper.
The paper also found that the prevalence of ANA was lower in overweight and obese individuals than persons of normal weight. “This finding is interesting and somewhat unexpected,” said Edward Chan, Ph.D., an author on the study and professor of the Department of Oral Biology at the University of Florida.
“It raises the likelihood that fat tissues can secrete proteins that inhibit parts of the immune system and prevent the development of autoantibodies, but we will need to do more research to understand the role that obesity might play in the development of autoimmune diseases,” said Minoru Satoh, M.D., Ph.D., another author on the study and associate professor of rheumatology and clinical immunology at the University of Florida….
Related articles
- NIH study shows 32 million Americans have autoantibodies that target their own tissues (yubanet.com)
- NIH Study Shows 32 Million Americans Have Autoantibodies That Target Their Own Tissues (nih.gov)
- 32 Million Americans Have Autoantibodies That Target Their Own Tissues (medicalnewstoday.com)
- Study shows 32 million Americans have autoantibodies that target their own tissues (medicalxpress.com)
- A genetic accelerator hits the gas on autoimmune diseases (eurekalert.org)
- DNA Sequence Discovered That Causes Lupus (livingstrongandhappy.blogspot.com)
- DNA Sequence Discovered That Causes The Most Severe Cases Of Lupus (medicalnewstoday.com)