Genital Herpes Vaccine - Research Progress
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that an investigational vaccine protected some women against infection from one of the two types of herpes simplex viruses that cause genital herpes. Leading author Robert Belshe, M.D., director of the Saint Louis University Center for Vaccine Development commented: "There is some very good news in our findings. We were partially successful against half of the equation - protecting women from genital disease caused by HSV-1. It's a big step along the path to creating an effective vaccine that protects against genital disease caused by herpes infection.
Type 1 Diabetes Reversed With Stem Cells From Cord Blood
Stem cells from cord blood "re-educated" the immune system T cells of people with type 1 diabetes so their pancreas started producing insulin again, thereby reducing the amount of insulin they needed to inject. These are the findings of a study led by Dr Yong Zhao, from University of Illinois at Chicago that were published online on Tuesday in the open access journal BMC Medicine. Type 1 diabetes develops when the body's own immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing islet beta cells in the pancreas.
Potential Link Between Inflammation, Obesity And Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
A number of different immunological mechanisms ensure the successful establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. Imbalance in these mechanisms is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. In a review published in Advances in Neuroimmune Biology, researchers from the Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine at Swansea University in the UK examine the impact of maternal obesity on the inflammatory responses in tissues of both the mother and the child. "While great progress has been made in elucidating the immunological mechanisms that ensure reproductive success, we now need to understand the impact of a very modern epidemic on immune response at the materno-fetal interface, as well on the mother and the child, " said lead investigator Catherine A.