Posts tagged as:

immune system

Tammar wallaby’s clever immune tricks revealed

10 July 2011

Two thymus glands fast-track immune defences Baby wallaby photos available Until now, it was a mystery why many marsupials have two thymuses—key organs in the immune system—instead of the one typical of other mammals. Now postdoctoral researcher Dr Emily Wong from the University of Sydney and her colleagues have found that the two organs are [...]

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Multi-layered armour protects body against immune failure

6 July 2011

The human body incorporates multiple fail-safe mechanisms to protect it against the “friendly fire” from its immune system known as autoimmune disease, Charis Teh and colleagues at the John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR) at the Australian National University have found.

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Understanding the link between HIV and dementia

29 June 2011

HIV can hide out in the brain, protected from the immune system and antiviral drugs, Dr Lachlan Gray and his colleagues at Monash University and the Burnet Institute have found.

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Soy milk shouldn’t put you off peanuts

17 June 2008

Drinking soy milk or soy-based formula does not trigger peanut allergy in children, researchers from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute have found. Their work challenges the results of an influential previous study.

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Fats trigger immune defence

14 August 2007

Synchrotron light delivers Nature paper for young scientist Natalie Borg and colleagues from Monash and Melbourne universities have shown for the first time how the body’s immune defence system can be triggered by fats, sugars and other biological compounds, not just by proteins. The research, published recently in Nature, opens the way to potential new [...]

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New research could PAC punch against arthritis

16 August 2006

RESEARCHERS in Sydney have discovered that an enzyme only found in immune cells plays a key role in promoting rheumatoid arthritis. The work raises the possibility of new and better treatments for the painful and debilitating condition, which affects about one in a thousand Australians of all ages.

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Fighting septic shock

8 August 2006

A potential new treatment for septic shock and other inflammatory diseases has been discovered by Monash Institute researchers.

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Smart bomb for cancer therapy

31 August 2005

A new system for directing radiation to target cells has been developed in Melbourne. The new targeting system has the potential to specifically destroy cancer cells with minimal damage to healthy tissues. The new targeting concept, for which an international patent is pending, uses a special class of radioactive atoms for which the radiation damage [...]

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Does our immune system control pain?

22 August 2004

Adelaide research shows way to pain prediction test There’s a global pain epidemic, despite the availability of various drug and non-drug treatments. A breakthrough by Australian researchers may lead to a new era of pain control. “We still don’t fully understand pain,” says Mark Hutchinson from the University of Adelaide. He has discovered a strong [...]

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New gene culprit in clogged arteries and impotence

22 August 2002

Researchers at the Howard Florey Institute have discovered a new gene in the lining of arteries that makes them thicken or crack causing reduced blood flow which may lead to heart attacks, stroke or impotence.

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Why don’t we breathe ourselves to death?

1 May 2000

As we breathe, lung movements could be killing the very cells we need for gas exchange. Flinders University researcher Dr Yasmin Edwards and her colleagues have discovered that macrophages, best known for their role in scavenging dead cells, may actually prevent living cells from dying by producing a protective gas.

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New vaccine concept applied to HIV vaccine

6 May 1999

Australian Breakthrough promises vaccines for ‘difficult’ diseases Scientists all over the world have been battling with the problem of HIVvaccines for almost a decade. But now, a new “polytope” technology from the CRC for Vaccine Technology is being applied to HIV and many other diseases..

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Young scientist wins world acclaim for deciphering the code of the immune system

6 May 1999

New research by an Australian student reveals the code our bodies use to control our immune systems. Her work could have tremendous medical benefits. Unlocking this code represents a dramatic step forward in the fight to prevent autoimmune disease, allergies and to improve vaccines.

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Transplant rejection – sometimes more is less

1 May 1999

Most transplants need immunosuppressive drugs but livers often don’t . Why and how can we use this knowledge?

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