New US Patent Granted for Immune System Gene Sequencing Method

There seems to be a lot of breakthroughs in the medical industry related to the immune system lately, and I'm so excited to hear about them! In fact, a recent article titled Adaptive Bio receives US patent for next generation immunosequencing field in Pharmabiz.com (an online pharmaceutical journal in India)  stated the following:

"Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation...has obtained a notice of allowance in US Patent Application Serial No. 12/794,507, titled “Method of Measuring Adaptive Immunity""

Adaptive Biotechnologies has apparently come up with a new way of sequencing the adaptive immune system (Killer T Cells and B Cells) to aid in a range of applications related to immune system dysfunction. This technology will help the medical industry make advancements in the monitoring and treatment of cancer and other immune (and auto-immune) diseases.

Results of New Research: We May be Able to Enhance the Immune System!

There seems to be a lot of research being done on the immune system these days, and that's good news for all of us! In fact, I just read an article tonight that researchers have discovered that the Killer T-cells of a person's immune system can be enhanced to fight infections. That may not directly help those of us with CVID, since our deficiency is usually in the B-cells, but it's still exciting for two reasons:

1. They are researching the immune system and some of that research will benefit those of us with CVID (Read: We are not forgotten!)
2. They are finding ways to improve the overall immune system

The study built on a theory from the former director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (an Australian medical research facility), Sir Macfarlane Burnet, an Australian Nobel Prize Laureate. Apparently, he came up with the theory 55 years ago. The following quote is an excerpt from the article in The Vaccine News Daily:

"The team discovered the IRF4, an important protein activated in the killer T-cells, could be produced at different levels depending on how well the killer T-cells recognized infected cells. The researchers discovered that enhancing the levels of IRF4 could help to boost killer T-cells effectiveness in fight infections and other diseases." (From article: Enhancing Immune System May be Possible by Emma Rogers)

While it may come across as pandering for me to it here, I find the following handout from the Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF) to explain the various cells of the immune system in a clear way that's actually kind of fun to read: Our Immune System.