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Archive for the ‘Immune System’ Category

Sh’Zen for beautiful face, body, hands, hair, nails and feet.

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

This refreshing body wash provides the perfect energy boost thanks to four sparkling essential oils.

A key ingredient is May Chang essential oil, extracted from the small, pepper-like fruits of an evergreen tree native to the Far East. It has a spicy, lemony, citrus aroma and is recognised for its stimulating, uplifting action that relieves fatigue and lethargy. It's blended with refreshing Lemon, reviving Bergamot and regenerating Neroli oils to provide a cleansing, fragrant pick-me-up.

Size: 200ml Price: R199 each

Read the Radiant Review:

Yesterday afternoon I came home feeling very hot, sticky and tired after a badminton match. As I had some work I needed to do last night, I decided to try my new Revive Cleansing Wash instead of my usual relaxing shower gel. Wow! The fragrance really is a fabulous pick-me-up and I felt refreshed, revived and ready to go! This will definitely become my everyday morning wash so I can kick-start my day. - Lynn

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Pure Sense

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

Victorian Garden products Cleansing Milks

Cleasing Milks

Day Moisturising Creams

Hand Made Soaps

Camomile & Geranium Mens Moisturisers

Products for the bath

Products for the body

Products For The Face

Products For The Hair

Products For The Home

Royal Tudor Range

Special Facial Products

Toning Freshner Lotions

A safe, gentle solution to stimulate intestinal cleansing without the gripping and cramping pain associated with most laxatives magnesium oxide may further act as a deodorant, antiseptic, anti-infective and antacid

An affordable all natural rich food supplement boosting the immune system and helping to rid the body of toxins and fight disease and disorders naturally.

Nutritional Products

Contains rich sources of essential fatty acids Omega 3 and 6 with some 9 supports a healthy heart, reduces depression, improved concentration and memory and may even reduce joint pain and swelling

A comprehensive formula of natural products to remove harmful parasites and worms from our bodies customer feedback has been very positive indeed

A specially formulated non acidic Vitamin C anti oxiodentent with bioavailable magnesium ascorbate, potassium citrate, sodium ascorbate, citrus bioflavanoids, calcium ascorbate and ascorbic acid a quality essential supplement

ABC Herbal Healing Spray

Crystal Fresh deodorant stick

Baobab tissue oil produced from seeds from the Limpopo valley is a superb natural moisturiser, encouraging regeneration of cells and a healthy skin.

An amazing rich skin rejuvenating oil that gives exceptional results and described as the miracle of the desert.

A pure natural salt deodorant stick with no Chemicals or aluminium

Natural Oils

Brilliant range of natural healing creams made from organically grown herbs from the farm.

An unusual and delectable organic skincare and body care range indulge yourself in some of the finest products nature offers.

These natural toothpastes contain no fluoride or chemicals....

Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral discover the spectrum of benefits from this international leader in colloidal silver.

Natural Progesterone therapy cream. The natural alternative to HRTs restores natural hormone balance and boosts the immune system

An exciting new natural calcium and mineral supplement produced from a natural seaweed - more easily absorbed by the body than any other calcium source

Organaslim is a ...

A wide spectrum insect killer - harmless to humans, animals and birds - odourless, eco-friendly and bio-degradable

A natural bio detergent pure orange oil based gel - no chemicals - squeaky clean results with all the eco friendly benefits of a natural product

A wide spectrum insect killer - harmless to humans, animals and birds - odourless, eco-friendly and bio-degradable

Seabird Guano is a brilliant natural fertiliser for plants, lawns and shrubs in dry or diluted form. Guano revitalizes micro organisms in the soil and also acts as a snail repellent and fungi inhibitor.

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About Voluntary HIV Counselling & Testing | Office for …

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

Who should get tested?

If you are sexually active or thinking of becoming sexually active you should get tested.

Stellenbosch University Campus Health Service Weekdays: 08:00 - 12:00 021 808 3496

HIV/AIDS Helpline 0800 012 322

If you would like to give us feedback on your experience of these services or recommend services in other areas contact Monica du Toit.

VCT is about getting to know your HIV status by taking an HIV test, and does not test for Aids. This confidential test will tell you whether you are HIV positive or negative. Voluntary means that the decision to go for the test is entirely your own choice. Confidential means that you have the right to absolute privacy.

VCT is a three-step process that involves pre-test counselling, the test and post-test counselling.

The pre-test counselling will prepare you for the test and will help you to anticipate the result whether it turns out to be HIV positive or negative.

A trained counsellor will explore your reason for attending and explain shared confidentiality. The counsellor will explain to you what HIV is, explore your level of risk of having the virus, correct any misconceptions you may have and explain what the HIV test is. The counsellor will also explain the importance and the benefits of knowing your HIV status. In addition, he/she will discuss the different options available to you and give you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have about HIV or the HIV test. You will be encouraged to talk freely about your fears and concerns. You then give informed consent/dissent freely.

There are three common types of HIV antibody tests: the Elisa test, the Western blot test and the Rapid test. The Elisa and Western blot test will require that you have a sample of blood taken. This blood sample will be sent to a laboratory for testing and the results will be received a week later. The Rapid test requires that the health worker take a drop of your blood by pricking your finger. A drop of this blood will be placed on the test kit where a chemical agent will be added. Your results will be available within 15 minutes. If the test is positive, a second Rapid test will be done to confirm the result.

Current HIV antibody tests can only detect the antibodies when sufficient quantities have been produced. With new technology the time it takes before antibodies can be detected is decreasing, but there is still a period during which the antibodies cannot be detected in the blood. This is called the window period and can last up to 42 days. During the window period, you may receive a negative HIV test result, but still have the virus in your body. It is recommended that if you have had unsafe sex in the past six weeks, you should have a second HIV test done six weeks later to confirm the result of a negative first test.

All these tests are highly reliable and accurate.

During the post-test counselling phase you will be given the results of your test simply and clearly. The counsellor will allow time for the results to sink in and to check your understanding. There are a number of basic issues that the counsellor can help you with, which includes dealing with your immediate emotional reactions, checking if you have immediate support available and identifying your options and/or resources.

A positive test result means that you have been infected with HIV. The counsellor will help you work through some of your feelings of shock, fear and anger. You will have the opportunity to talk about whether or not you are going to tell your family and your sexual partner. The counsellor will also discuss healthy and positive living with you.

Being HIV positive does not mean that you have no future. Many people live happy, healthy and productive lives with HIV. But it does mean that you will have to learn about keeping your immune system healthy, lowering stress levels and building up a good support system. It is also important that you protect yourself and your partner from further infection. You will also be given information about your rights as someone living with HIV. Your counsellor will refer you to further supportive counselling and medical help whenever you need it.

The counsellor will explore with you the various ways of keeping yourself and your sexual partner(s) safe from contracting HIV. He/she will help you understand the window period and the possibility of needing to be retested. Even if you tested negative, your counsellor will share with you the importance of taking responsibility for avoiding future risky behaviour and of using condoms. If you and your partner have come together for the test and one of you is HIV positive, you may need support as to how this affects your relationship.

As a student at a higher education institution, you are in the high-risk age group of HIV. It is very important that you know your HIV status. Deciding whether or not to go for an HIV test is a difficult decision. While some people think that it is better not to know their status, there are many advantages to knowing your status. With this knowledge you can take control of your life and your future.

You will be very relieved that you do not have HIV. You can begin to make sure that you practice safer sex and use a condom every time you have sex.

If you have had unprotected sex (sex without a condom) recently, the virus might not yet show up in the test. This is called the window period. The counsellor will ask you to come back after six weeks for another test.

This means that you have been infected with HIV. Knowing that you are HIV positive will help you to make informed lifestyle decisions. You can start to take care of your stress levels, eat a more balanced and healthy diet and live a healthier life. Knowing your HIV status will prolong your life. The earlier you are diagnosed the better!

HIV doesnt kill; opportunistic infections do. HIV attacks your bodys immune system so that you are at risk of getting a variety of infections. If you are HIV positive and know your status, you can become aware of the symptoms of the various infections and make sure that you get treatment as early as possible.

You can make sure that you do not get re-infected with a different strain of HIV, by using a condom every time you have sex. You can also make sure that you protect your sexual partner(s) from becoming HIV positive.

Knowing that you are HIV positive will allow you to plan for the future for your own health and well-being, as well as that of your family and partner.

Although there are many benefits to knowing your HIV status, there could also be negative consequences. In many families and communities it is difficult to disclose your status because of stigma and discrimination. Before you have a VCT, you need to talk to a counsellor and discuss all the possible outcomes of being tested. This will allow you to make an informed decision. Nobody can force you to have a test. It is also entirely up to you whether or not you disclose your status to anyone else. The advantages of knowing your status greatly outweigh the disadvantages. Deciding not to go for a test does not mean that you do not have the HI-virus.

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Andrew Tucker elevated to top despite disease | SA News

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

Pretoria- Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has highly praised the 2015 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations overall top achiever, Andrew Tucker, for his "never-say-die" attitude.

Speaking onWednesday at the launch of the Matric Second Chance Support Programme held in Johannesburg, the Minister described tucker as one learner whose story is a blueprint of achieving greater heights Against All Odds.

Tucker is an epitome of the "never-say-die" attitude, she said.

Tucker, a learner at South African College High School in Cape Town, was diagnosed with the Guillain-Bare Syndrome (GBS) disease in February 2015.

The GBS is a disorder in which the bodys immune system attacks parts of the peripheral nervous system. It is a particularly debilitating disease, which can be fatal. There is no known cure for the disease nor does anyone know the actual cause of the disorder.

Andrew's School Principal informed me that the poor Andrew was hospitalised and bedridden for almost five months in 2015. He only returned to school, full time, only in the 3rd term (July), said the Minister, narrating Tuckers sad story with a happy ending.

However, upon his return to school, Andrew refused to be treated differently. Instead, he showed courage and determination, thus inspiring the entire school community to push the boundaries of expectation and strive for excellence.

I am glad to repeat it here that Andrew is our Top Achiever for the Class of 2015. What an inspiring story! What a beautiful mind! What an achievement! Thank you Andrew for what you have done for the basic education sector.

We wish you strength and best for your bright future. We are proud of you achievement. We glow in your light. Youre indeed a beacon of hope, said the Minister.

Tucker also came first place in category top achiever in quintile 5 schools on Tuesday when the nations top achievers received awards.

He said he wants to dedicate his life to making a difference in the lives of others by studying Medicine at University of Cape Town.

He said he was grateful for the support he received from his school, the headmaster, staff who rallied behind him with invaluable support and encouragement throughout the year.-SAnews.gov.za

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Medical treatment Healthcare Siemens Southern Africa

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

With products and solutions for cancer treatment, radiation therapy, and HIV/AIDS treatment, we help healthcare professionals fight the most threatening diseases. Breast cancer treatment in South Africa

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor of the mammary gland. Not only is it one of the most common types of cancer in the Western world, its becoming an increasing threat also for women in developing nations. More women die from breast cancer than from any other form of this life-threatening disease. According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), breast cancer is detected in one in 29 women in South Africa. Early diagnosis and advanced technologies, like radiation therapy, can help reduce mortality rate from breast cancer.

Mobile medical treatment to fight breast cancer in South Africa.

Detecting breast cancer as early as possible is essential for successful cancer treatment. Siemens helps improve cancer care for women by offering innovative technologies, such as breast screening and radiation therapy. In May 2012, Siemens donated a new mobile mammography unit outfitted with state-of-the-art medical equipment to the Netcare Foundation. The Mammo Trailer provides breast cancer screening services to underprivileged women in rural and semirural areas of South Africa free of charge.

HIV/AIDS treatment is very important in Africa

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that infects the cells of the immune system, destroying or impairing their ability to function. With 33 million people currently living with HIV/AIDS and 2.7 million new infections each year, HIV/AIDS is a global epidemic. On the African continent, HIV/AIDS is a major healthcare challenge, with the Sub-Saharan region being hit the hardest.

We offer a broad portfolio of testing capabilities across diagnostic disciplines from screening and diagnosis to medical treatment selection and monitoring. To expand access of cost-effective healthcare in Africa, Siemens is working with funding agencies and local partners. Through the REACH program (Resources Embracing Africa with Care and Hope), for example, we are able to deliver HIV/AIDS treatment in settings where it would have otherwise been impossible.

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HIV and Aids Care (Short Learning Programme)

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

HIV and Aids care short learning programme (32 credits)

Programme framework:

Assessment:

Two scheduled tests and one practical examination in counselling. In order to pass the short course, a final mark of 50% is needed. The mark will be constituted in the following manner: Test 1 + Test 2 + Practical exam 3 = mark (50%)

Format of presentation:

On registration students will receive a CD containing:

Please note that students have to come prepared to classes, since discussions on content will be initiated by students and no lectures will be given on any content. Students will be given the opportunity to clarify any content problems they may experience with the lecturer during classes.

Who will benefit from completing the short course?

All health and non-health personnel who are interested in making a change in the lives of HIV/AIDS infected and affected persons.

For more information about this programme, and other short learning programmes please contact:

Mrs Diane Keegan Assistant Director: Short Learning Programmes School of Nursing University of the Free State Tel: +27(0)51 401 3629 / 2914 Fax: +27(0)51 401 3282 E-mail: KeeganD@ufs.ac.za

Last updated: 12 October 2014 20:04

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Immune system – Simple English Wikipedia, the free …

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

The immune system is the set of tissues which work together to resist infections. The immune mechanisms help an organism identify a pathogen, and neutralize its threat.[1]

The immune system can detect and identify many different kinds of disease agents. Examples are viruses, bacteria and parasites. The immune system can detect a difference between the body's own healthy cells or tissues, and 'foreign' cells. Detecting an unhealthy intruder is complicated, because intruders can evolve and adapt so that the immune system will no longer detect them.

Once a foreign cell or protein is detected, the immune system creates antibodies to fight the intruders, and sends special cells ('phagocytes') to eat them up.

Even simple unicellular organisms such as bacteria possess enzyme systems that protect against viral infections. Other basic immune mechanisms appeared in ancient life forms and remain in their modern descendants, such as plants and insects. These mechanisms include antimicrobial peptides (called defensins), phagocytosis, and the complement system. These are the innate immune system, which defends the host from infections in a non-specific way.[2] The simplest innate system is the cell wall or barrier on the outside to stop intruders getting in. For example, skin stops most outside bacteria getting in.

Vertebrates, including humans, have much more sophisticated defense mechanisms. Whereas the innate immune system is found in all metazoa, the adaptive immune system is only found in vertebrates. It is thought to have arisen in the first jawed vertebrates.[3]

The adaptive immune response gives the vertebrate immune system the ability to recognize and remember specific pathogens. The system mounts stronger attacks each time the pathogen is encountered. It is adaptive immunity because the body's immune system prepares itself for future challenges.

The typical vertebrate immune system consists of many types of proteins, cells, organs, and tissues that interact in a complex and ever-changing network. This acquired immunity creates a kind of "immunological memory".

The process of acquired immunity is the basis of vaccination. Primary response can take 2 days to 2 weeks to develop. After the body gains immunity towards a certain pathogen, if infection by that pathogen occurs again, the immune response is called the secondary response.

In some organisms, the immune system has its own problems within itself, called disorders. These result in other diseases, including autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases and possibly even cancer.[4][5]Immunodeficiency diseases occur when the immune system is less active than normal. Immunodeficiency can either be the result of a genetic (inherited) disease, or an infection, such as the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), that is caused by the retrovirus HIV, or other causes.

In contrast, autoimmune diseases result from an immune system that attacks normal tissues as if they were foreign organisms. Common autoimmune diseases include Hashimoto's thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes, and Lupus erythematosus.

Immunology is the study of all aspects of the immune system. It is very important to health and diseases.

Immunology is scientific part of medicine that studies the causes of immunity to disease. For many centuries people have noticed that those who recover from some infectious diseases do not get that illness a second time.[6]

In the 18th century, Pierre Louis Maupertuis made experiments with scorpion venom and saw that certain dogs and mice were immune to this venom.[7] This and other observations of acquired immunity led to Louis Pasteur (18221895) developing vaccination and the germ theory of disease.[8] Pasteur's theory was in direct opposition to contemporary theories of disease, such as the miasma theory. It was not until the proofs Robert Koch (18431910) published in 1891 (for which he was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1905) that microorganisms were confirmed as the cause of infectious disease.[9] Viruses were confirmed as human pathogens in 1901, when the yellow fever virus was discovered by Walter Reed (18511902).[10]

Immunology made a great advance towards the end of the 19th century, through rapid developments, in the study of humoral immunity[11] and cellular immunity.[12] Particularly important was the work of Paul Ehrlich (18541915), who proposed the side-chain theory to explain the specificity of the antigen-antibody reaction. The Nobel Prize for 1908 was jointly awarded to Ehrlich and the founder of cellular immunology, Ilya Mechnikov (18451916).[13]

The immune system is extremely ancient, and may go back to single-celled eukaryotes which needed to distinguish between what was food and what was part of themselves.[14]

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Your immune system – Mayo Clinic

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

Your immune system is responsible for helping to eliminate invaders (antigens) such as infectious organisms. The key cells in your immune system are lymphocytes known as B cells and T cells, which originate in your bone marrow. After T cells further develop in your thymus, all of your immune system cells gather in your lymph nodes and spleen. Antigens (triangular shapes above) are ingested (1), partially digested (2) and then presented to helper T cells by special cells called macrophages (3). This process activates the helper T cell to release hormones (lymphokines) that help B cells develop (4). These hormones, along with recognition of further antigens (5), change the B cell into an antibody-producing plasma cell (6). The antibodies (Y shapes above) produced can be one of several types (IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE and IgD) (7). The antibody "fits" the antigen much like a lock fits a key. The antigen is thus rendered harmless. The helper T cells also aid in development of cytotoxic T cells (8), which can kill antigens directly; memory T cells are produced (9) so that re-exposure to the same antigen will provide a more rapid and effective response (10).

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Immune System

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

immunesystem.com is dedicated as an information resource about the immune system.

With stress increasing steadily in our lives, our immune systems can become overwhelmed and unable to cope with so many diseases, staff infections, viruses, and bacteria. This can leads us to using more pharmaceutical products, which can save your life and/or further deteriorate your immune system.

How does one best boost the immune system naturally? What pharmaceuticals are best against which specific diseases?

At the moment, there is an ebola crisis that is threatening Africa. How does we protect ourselves from these oncoming epidemics and outbreaks?

Our goal here is to share information about the immune system and increasing the strength of the organism, and thus staying healthy in the face of an onslaught of pathogens.

An immune system is a synthesis of biological processes within any kind of organism that defends against disease by recognizing and killing pathogens and tumour cells. It detects a wide variety of pathogens, from bacteria to viruses, and distinguishes these pathogens from the organism's own healthy cells and tissues in order to function properly. Identification is not easily done, as pathogens can evolve quickly, producing mutations that avoid the immune system and allow the pathogens to successfully infect their hosts.

Malfunctions of the immune system can cause autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and cancer.[ Deficiency of the immune system occurs when the immune system is lethargic, with the potentional of serious infections spreading throughout the body. Immunodeficiency in humans can occur because of genetic diseases, such as severe combined immunodeficiency, environmentally acquired conditions like HIV/AIDS, or the overuse of certain immunosuppressive medications. Conversely, autoimmunity can be caused from a hyperactive immune system destroying normal tissues as if they were foreign pathogens organisms.

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Immunotherapy: Using the Immune System to Treat Cancer …

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

Scanning electron micrograph of a human T lymphocyte (also called a T cell) from the immune system of a healthy donor. Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

The immune systems natural capacity to detect and destroy abnormal cells may prevent the development of many cancers. However, cancer cells are sometimes able to avoid detection and destruction by the immune system. Cancer cells may:

In the past few years, the rapidly advancing field of cancer immunology has produced several new methods of treating cancer, called immunotherapies, that increase the strength of immune responses against tumors. Immunotherapies either stimulate the activities of specific components of the immune system or counteract signals produced by cancer cells that suppress immune responses.

These advances in cancer immunotherapy are the result of long-term investments in basic research on the immune systemresearch that continues today. Additional research is currently under way to:

Why is immunotherapy such a hot area of cancer research today? In this short excerpt from the documentary, Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies, PBS, Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg of the National Cancer Institutes Center for Cancer Research discusses his work in immunotherapy and its promise for cancer patients.

One immunotherapy approach is to block the ability of certain proteins, called immune checkpoint proteins, to limit the strength and duration of immune responses. These proteins normally keep immune responses in check by preventing overly intense responses that might damage normal cells as well as abnormal cells. But, researchers have learned that tumors can commandeer these proteins and use them to suppress immune responses.

Blocking the activity of immune checkpoint proteins releases the "brakes" on the immune system, increasing its ability to destroy cancer cells. Several immune checkpoint inhibitors have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The first such drug to receive approval, ipilimumab (Yervoy), for the treatment of advanced melanoma, blocks the activity of a checkpoint protein known as CTLA4, which is expressed on the surface of activated immune cells called cytotoxic T lymphocytes. CTLA4 acts as a "switch" to inactivate these T cells, thereby reducing the strength of immune responses; ipilimumab binds to CTLA4 and prevents it from sending its inhibitory signal.

Two other FDA-approved checkpoint inhibitors, nivolumab (Opdivo) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda), work in a similar way, but they target a different checkpoint protein on activated T cells known as PD-1. Nivolumab is approved to treat some patients with advanced melanoma or advanced lung cancer, and pembrolizumab is approved to treat some patients with advanced melanoma.

Researchers have also developed checkpoint inhibitors that disrupt the interaction of PD-1 and proteins on the surface of tumor cells known as PD-L1 and PD-L2. Agents that target other checkpoint proteins are also being developed, and additional research is aimed at understanding why checkpoint inhibitors are effective in some patients but not in others and identifying ways to expand the use of checkpoint inhibitors to other cancer types.

Progress is also being made with an experimental form of immunotherapy called adoptive cell transfer (ACT). In several small clinical trials testing ACT, some patients with very advanced cancerprimarily blood cancershave had their disease completely eradicated. In some cases, these treatment responses have lasted for years.

In one form of ACT, T cells that have infiltrated a patients tumor, called tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), are collected from samples of the tumor. TILs that show the greatest recognition of the patient's tumor cells in laboratory tests are selected, and large populations of these cells are grown in the laboratory. The cells are then activated by treatment with immune system signaling proteins called cytokines and infused into the patients bloodstream.

The idea behind this approach is that the TILs have already shown the ability to target tumor cells, but there may not be enough of them within the tumor microenvironment to eradicate the tumor or overcome the immune suppressive signals that are being released there. Introducing massive amounts of activated TILs can help to overcome these barriers and shrink or destroy tumors.

Another form of ACT that is being actively studied is CAR T-cell therapy. In this treatment approach, a patients T cells are collected from the blood and genetically modified to express a protein known as a chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR. Next, the modified cells are grown in the laboratory to produce large populations of the cells, which are then infused into the patient.

CARs are modified forms of a protein called a T-cell receptor, which is expressed on the surface of T cells. These receptors allow the modified T cells to attach to specific proteins on the surface of cancer cells. Once bound to the cancer cells, the modified T cells become activated and attack the cancer cells.

Therapeutic antibodies are antibodies made in the laboratory that are designed to cause the destruction of cancer cells.

One class of therapeutic antibodies, called antibodydrug conjugates (ADCs), has proven to be particularly effective, with several ADCs having been approved by the FDA for the treatment of different cancers.

ADCs are created by chemically linking antibodies, or fragments of antibodies, to a toxic substance. The antibody portion of the ADC allows it to bind to a target molecule that is expressed on the surface of cancer cells. The toxic substance can be a poison, such as a bacterial toxin; a small-molecule drug; or a radioactive compound. Once an ADC binds to a cancer cell, it is taken up by the cell and the toxic substance kills the cell.

The FDA has approved several ADCs for the treatment of patients with cancer, including:

Other therapeutic antibodies do not carry toxic payloads. Some of these antibodies cause cancer cells to commit suicide (apoptosis) when they bind to them. In other cases, antibody binding to cancer cells is recognized by certain immune cells or proteins known collectively as "complement," which are produced by immune cells, and these cells and proteins mediate cancer cell death (via antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity or complement-dependent cytotoxicity, respectively). Sometimes all three mechanisms of inducing cancer cell death can be involved.

One example of this type of therapeutic antibody is rituximab (Rituxan), which targets a protein on the surface of B lymphocytes called CD20. Rituximab has become a mainstay in the treatment of some B-cell lymphomas and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. When CD20-expressing cells become coated with rituximab, the drug kills the cells by inducing apoptosis, as well as by antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity.

Other therapies combine non-antibody immune system molecules and cancer-killing agents. For example, denileukin diftitox (ONTAK), which is approved for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, consists of the cytokine interleukin-2 (IL-2) attached to a toxin produced by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria, which causes diphtheria. Some leukemia and lymphoma cells express receptors for IL-2 on their surface. Denileukin diftitox uses its IL-2 portion to target these cancer cells and the diphtheria toxin to kill them.

The use of cancer treatment (or therapeutic) vaccines is another approach to immunotherapy. These vaccines are usually made from a patients own tumor cells or from substances produced by tumor cells. They are designed to treat cancers that have already developed by strengthening the bodys natural defenses against the cancer.

In 2010, the FDA approved the first cancer treatment vaccine, sipuleucel-T (Provenge), for use in some men with metastatic prostate cancer. Other therapeutic vaccines are being tested in clinical trials to treat a range of cancers, including brain, breast, and lung cancer.

Yet another type of immunotherapy uses proteins that normally help regulate, or modulate, immune system activity to enhance the bodys immune response against cancer. These proteins include cytokines and certain growth factors. Two types of cytokines are used to treat patients with cancer: interleukins and interferons.

Immune-modulating agents may work through different mechanisms. One type of interferon, for example, enhances a patients immune response to cancer cells by activating certain white blood cells, such as natural killer cells and dendritic cells. Recent advances in understanding how cytokines stimulate immune cells could enable the development of more effective immunotherapies and combinations of these agents.

Immunotherapy research at NCI is done across the institute and spans the continuum from basic scientific research to clinical research applications.

The Center of Excellence in Immunology (CEI) brings together researchers from across NCI and other NIH institutes to foster the discovery, development, and delivery of immunotherapy approaches to prevent and treat cancer and cancer-associated viral diseases.

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Boost Your Immune System? Science-Based Medicine

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

Posted by Mark Crislip on September 25, 2009

My right bicep. Oily, a little sticky, and otherwise completely unlike your immune system.

This post is a wee bit of a cheat in that it is a rewrite of a Quackcast, but I have three lectures and board certification in the near future, so sometimes you have to cook the wolf.

What does that mean: boost the immune system? Most people apparently think that the immune system is like a muscle, and by working it, giving it supplements and vitamins, the immune system will become stronger. Bigger. More impressive, bulging like Mr. Universes bicep. Thats the body part I am thinking about. What they are boosting is vague, on par with chi/qi or innate intelligence. They never really say what is being boosted.

The other popular phrase is support. A product supports prostate health, or breast health or supports the immune system. It sounds like the immune system is sagging against gravity due to age and needs a lift.

The immune system, if you are otherwise healthy, cannot be boosted, and doing those things you learned in kindergarten health (reasonable diet, exercise and sleep), will provide the immune system all the boosting or support it needs.

Someone is going to write in and say Americans have a lousy diet and dont exercise and can benefit from better food and exercise. And thats true. If you are not taking care of yourself, your immune function can be improved to function better. But if you are at your optimal baseline, you cannot make your immune function better.

What is the immune system? The immune system is a mind boggling complex set of coordinated cells and proteins.

There are antibodies: IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE and IgM, further divided into 5 subtypes of IgG and 2 of IgA, each with a different affinity for different parts of pathogens.

There is complement, a series of proteins that can be activated by two separate pathways and are important in killing some kinds of bacteria and attracting white cells to infection.

There are blood components: Polymorphonuclear leukocytes, also known as white cells. And monocytes. And eosinophils and macrophages. And the lymphocytes oh my, of which there are multiple types and with different functions. Each cell line can have either a specific task or a general task in the attempt to prevent you from dying from infection. If you are infected by a virus, there is one response, a bacterium produces a different response, a parasite, yet another response, and within each response there are subsets of types of response depending on the pathogen and whether or not you have been exposed to the infectious agent in the past.

There are all the proteins and their receptors that regulate the response to infection: chemokines and interferons and interleukins, a hodgepodge of letters and numbers: IL6 and TNF and CCR5 and on and on and on.

There is the Toll system, a wing of the immune system so ancient it is found in plants.

And there all the nonspecific parts of immunity that help prevent infection: platelets and cilia that sweep potential pathogens out and iron metabolism that keeps iron away from bacteria and the list goes on and on and on. The above is the briefest of overviews of the constituents of the immune system. It is almost like saying you have described the works of Shakespeare by noting it contains the words the, and, of, verily, and forsooth. But the purpose of this post is not to describe the immune system in detail as I would soon embarrass myself.

So when something allegedly boosts the immune system, I have to ask what part. How? What is it strengthening/boosting/supporting? Antibodies? Complement? White cells? Are the results from test tubes (often meaningless), animal studies, or human studies? And if in human studies, what was the study population? Are the results even meaningful? Or small, barely statistically significant, outcomes in poorly-done studies?

The answer, as we shall see, is usually nothing. It is the usual making a Mt. Everest out of a molehill, and a small molehill at that. If you google the phrase boost the immune system you will find over 288,000 pages that give advice on how to give that old immune system a lift. Curiously, a Pubmed search with the same phase yields 1,100 references, most concerning vaccination. If you Pubmed enhanced immune system you get 41,000 references mostly concerning immunology. None of the references concern taking a normal person and making the immune system work better than its baseline to prevent or treat infection. I have yet to see a quality clinical study that demonstrates that, in normal, not nutritionally- or otherwise-compromised people, that some intervention can lead to a meaningful increase in immune function and as a result have fewer infections. Maybe such a study exists. I cant find it. Send me the reference. I suppose the comment section will soon flood me with examples.

If you are normal and in good health, there is nothing you can do to make your baseline better.

Randomly reading some of the advice on boosting the immune system yields Dr. Phil-level inanities that are trivial yet true. Get a good nights sleep. Duh. Exercise regularly. Double duh. Avoid being a fat ass couch potato American whose idea of exercise is driving to Burger King for a triple Whopper with extra-large fries. What a concept. Dont smoke or drink. These sites often intermix common, well-known beneficial lifestyle changes with all sorts of nonsense.

By the way, I need a lifestyle. Best as I can tell, I just have a life. I live it, and someday I wont. But I need style. That is the problem of being from Portland: no style. Its the old joke: whats the difference between yogurt and Portland, Oregon? Yogurt has culture. Sigh.

There are numerous quack nostrums that allegedly boost your immune system. Exactly what is boosted and how is a mystery. Perhaps you are filled with toxins, then any number of detoxification regimens can improve your immune function. How precisely? Another mystery.

All the classic quack interventions: chiropractic, homeopathy, acupuncture, can also boost your immune system by, you know, changing some energy vibration or unblocking something or other. In fact one of the amazing things is that as best I can tell, there is no quack practice that someone, somewhere, will not say boosts your immune system.

People who receive regular chiropractic adjustments have immune system competency that is 200% greater than those who dont.

Homeopathic remedies stimulate the immune system to assist the body in repairing any imbalances that may have occurred.

The following acupressure points are effective for dealing with a condition that may be caused by a weak immune system. Elegant Mansion (K 27) reinforces immune system functioning by strengthening the respiratory system. Steady, firm pressure on the Sea Of Vitality points (B 23 and B 47) fortifies the immune system, rejuvenates the internal organs, and relieves pain associated with lower back problems. The Sea of Energy (CV 6) tones the abdominal muscles and intestines, and helps fortify the immune, urinary, and reproductive systems. Firm pressure on the Three Mile Point (St 36) immediately boosts the immune system with renewed energy. It helps tone and strengthen the major muscle groups, providing greater endurance. Bigger Stream (K 3) on the inside of the ankle helps balance the kidney meridian and strengthen the immune system. Bigger Rushing (Lv 3) and Crooked Pond (LI 11),ire important points for relieving pain and strengthening the immune system. The Outer Gate point (TW 5) helps to balance the immune system and strengthen the whole body. Hoku (LI 4) is a famous decongestant and anti-inflammatory point; it relieves arthritic pain and strengthens the immune system Last, and most important of all, the Sea of Tranquility (CV 17) governs the bodys resistance to illness and decreases anxiety by regulating the thymus gland. Each of these important points benefits the immune system by enabling the internal organs to function at optimal levels.

I suspect that if one were to do all these interventions as once, your immune system would be raised to such a high level of activation that you would probably spontaneously combust. You heard it here first: the reason for spontaneous combustion is multiple, simultaneous boostings of the immune system.

This kind of nonsense is successful in part because that we all are aware that chance of illness increases with the number of stressors in your life, and the worse your life or lifestyle, the worse you are likely to feel and the more likely you are to have an illness. This phenomenon is real for groups of people. The more stressors, the higher the likelihood something will bad will happen with your life. This effect is harder to quantify for an individual. If you dont sleep well, eat poorly, dont exercise, get a divorce and a parent dies, in the next year you are more likely to have a medical problem. I remember toting up my stress score in medical school and based on my number I should have been dead three months earlier.

I would bet that when people turn to these quack nostrums, they do feel better, but not because of the nostrums, but because, for however short a period of time, they are no longer participating in the less than optimal habits that define standard American diet and activity. What they are probably doing is getting back towards a baseline of optimal health, not improving their health past what it is capable of.

I would bet 6 million years of evolution have more or less tuned our immune system to be running optimally, as long as we do the basics of eating well, exercising etc. All the stuff we failed to learn in kindergarten. You can be deficient in vitamins or sleep, etc., which will make you prone to illness, but if you are at baseline, you cant improve your immune system in any meaningful way.

When reading the literature on the immune boosting properties of various products you find there are several kinds of results that they use to justify their claims, all with a thick coating of exaggeration and hyperbole.

The first is just made up. Somebody somewhere decided that this product enhanced immune function. Often the claim is based on ancient wisdom. You know, ancient wisdom, the same ancient wisdom that gave us the flat Earth and slavery and women as inferior, that ancient wisdom. Always a reliable indicator. Most of the time there is no data to support the claims of immune boosting.

Then there are test tube tests for boosting immune system,

The immune system is always looking to distinguish between self and not self. All the cells of your body are labeled with proteins, the major histocompatabilty complex for those of you keeping score, that are, in part, signals to the immune system. This protein on my cell surface identifies me as me to me. And no I am not preparing to sing opera. It tells the immune system, dont shoot, Im one of you. Other peoples tissue dont have the same labels. Bacteria and other pathogens not only lack these signals, they have constituents in their cells that the body has evolved very specific responses against.

For example, E. coli has a toxin, called lipopolysaccaride in its cell walls that the body very specifically recognizes with a wing of the immune system, called the Toll-like receptor. If you incubate immune cells in a test tube with chemicals or non-self life (bacteria, virus, etc.) the cells react. That is what they are supposed to do. In medicine we call it the inflammatory response.

Oh look: Virus. Fungus. New chemical. Is it part of us? Nope. Respond. Kill kill kill. Here is a point I have made in the past. If you take a cell from the immune system and expose it to some chemicals or bacteria, you activate it, you get an inflammatory response. Its primed. And if you then challenge that activated cell with another pathogen, it will kill that pathogen better than if the cell was not primed. It only works with some pathogens, usually those that are killed by nonspecific cell-medicated immunity.

Listeria and Candida are always popular pathogens that the immune system responds with a nonspecific (i.e. cellular) rather than a specific (i.e. humoral or antibody) response, probably because they are unusual enough pathogens that it made no sense evolutionarily to develop a specific response like we see to more common pathogens.

Some organisms, often unusual ones, are killed with a nonspecific response of the immune system, whereas others, such as viruss, which are killed by very specific antibody, or meningococcus, which really needs complement for optimal killing. This response is used to suggest that the immune system is being boosted and they imply that this boosting is to your benefit. Other test tube studies may show that mediators of inflammation, such as TNF or Il-1 are increased, which is what one would expect if you expose the immune system to a pathogen or a probiotic organism.

Those who say that that their product, for example probiotics, boost the immune system, point to studies such as these that show that in response to bacteria, cells of the immune system are activated, they are exhibiting the expected inflammatory response to a foreign invader. They call it boosting. I call it the inflammatory response. What could be better than priming your immune system so that it is better able to respond to a pathogen? This preamble leads us to the meat of this post: Is it good to have the immune system activated? Is it good to have your immune system primed? Or boosted? Maybe not. It does explain why taking a probiotic helps increase the antibody response to influenza vaccine in the elderly and decreases the duration of respiratory infections. A short term inflammatory response may be of benefit, but it may not be an effect you want to have persist.

But here is some recent, interesting literature, about the effects of having an inflammatory response to acute and chronic infections. Chronic inflammation of all types is associated with atherosclerosis i.e. hardening of the arteries, nicely reviewed in Libby et al.s Circulation article, Inflammation and Atherosclerosis from 2002. An inflammatory state can occur from many things, not just infections.

First up: the NEJM, Treatment of periodontitis and endothelial function from 2007.

Periodontitis is gum infection and endothelial cells are them what line the arteries of the body. So they took a 120 people in England with bad periodontal disease (insert your own English dentition joke here, I dont stoop to those kind of cheap shots) to either aggressive treatment of their disease or standard treatment. Aggressive treatment consisted of scenes from the movie Marathon Man:

Patients in the intensive-treatment group underwent the adjunctive full-mouth intensive removal of subgingival dental plaque biofilms with the use of scaling and root planing after the administration of local anesthesia; teeth that could not be saved were extracted, and microspheres of minocycline were delivered locally into the periodontal pocket.

What they looked at in this study, however, were markers of inflammation and endothelial function. Initially, when they were really reefing and scraping the teeth, which is going to cause bacteremia and bleeding, the aggressively treated group had a big spike in signs of inflammation, but long term, as their gums healed, they had a decrease markers of inflammation and better measured arterial flow. Those in the standard group did not get the same long term response; they continued to have signs of inflammation and endothelial cell activation. And this means?

Chronic exposure to bacteria leads to an inflammatory state and has detrimental effects on arteries. Taking lots of probiotics, or other substances that cause an inflammatory response, or boosting the immune system in the parlance of the quacks, should act like chronic periodontitis with chronic sustained signs of inflammation.

Who cares?

Maybe you, if you are taking immune boosters that could really activate the immune system; that should lead to chronic inflammation, which is associated with hardening of the arteries.

But wait. Theres more. The inflammatory state is a prothombotic state. Infected people make blood clots, and they can make these clots for a long time. Clots can manifest in several common ways: heart attacks, strokes, and pulmonary emboli (i.e. blood clot to the lung). There are now several studies out there demonstrate an epidemiological link between a recent infection and a thrombotic event. For example, from Risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism after acute infection in a community setting, Lancet, 2006:

7278 deep vein thrombosis patients and 3755 pulmonary embolism patients who were registered in a UK general practice database from 1987 to 2004. In the 2 weeks after a urinary tract infection, the risks of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism increased by 2.1-fold each, the report indicates. It took longer than 1 year for these elevated risks to return to baseline values.

Urinary tract infections increase your risk of blood clots and pulmonary embolism for up to a year.

How about heart attacks? Well, in Clinical Infectious Diseases 2007; 45:158-65 they looked at acute myocardial infarction and acute pneumococcal pneumonia and found an association, which had been noted since early last century. Acute pneumonia leads to heart attack.

Stroke? In European Heart Journal they looked at a database of strokes and heart attacks and found that:

There was strong evidence of an increased risk of both events in the seven days following infection for MI, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 2.10, and for stroke, the OR was 1.92. The risk was highest in the three days following infection (OR 3.75 for MI and 4.07 for stroke). The risk of events was reduced over time, so there was little excess risk beyond one month after infection.

And a simple community-acquired pneumonia decreases 5 year life expectancy in a VA population from 84 months to 34 months:

Although the cause of the decreased long-term survival is not yet clear, it may be that the systemic inflammatory response produced by CAP accelerates the natural course of medical comorbidities such as atherosclerosis, Dr. Peyrani suggested. This hypothesis, she said, is bolstered by a recent study that showed reduced long-term survival in CAP+ patients who were clinically cured but had increased interleukin 6 and interleukin 10 levels at the time of hospital discharge.

So chronic inflammation and acute inflammation both increase your risk of thrombosis and vascular events. What would probiotics and immune boosters do if they really worked? They would cause acute and chronic inflammation. For those who may think I am talking about vaccines, not here. Vaccines cause the development of a specific antibody against whatever you are immunizing against, but it does not cause a generalized inflammatory response.

Now I am well aware that association is not causality, and I am also well aware of the issues with epidemiological data to prove causality. But I submit for your consideration that if some product is really boosting your immune system, it is really activating your inflammatory response, and perhaps it may not be such a good idea.

Whenever I listen to skeptics talk about ID, they always complain how ID cannot make any predictions. Now I have been practicing ID for 23 years, and it is a science and I can make predictions. To suggest that ID is somehow inferior is. Huh? What? ID is intelligent design? Not infectious diseases? Oh. Thats different. Never mind.

But I will make a prediction: people who use probiotics or other substances that can measurably lead to an inflammatory response, or, have their immune system boosted, will have more strokes, heart attacks and pulmonary embolisms. So when you read that some product or other boosts the immune system, ask:

If the answer to number three is a big yes, perhaps you should avoid the product. When it comes to your immune system, if you are normal, leaving good enough alone is probably the way to go.

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Immune system | Better Health Channel

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

The immune system also produces proteins called antibodies that can help neutralise infection or the toxins that some germs produce.

Some infections, like influenza and the common cold, have to be fought many times, because so many different viruses can cause these illnesses. Catching a cold from one virus does not give you immunity against the others.

The immunisations you may need are decided by your health, age, lifestyle and occupation. Together, these factors are referred to as HALO.

HALO is defined as:

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by: Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)

Last updated: March 2015

Content on this website is provided for education and information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not imply endorsement and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. Content has been prepared for Victorian residents and wider Australian audiences, and was accurate at the time of publication. Readers should note that, over time, currency and completeness of the information may change. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions.

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Immune system | Better Health Channel

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The Immune System – University of Illinois at Chicago

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

There are physical, chemical, and cellular defenses against invasion by viruses, bacteria, and other agents of disease.

During the early stages of an infection, there is an inflammatory response

During later stages, leucocytes produce immune responses

The first two lines of defense are called Innate Immunity

The last line of defense is called Acquired Immunity

Animation - the First Two Lines of Defense

Types of cells involved in the immune system:

Each type of virus, bacteria, or other foreign body has molecular markers which make it unique

Thus, immunological specificity and memory involve three events:

(1) Recognition of a specific invader

(2) Repeated cell divisions that form huge lymphocyte populations

(3) Differentiation into subpopulations of effector and memory cells

Antigen-presenting cell - a macrophage which digests a foreign cell, but leaves the antigens intact. It then binds these antigens to MHC molecules on its cell membrane. The antigen-MHC complexes are noticed by certain lymphocytes (recognition) which promotes cell division (repeated cell divisions)

T cells (Helper T cells and Cytotoxic T cells)

Cell-mediated immune response

B cells, Plasma Cells, and Antibodies

Antibody-mediated immune response

Summary of the Immune Response

The Clonal-Selection Theory

Scientific evidence showed early researchers:

To explain these patterns, researched developed the clonal-selection theory, whihc made several key claims about how the adaptive immune system works:

Edward Jenner (1749-1823)

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Immune System Boosters: Winning the Battle with Your …

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

[Below is my transcript of my video about winning the battle with your immune system, along with supplemental information on immune system boosters.]

Today, Im going to share with you how to win the battle for your immune system and really create a strong immune system and boost your immune system naturally with probiotics.

One of the biggest keys in doing so is getting more probiotics benefits and foods in your diet and improving your digestive health. In fact, theres new research showing that a condition called leaky gut is a major cause of food sensitivities, autoimmune disease, and immune imbalance or a weakened immune system in the body, and again, the key is really increasing probiotics. There are really two main steps here in the immune system boosters probiotics offer.

Stay away from the toxicity of tap water that contains fluoride and chlorine. Be careful of taking prescription antibiotic medications. Thats the leading cause of probiotics getting wipe out today.

Then also be careful about not consuming too much sugar. Consuming too much sugar can cause bad bacteria to feed, which actually imbalances the good and bad bacteria in your body. Sugar can even cause cancer.

Probiotics are good bacteria that help you digest nutrients that help detoxify your colon and that help balance out and support your immune system within your body. So the next step is consuming more probiotic foods and taking a quality probiotic supplement.

The probiotic foods you should look to consume are things like:

Getting some of those probiotic foods will absolutely help your immune system and then so will taking a quality probiotic supplement that contains live or living probiotics. Getting a better brand will help you with those.

Again, if you want to take your immune system to the next level, start staying away from the things that kill probiotics. Load up your diet with probiotics. If you do so, youre going to take your immune system and function to the next level.

There are numerous different recipes that are great immune system boosters and theyre delicious, too! Check out some of my favorite immune-boosting recipes.

Immune-Boosting Juice Recipe

Total Time: 5 minutes Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

Immune-Boosting Smoothie Recipe

Total Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 1

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

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What Is the Function of the Immune System? | Med-Health.net

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

The immune system is composed of specialized cells, various proteins, tissue and organs. The immune system works to defend us against hordes of microorganisms and germs that we are exposed to every day. In majority of the cases, the immune system performs and excellent job of preventing diseases and infections and keep us healthy. However, in some cases, problems can occur in the immune system, which can lead to occurrence of numerous illnesses and diseases.

The bodys defense against various microorganisms that cause disease and illness is the immune system. The immune system attacks these disease causing organisms through a sequence of steps referred to as the immune response.

The immune system is composed of a number of cells, tissues and organs that work in association and attacks the disease causing microorganisms and protect the human body. The cells of the immune system are the leukocytes or the white blood cells. They are of two main types that work in combination and destroy organisms and substances that invade the body.

Leukocytes are manufactured and stored in multiple organs of the body such as the spleen, bone marrow and the thymus gland. Hence, these organs are referred to as the lymphoid organs. Clumps of lymphoid tissues are also present throughout the body in the form of lymph nodes that contain the leukocytes.

The circulation of the leukocytes in the body takes place between the lymph nodes and the various organs through the blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. Hence, the functioning of the immune system occurs in a coordinated manner, thereby, monitoring the body against disease causing germs and microorganisms.

Leukocytes are divided into two main types as: phagocytes and lymphocytes.

When foreign particles or antigens invade the body, the various types of immune system cells work in combination to recognize and destroy them. The B lymphocytes are triggered in the process producing antibodies, which are specialized proteins that block specific antigens.

Once these antibodies are produced, they remain in the body and if the same antigen invades the body again, they are already present to block the antigen. Hence, if a person gets a specific disease, that person will not get sick with that disease again. This is the principle used behind immunizations used to prevent diseases.

After an antigen is locked by an antibody, the T cells come into action and destroy the antigens tagged by a particular antibody. T cells are therefore, sometimes referred to as killer cells.

Antibodies can also help in neutralizing toxins secreted by the microorganisms. They also help in activating a specialized group of proteins referred to as complement that helps in destroying viruses, bacteria and other infected cells.

The body is thus protected against diseases by these specialized cells of the immune system and this protection is referred to as immunity.

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Immune system – ScienceDaily

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

Reference Terms

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The immune system is the system of specialized cells and organs that protect an organism from outside biological influences. (Though in a broad sense, almost every organ has a protective function - for example, the tight seal of the skin or the acidic environment of the stomach.) When the immune system is functioning properly, it protects the body against bacteria and viral infections, destroying cancer cells and foreign substances.

If the immune system weakens, its ability to defend the body also weakens, allowing pathogens, including viruses that cause common colds and flu, to grow and flourish in the body.

The immune system also performs surveillance of tumor cells, and immune suppression has been reported to increase the risk of certain types of cancer.

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What is the Immune System? (with pictures) – wiseGEEK

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

Without it, we would all be forced to live in sterile environments, never touching each other, never feeling a spring breeze, never tasting rain. The immune system is that complex operation within our bodies that keeps us healthy and disease-free.

Few systems in nature are as complicated as the human immune system. It exists apart from, and works in concert with, every other system in the body. When it works, people stay healthy. When it malfunctions, terrible things happen.

The main component of the system is the lymphatic system. Small organs called lymph nodes help carry lymph fluid throughout the body. These nodes are located most prominently in the throat, armpit and groin. Lymph fluid contains lymphocytes and other white blood cells and circulates throughout the body.

The white blood cells are the main fighting soldiers in the body's immune system. They destroy foreign or diseased cells in an effort to clear them from the body. This is why a raised white blood cell count is often an indication of infection. The worse the infection, the more white blood cells the body sends out to fight it.

White and red blood cells are produced in the spongy tissue called bone marrow. This substance, rich in nutrients, is crucial for properly functioning immunity. Leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow, causes greatly increased production of abnormal white blood cells and allows immature red blood cells to be released into the body. Other features, such as the lowly nose hair and mucus lining in the lungs, help trap bacteria before it gets into the bloodstream to cause an infection.

B cells and T cells are the main kinds of lymphocytes that attack foreign cells. B cells produce antibodies tailored to different cells at the command of the T cells, the regulators of the body's immune response. T cells also destroy diseased cells.

Many diseases that plague mankind are a result of insufficient immunity or inappropriate immune response. A cold, for instance, is caused by a virus. The body doesn't recognize some viruses as being harmful, so the T cell response is, "Pass, friend," and the sneezing begins.

Allergies are examples of inappropriate immune response. The body is hyper-vigilant, seeing that evil pollen as a dangerous invader instead of a harmless yellow powder. Other diseases, such as diabetes and AIDS, suppress the immune system, reducing the body's ability to fight infection.

Vaccines are vital in helping the body fend off certain diseases. The body is injected with a weakened or dead form of the virus or bacteria and produces the appropriate antibodies, giving complete protection against the full-strength form of the disease. This is the reason such disorders as diphtheria, mumps, tetanus and pertussis are so rarely seen today. Children have been vaccinated against them, and the immune system is on the alert. Vaccines have also been instrumental in eradicating plagues such as smallpox and polio.

Antibiotics help the body fight disease as well, but doctors are more cautious about prescribing the broad-spectrum variety, since certain bacteria are starting to show resistance to them. The next time you hug a loved one or smell a rose, thank your immune system.

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What is the Immune System? (with pictures) - wiseGEEK

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Kids Health Your Immune System

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

To be immune (say: ih-MYOON) means to beprotected. So it makes sense that the body system that helps fight off sickness is called the immune system. The immune system is made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body.

White blood cells, also called leukocytes (say: LOO-kuh-sytes), are part of this defense system. There are two basic types of these germ-fighting cells:

Leukocytes are found in lots of places, including your spleen, an organ in your belly that filters blood and helps fight infections. Leukocytes also can be found in bone marrow, which is a thick, spongy jelly inside your bones.

Your lymphatic (say: lim-FAH-tik) system is home to these germ-fighting cells, too. You've encountered your lymphatic system if you've ever had swollen "glands" on the sides of your neck, like when you have a sore throat. Although we call them "glands," they are actually lymph nodes, and they contain clusters of immune system cells. Normally, lymph nodes are small and round and you don't notice them. But when they're swollen, it means your immune system is at work.

Lymph nodes work like filters to remove

So you have this great system in place. Is it enough to keep you from getting sick? Well, everyone gets sick sometimes. But your immune system helps you get well again. And if you've had your shots (also called vaccines), your body is extra-prepared to fight off serious illnesses that your immune system alone might not handle very well. If you get the shot that covers measles, for instance, it can protect you from getting measles, if you're ever exposed to it.

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Kids Health Your Immune System

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Immune System Questions including "Why do some HIV …

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

Answer Billions of dollars a year are being spent trying to find the answer to that one.

Answer Its a dealer code, transmission related. Take it to your dealer for professional diagnosis. Answer just had it done dude it is the torque converter look up the code p1744 and it will tell u

Get new boots! Seriously! The feet swell up a lot in a match, about 2 years ago I bruised/broke both big toenails playing 5 a side and it took about 7 months to repir them back to normal. I had a match a few weeks ago and forgot my boots and had to wear the old pair......should be back to normal by

%REPLIES% Answer SIDS is not caused by immunizations. Most children get their immunizations at about four months which coincides with the average age. But children without immunizations also die of SIDS. Answer There is absolutely no medical evidence that SIDS is caused by getting

Securing Loose Teeth in a Partial Plate It's not really recommended you do it yourself if you get the tooth/teeth in the wrong place the plate won't fit. Take the plate to your dentist for advice or go to a dental technician as many do repairs while you wait

Yes, food does stick to partial dentures. Maybe even worse than snaggly teeth.

It could be a neck bone spur. Look for any sores or scratches in your scalp as this could be a swollen lymph node trying to rid your scalp of infection. See a doctor if there are no other symptoms. If the lump is in the hairline it could be an ingrown hair or a Furuncle, a Furuncle is basically a

Stress can definitely weaken your immune system, as that's one of the MANY things that elevated cortisol, the hormone that controls stress, does. Answer2: When someone is regularly in a tense state, with little relief or understanding of how to cope, stress is common. In fact, some authorities term

Answer The Pirates have the following teams in their farm system for 2007: 1) Indianapolis Indians - International League - AAA 2) Altoona Curve - Eastern League - AA 3) Lynchburg Hillcats - Carolina League - A 4) Hickory Crawdads - South Atlantic League - A 5) State College Spikes - New

Rinse your mouth out several times a day with warm salt water. Swish around in your mouth holding it as long as you can. Don't swallow.

The Luddites were in favor of producing cloth on primitive hand operated looms. Such looms were often in private homes where the weavers worked incredibly long hours to produce not very much cloth. The Luddies were also in favor of NOT letting other people decide how to run their own lives. Like u

Answer this depends. do you mean bleeding/spotting? then yes, it could be normal. some women bleed for a few weeks after an abortion and others don't. go to a follow-up appointment. the doctor will check to make sure everything is okay.

White blood cell count (WBC). The number of white blood cells in a volume of blood. Normal range varies slightly between laboratories but is generally between 4,300 and 10,800 cells per cubic millimeter (cmm). This can also be referred to as the leukocyte count and can be expressed in international

Be Skeptical on 'immune system supplements' there is no conclusive proof in their working... Still, the best way to be safe from diseases is to be vaccinated or to have caught it.Echinacea - (A herbal remedy that helps and boosts the immune system.) B vitamin complex - (This helps to maintain a heal

Answer I think you mean macrophages, not melanophages. The upper layer of your skin is called the epidermis(epi=above or outside.) The epidermis is more of just the tough outer layer of skin that serves as a protective layer. The layer of skin that is below the epidermis is the dermis. T

Answer You can not become immune to it but your body WILL build up a tolerance Answer As the above answer indicates, "immune" is not the right word for describing this. As stated above, your brain (as opposed to other systems in your body) will develop a tolerance to it. This means, even thou

Answer Possibly. See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12120898&dopt=Abstract, which is a study showing that with short-term and long-term administration of amphetamine in mice at the dosage of 1mg/kg, the immune system response was notably

Well, yo run all your nails under cold water and then put in front a COLD not warm fan.... COLD fan! do that about three times!

A pathogen or infectious agent is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host. The term is most often used for agents that disrupt the normal physiology of a multicellular animal or plant. However, pathogens can infect unicellular organisms from all of the biological kingdoms. Toda

Bacteria (plural of bacterium) are microscopicsingle-celled organisms (prokaryotes) that reproduce by binary fission, i.e. one cell splits into two, the two cells split into four, etc., etc. The original Greek word (bakterion) meant "rod" or "staff" (like a walking stick) as the first ones discovere

Answer I have never heard of becoming immune to a birth control method.

Answer Microtubules have two main functions in cells and in doing so act like a skeleton as well as like railroad tracks. Microtubules are the main structural component of the cytoskeleton in cells which provides the cell with structure and rigidity and determines the shape of the cell. They also

Vaccines help a body's immune system prepare in advance to fight infectious illnesses and potentially deadly diseases caused by infectious agents or their by-products. Essentially, vaccines give the body a preview of a bacterium, virus, or toxin allowing it to learn in advance how to defend itself a

Value Delivery System (VDS) No no no no no, ER(: Whether you are working in a sales organization or a factory or an R&D lab, you are also a part of a larger system of delivering value to customers. This end-to-end system that collaborates (at least in some fashion!) to deliver value to custo

Answer This depends on the useage of either system. If you are going to be using it a lot and for a prolonged period of time, the the better option would be a septic tank system. Otherwise if you will be using it for a short period of time, for example, for just the weekend, then a composi

A leukocyte is a white blood cell. They are part of our bodies' defense system. They are produced in bone marrow, you can find them in blood and lymph system. Usually when WBC's or lymphocytes are elevated you have an infection somewhere. Leuk = white Cyte = cellWhite blood cells.

Leukoagglutination is extremely rare in health individuals and is far more common in those suffering from infections, sepsis, lymphoproliferative disorders, alcoholic liver disease, hemophilia, and autoimmune diseases.

An antibody is a protein that your body produces which binds to the surface of a foreign body, like a bacteria or virus, and prevents it from actively damaging your body. Antibodies, generally bind other proteins, and they will bind to specific portions of the proteins. Antibodies have a number of f

An organ of the lymphatic system, the spleen filters blood and destroys old blood cells by sending them to the liver and elsewhere. The spleen also removes foreign matter such as bacteria and produces lymphocytes, cells that are essential for immunity. In humans, the spleen also stores blood to meet

Both the endocrine and respiratory systems are dependent on each other. For example, there are certain hormones like adrenalin, which is released by the adrenal glands, which help to stimulate the respiratory activity. Also, some endocrine hormones have an effect on the dilation of the alveoli, or t

If by circulatory system you mean blood system then the white blood cells or lymphocytes which comes in many forms such as acidophiles, basophiles, NK (natural killer cells) neutrophiles, or macrophages..then it supplies these cells to the site of infection (bacterial or viral) or inflammation...if

phagocytes eat the bacteria by secreting an ensyme

usually its from a bacterial infection probably from certain foods you ate or something else. you should ask your doctor about it.

It could be a sign of Hashimoto's Disease. Have your thyoid checked. Answer There are several things that can cause low lymphocytes in your blood. Lymphocytes is the white cells in your blood which are your bodies defense system against viral problems and infections. Low white cell count

antigen prepared from faecal sample of infected animal

Yes, your immune system is triggered to fight the cold and the immune system starts that process with an immune response. It gets busy making your body create a hostile environment for the virus (with fever and other metabolic changes) as well as producing antibodies to disable the cold virus partic

lymphocytosis,is the name

Your body has different ways to act, depending on the type of pathogen. Many extracellular pathogens get attacked by antibodies, witch stick to the surface of the pathogen and can prevent the uptake of nutrients or from attaching to cells of your body. In many cases these antibodies also facilitate

IMMUNOLOGY

neutrophil

The Thoracic duct (left lymphatic duct) is a part of the lymphatic system. It is the largest lymphatic vessel in the body.

Also known as ring vaccination. Crucial to eradication of smallpox (less vaccine/money needed). From http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=23979:"The vaccination of all susceptible individuals in a prescribed area around an outbreak of an infectious disease. Ring vaccination control

Tears are secretions of lacrimal glands from the eyes which contain an enzyme lysozyme, which is bactericidal and kills pathogenic bacteria by destroying the cell wall of bacteria.

lymphocytic leukemia

Hemp Seeds.

Some people many be more resistant to salmonella, however no-one is immune.

The short answer: If you are exposed to an identical version of the H1N1 flu that you had previously after you have recovered fully from it the first time, then your body should have developed immunity to all genetically identical H1N1 flu and you would not get it a second time. However, the flu can

Bone marrow produces lymphocytes and monocytes and all other blood cells.

If your are sick DO NOT eat of drink anything for six hours if you really need a drink just put some fresh water in your mouth and dont swallowit

Stomach's are not generally transplanted, since it is possible to live without them.

There are studies that suggest that over time the flu vaccines can lose some effectiveness. This is partially due to the original vaccine being less effective on mutated forms of the same virus. But for the same exact strain of H1N1 that is in the vaccine, and others that are very similar to it, man

in the evening, at around 8 - 11pm.

You can get sick from exposure to cold weather without shelter, but it won't be from an infection, it will be due to tissue damage, frostbite, etc. Colds and flu have long been thought to be caused by being cold and/or wet. This has been proven incorrect by numerous studies. Being in the hot or col

In short, CD3 is a transmembrane protein found on T lymphocytes that functions in signal transduction following antigen stimulation of the T cell receptor.

Certain diseases such as AIDS can weaken the bodies immune system making it more susceptible to infections and other conditions. actually once the immune system is destroyed, all kinds of diseases will knock your door.

When you mean administrate, does this mean procedure for TCID50 or calculation for use? In calculating for the TCID50 and EID50 of the virus in question, you can either use the Spearman-Karber formula or the Reed amd Muench formula. You will be able to determine the amount of virus per 0.1 ml or 1.0

thymus Gland

An antibody is a large Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique part of the foreign target, termed an antigen. Each tip of the "Y" of an antibody contains a paratope (a structure analogous to

Lymphocytes are categorized into B cells, T cells or NK cells. B cells are mainly responsible for the production of antibodies against pathogens while T and NK cells are primarily cytotoxic.The production of antibodies have 3 critical roles in your immune system: opsinization, it neutralizes and it

Stain with basic dyes cytoplasm shows blue precipitates

No. Immune response is triggered by the antigen.

Epitope is the he part of an antigen that is recognised by the antiody and binds on it.

Because it has a lot of very varied jobs to do, and many different pathogens to fight against.

A pathogen is an organism which when act or enter in your body can cause certain kind of disease and make you ill. They are generally microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoan etc. Basically, a pathogen is a disease causing agent also called virulent ..

I do not think think so, fish oil going to help you in improving immune system and help in cold. Better to take dabur chyawanprash, it always keep you away from cold.

Yes, Lymphocytes are responsible for immunity. But if you take dabur chyawanprash will definietly help you in improving immunity.

Thymus Gland

Generally, no because they include t and b cells which are part of the 3rd line of defense. But there are specific cell types, that are lymphocytes that are considered part of one's innate immune response (2nd line of defense). These are gamma delta T cells, which are involved in the early phages o

Complement

BT-061 is a therapeutic monoclonal antibody that selectively activates regulatory T cells. BT-061 is currently clinically developed by Biotest AG (Germany) for the treatment of autoimmune diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis and Chronic Plaque Psoriasis. First signs of efficacy with BT-061 and a good

The Fab portion of the antibody is what determines the idiotype. The Fab portion consists of both a heavy and light chain and is connected to the Fc region (isotype). Every B cell will express a different Fab structure and in a single B cell it will produce only the same Fab.

Red blood cell contain a chemical that makes it red but when it dries out it turns black.

Edward Jenner was the creatour of the small pox (which harmed many)antidote

Pneumonia can result from a variety of causes, including infection with bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites.

Naiive B cells are lymphocytes that have not yet been exposed to antigen. Once it can identify a particular antigen, it will undergo production of antibodies and become a mature B cell. Mature B cells are split into two categories: plasma B cells and memory B cells. Plasma B cells will continue to p

BCG (bacille Calmette-Guerin) is a vaccination against tuberculosis (TB) disease. It is not used in the U.S.A due to risk on infection and questionable efficacy against TB.

Ginger and mint both help reduce nausea and can be taken as a tea. Just steep some bruised mint leaves or grated fresh ginger in boiling water for about 5 minutes.

Cells use an antigen to recognise a pathogen. The cells then remove the pathogen. If you would like to learn much more detail I suggest checking out the relevant visual aided videos from khan academy on youtube. Look for the biology class playlst

Underlying the actual toe nail are lymph, blood vessels and nerves, thus when you tear or injure it, there is severe pain and bleeding.If you are referring to what you can remove "debris" or "toe jam", it can be composed of dead skin, sweat, dirt, possible minute particles of cloth from socks,if you

IgM is produced upon initial exposure to an antigen. For example, when a person receives the first tetanus vaccination, antitetanus antibodies of the IgM class are produced 10 to 14 days later. IgM is abundant in the blood.

Mucus that are present in body contains macrophages and phagocytes and it acts as first line of defense in our immune system.

This condition occurs when the body produces autoantibodies that coat red blood cells. The coated cells are destroyed by the spleen, liver, or bone marrow.

Pathogen that causes disease AIDS is Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Anti-CCP, which stands for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, is a new blood test that helps doctors confirm a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Anti-CCP is a test that can be ordered during the diagnostic evaluation of people that may have rheumatoid arthritis. If it is found at a modera

It slowly kill off the disease by targeting and creating blood cells that can kill the infected cells

white blood cells when they are attacking antigens

The Vaccine exposes the immune system to small doses of a disease so the immune system can recognize it and fight it off when its exposed to the real disease

The first line of immune defense is the skin and mucus membranes. Skin acts as a physical barrior, blocking pathogens from entering. Mucus wihin the nasal cavity blocks some of the pathogens from entering the body. Cilia also aid in protectiong by acting as a barrior as well. There is also mucus lin

antigens are bacteria or virus that cause an illness antibodies are part of the immune system and identify and fight against the foreign bacteria antibiotics are medications used to defend your body from the illness

protects it from harm from either inside issues or outside problems

he is introduced vaccine for smaii pox from cow milk

the B-cells.

It is when you're playing tag with friends and you're not in, then all of a sudden out of nowhere your 'friend' tags you, you feel so suprised and hurt that you go stiff, like a fainting goat when they are suprised. It wears off after awhile, by awhile i mean 2-3 months. You need to constantly be ru

Their immune system is important because without it they would die of bacteria infesting it. Same thing with all living things.

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Fasting for three days can regenerate entire immune system …

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

Fasting for as little as three days can regenerate the entire immune system, even in the elderly, scientists have found in a breakthrough described as "remarkable".

Although fasting diets have been criticised by nutritionists for being unhealthy, new research suggests starving the body kick-starts stem cells into producing new white blood cells, which fight off infection.

Scientists at the University of Southern California say the discovery could be particularly beneficial for people suffering from damaged immune systems, such as cancer patients on chemotherapy.

It could also help the elderly whose immune system becomes less effective as they age, making it harder for them to fight off even common diseases.

The researchers say fasting "flips a regenerative switch" which prompts stem cells to create brand new white blood cells, essentially regenerating the entire immune system.

"It gives the 'OK' for stem cells to go ahead and begin proliferating and rebuild the entire system," said Prof Valter Longo, Professor of Gerontology and the Biological Sciences at the University of California.

"And the good news is that the body got rid of the parts of the system that might be damaged or old, the inefficient parts, during the fasting.

Now, if you start with a system heavily damaged by chemotherapy or ageing, fasting cycles can generate, literally, a new immune system."

Prolonged fasting forces the body to use stores of glucose and fat but also breaks down a significant portion of white blood cells.

During each cycle of fasting, this depletion of white blood cells induces changes that trigger stem cell-based regeneration of new immune system cells.

In trials humans were asked to regularly fast for between two and four days over a six-month period.

Scientists found that prolonged fasting also reduced the enzyme PKA, which is linked to ageing and a hormone which increases cancer risk and tumour growth.

"We could not predict that prolonged fasting would have such a remarkable effect in promoting stem cell-based regeneration of the hematopoietic system," added Prof Longo.

"When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged," Dr Longo said.

"What we started noticing in both our human work and animal work is that the white blood cell count goes down with prolonged fasting. Then when you re-feed, the blood cells come back. So we started thinking, well, where does it come from?"

Fasting for 72 hours also protected cancer patients against the toxic impact of chemotherapy.

"While chemotherapy saves lives, it causes significant collateral damage to the immune system. The results of this study suggest that fasting may mitigate some of the harmful effects of chemotherapy," said co-author Tanya Dorff, assistant professor of clinical medicine at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital.

"More clinical studies are needed, and any such dietary intervention should be undertaken only under the guidance of a physician.

"We are investigating the possibility that these effects are applicable to many different systems and organs, not just the immune system," added Prof Longo.

However, some British experts were sceptical of the research.

Dr Graham Rook, emeritus professor of immunology at University College London, said the study sounded "improbable".

Chris Mason, Professor of Regenerative Medicine at UCL, said: There is some interesting data here. It sees that fasting reduces the number and size of cells and then re-feeding at 72 hours saw a rebound.

That could be potentially useful because that is not such a long time that it would be terribly harmful to someone with cancer.

But I think the most sensible way forward would be to synthesize this effect with drugs. I am not sure fasting is the best idea. People are better eating on a regular basis.

Dr Longo added: There is no evidence at all that fasting would be dangerous while there is strong evidence that it is beneficial.

I have received emails from hundreds of cancer patients who have combined chemo with fasting, many with the assistance of the oncologists.

Thus far the great majority have reported doing very well and only a few have reported some side effects including fainting and a temporary increase in liver markers. Clearly we need to finish the clinical trials, but it looks very promising.

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Fasting for three days can regenerate entire immune system ...

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