PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Avoiding fatal responses to flu infection

2011-09-16
(Press-News.org) Most of the time, being ill with the flu is little more than a nuisance. Other times, it can spark an exaggerated immune response and turn deadly. Researchers reporting in the September 16th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, have now traced the origins of this severe immune response -- called a cytokine storm -- to its source.

Cytokines are the chemical signals that drive inflammation, and cytokine storms are thought to be the cause of many of the deaths attributed to the 1918 worldwide influenza pandemic and to the more recent outbreaks of swine and bird flu infection. The new study provides encouraging news by offering the foundations for a completely new kind of flu therapy.

"We are showing for the first time that you can actually separate the deleterious events from those needed to control the virus," said Hugh Rosen, senior author of this study, from The Scripps Research Institute.

"It had been thought for a long time that all injury from influenza was due to the virus itself, consequently, and rationally, the focus was on developing antiviral drugs," said study co-author Michael Oldstone, also of Scripps.

The new results suggest that drugs aimed at the dangerous immune response may offer a life-saving new line of defense, by protecting infected hosts from themselves. Another bonus is that such an approach doesn't put the same pressure on viruses to adapt and develop drug resistance.

The cytokines associated with flu infection were thought to come from virus-infected cells found primarily in the lungs and nasal passages. The authors find that the cytokines are instead released from the endothelial cells that line blood vessels. A protein found on the surface of endothelial cells, called Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor (S1P1), is essential for flu-associated cytokine storms.

In mice treated with a molecule that targets S1P1, cytokine production and the early signs of inflammation are suppressed. As a result, the animals are much more likely to survive infection with H1N1 swine flu virus. Notably, several companies are already testing S1P1-targeted drugs in clinical trials, the researchers say.

"Now that we know where cytokines come from and have isolated the specific receptor-based mechanism, it is likely that a single oral dose of a compound can be developed that will provide protection from cytokine storm early in infection," Rosen says.

That's not to say that antiviral drugs will be a thing of the past. Rosen and Oldstone suggest that the most promising therapies of the future would include a combination of drugs designed to protect against cytokine storms and tackle viruses head-on.

### Teijaro et al.: "Endothelial Cells Are Central Orchestrators of Cytokine Amplification during Influenza Virus Infection."


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Tungsten Rings - A Uniquely Affordable Alternative

Tungsten Rings - A Uniquely Affordable Alternative
2011-09-16
In the midst of dramatically rising gold prices, Tungsten Depot announces an affordable alternative for exquisitely designed wedding bands and other fine jewelry. In fact, Tungsten Rings are quickly becoming the superior high-quality option for individuals looking for style, distinction and panache when selecting custom fit wedding rings or other tungsten jewelry that is designed to last a lifetime. As one of the hardest metals on the planet, tungsten has unmatched durability in the jewelry industry yet is far more economical to purchase, usually a fraction of the cost ...

Inner workings of virus responsible for rare skin cancer

2011-09-16
SAN FRANCISCO — Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute have begun to uncover how the virus that causes most Merkel cell carcinoma – a rare and aggressive skin cancer – operates, meaning that a rational chemotherapeutic target for this cancer could be developed in the near future. Patrick Moore, M.D., M.P.H., an American Cancer Society professor in the laboratory of Yuan Chang and Patrick Moore at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute in Pittsburgh, Pa., presented these study results at the Second AACR International Conference on Frontiers ...

EGFR essential for the development of pancreatic cancer

2011-09-16
SAN FRANCISCO — The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene is essential for KRAS-driven pancreatic cancer development, according to study results presented at the Second AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research, held here Sept. 14-18, 2011. The mutation of the KRAS gene has been found to be an important component in the development of many cancers, including pancreatic cancer. However, Barbara M. Gruener, researcher at the Technical University in Munich, Germany, said that despite the presence of KRAS, the development of preneoplastic ...

Virus shows promise for imaging and treating pancreatic cancer

2011-09-16
SAN FRANCISCO — Researchers are investigating a potential treatment and noninvasive imaging modality for pancreatic cancer that shows promise, according to researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, N.Y., and Genelux Corporation in San Diego, Calif. The vaccinia virus construct GLV-1h153, engineered to encode for the human sodium iodide symporter gene (hNIS), is a promising candidate for viro-therapy of cancer and for long-term noninvasive monitoring of therapeutic response via deep tissue imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography ...

Finding pathways to cancer progression may lead to identification of targeted therapies

2011-09-16
SAN FRANCISCO — Researchers are working to discover how genes interact with each other to lead to cancer progression. This research is expected to lead the way toward the discovery of new targeted therapies against breast cancer, according to a study presented at the Second AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research, held here Sept. 14-18, 2011. For example, the researchers found that a diuretic used to treat hypertension and edema also stops breast cancer cells from progressing, although this potential treatment is a long way from human trials, ...

Insure4USA.com Offers New Comparison Tool to Compare Quotes for Homeowners

2011-09-16
The escalating cost of homeowners insurance ought not to deter homeowners from getting the best rates. Insure4USA.com, a leading online insurance service recently released a new comparison tool where homeowners can compare quotes amongst the leading insurance providers in the country. According to David, manager of Insure4USA.com, there has been a significant increase in the number of homeowners who now choose to purchase a policy online rather than merely research. David says, "Our new comparison tool is the first step in finding the best homeowners insurance policy ...

Tatooine-like planet discovered

2011-09-16
Washington, D.C. — A planet with two suns may be a familiar sight to fans of the "Star Wars" film series, but not, until now, to scientists. A team of researchers, including Carnegie's Alan Boss, has discovered a planet that orbits around a pair of stars. Their remarkable findings will be published Sept. 16 in Science. This is the first instance of astronomers finding direct evidence of a so-called circumbinary planet. A few other planets have been suspected of orbiting around both members of a dual-star system, but the transits of the circumbinary planet have never been ...

An apple or pear a day may keep strokes away

2011-09-16
Apples and pears may keep strokes away. That's the conclusion of a Dutch study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association in which researchers found that eating a lot of fruits and vegetables with white flesh may protect against stroke. While previous studies have linked high consumption of fruits and vegetables with lower stroke risk, the researchers' prospective work is the first to examine associations of fruits and vegetable color groups with stroke. The color of the edible portion of fruits and vegetables reflects the presence of beneficial ...

Shutterfly Expands Baby Stationery Collection with Design Styles Perfect for Expectant Parents and New Arrivals

2011-09-16
Shutterfly, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFLY), a leading Internet-based social expression and personal publishing service, today releases an expanded lineup of baby stationery. From modern and traditional to bright and brilliant design styles, Shutterfly's baby collection features more than 170 new birth announcements, a fresh bundle of baby shower invitations and corresponding thank you cards, perfect for new parents and expanding families. "Shower invitations and birth announcements are a wonderful way to celebrate the birth of your baby and share the news with family and friends," ...

An electronic bucket brigade could boost solar cell voltages

An electronic bucket brigade could boost solar cell voltages
2011-09-16
If solar cells could generate higher voltages when sunlight falls on them, they'd produce more electrical power more efficiently. For over half a century scientists have known that ferroelectrics, materials whose atomic structure allows them to have an overall electrical polarization, can develop very high photovoltages under illumination. Until now, no one has figured out exactly how this photovoltaic process occurs. Now a team of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California at Berkeley ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Program takes aim at drinking, unsafe sex, and sexual assault on college campuses

Inability to pay for healthcare reaches record high in U.S.

Science ‘storytelling’ urgently needed amid climate and biodiversity crisis

KAIST Develops Retinal Therapy to Restore Lost Vision​

Adipocyte-hepatocyte signaling mechanism uncovered in endoplasmic reticulum stress response

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

Study examines lactation in critically ill patients

UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

Doubling down on metasurfaces

New Cedars-Sinai study shows how specialized diet can improve gut disorders

Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

PKU Scientists simulate the origin and evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation

ICRAFT breakthrough: Unlocking A20’s dual role in cancer immunotherapy

How VR technology is changing the game for Alzheimer’s disease

A borrowed bacterial gene allowed some marine diatoms to live on a seaweed diet

Balance between two competing nerve proteins deters symptoms of autism in mice

Use of antifungals in agriculture may increase resistance in an infectious yeast

Awareness grows of cancer risk from alcohol consumption, survey finds

The experts that can outsmart optical illusions

Pregnancy may reduce long COVID risk

Scientists uncover novel immune mechanism in wheat tandem kinase

Three University of Virginia Engineering faculty elected as AAAS Fellows

[Press-News.org] Avoiding fatal responses to flu infection