Abstract: A new era in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may be dawning. Twelve years after the first approval of biologic therapy for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the positive results of two large trials of a novel biologic therapy for SLE have raised hopes that a new approach to treatment may be at hand. This encouraging news follows several disappointments in trials of other biologic therapies and provides a timely moment to reflect on where we stand, what we have learned, and what may lie ahead. ... Read more

Abstract: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a malignancy mainly affecting elderly people and is still considered an incurable disease. Despite recent advances in CLL treatment, relapse rates are high and often accompanied by the development of resistance towards conventional chemotherapy. Thus, new agents are needed for the treatment of these patients. In recent years, our understanding of the biological mechanisms driving CLL pathogenesis has considerably improved, and novel treatment strategies are arising. This review summarizes recent insights in CLL biology and describes several new agents and treatment strategies that are currently explored in pre-clinical studies and early-phase clinical trials. ... Read more

Abstract: The evolution of the immune system has provided a multilevel system that interconnects the innate and adaptive immune systems to serve at least three central purposes: the defense from microbial pathogens, the capacity for discrimination of self- from non-self necessary for the prevention of autoimmune disease, and essential effector roles in wound repair and tissue remodeling. In recent studies, we have elucidated an unsuspected role for a class of naturally occurring autoreactive antibodies from the most primitive tier of B lymphocytes, which regulates fundamental functions of the innate immune system. Our findings also throw light onto long unresolved mysteries regarding the origins of the earliest waves of B lymphocyte development. ... Read more

Abstract: Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) is characterized by chronic inflammation of one cerebral hemisphere which causes intractable epileptic seizures and progressive neurological deficits. Since antiepileptic pharmacotherapy is often ineffective the traditional therapy for Rasmussen encephalitis is hemispherectomy in one of its modern variants which renders the patient seizure free but leads to a severe deficit. To escape this dilemma, immunomodulatory therapeutic approaches such as rituximab, a monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody, offer an alternative and bear promising therapeutic potentials in Rasmussen encephalitis. ... Read more

Abstract: CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ regulatory T (Treg) cells suppress the proliferation and release of cytokines in several subsets of immune cells. By doing so and by maintaining immune tolerance in peripheral tissues, Treg cells contribute to avert autoimmunity. Many studies have investigated how Treg cells operate in autoimmune diseases, and which cellular and molecular pathways are targeted by Treg cells. This review provides an update on the activities of Treg cells in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease characterized by the presence of hyperactive immune cells and aberrant antibody responses to multiple nuclear and cytoplasmic antigens. ... Read more

Abstract: Prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative conditions that affect humans and a wide variety of animals. To date there is no therapeutic or prophylactic approach against prion diseases available. The causative infectious agent is the prion, also termed PrP^Sc, which is a pathological conformer of the cellular prion protein PrP^c. As passive immunization studies with PrP^c-specific antibodies indicated that immunotherapeutic strategies can prevent prion replication, researchers are now aiming at the development of active prion vaccines. ... Read more

Abstract: Stress influences the neuroendocrine dynamics and increases the release of glucocorticoids and catecholamines (such as norepinephrine and epinephrine). These hormones suppress the immune system. Stress doesn't by itself cause cancer. However it can alter the cancer cell growth dynamics in cancer's favor. ... Read more

Abstract: T and B lymphocytes are high-profile fighters in the battlefields of immune responses. Antigen-presenting cells take in and process invading elements and tell T and B cells how to respond. These cells are found, however, to be betraying the body and actually helping tumor cells by inducing immunosuppression and tumor angiogenesis. Disabling or killing them becomes a novel therapeutic strategy in cancer therapy. ... Read more

Abstract: Mammals have not only allowed a large community of non-pathogenic bacteria to take up residence in their intestinal system, but they also rely on them for their own benefits and development. Intestinal commensal bacteria stimulated the polyclonal expansion of B lymphocytes that produce a diverse and effective antibody repertoire. ... Read more

Abstract: Magic bullets armed with nuclear war head? Monoclonal antibodies labeled with radioactive isotope, when taken orally, seek and attach to tumor cells and bring radiation close to a range of destruction. ... Read more