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Research Achievements
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Overview
Research Achievements
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Providing basic, translational and clinical research infrastructure from the Office of Academic Affairs at National Jewish Health
Overview
Research Achievements
Research Achievements
National Jewish Health is responsible for many important scientific advances, including:
IgE
, the molecule responsible for allergic reactions. This discovery has become the basis for many new treatments for asthma and allergies.
The oral food challenge
was designed and introduced in the 1970s by our physician scientists. This became, and remains, the accepted “gold standard” for diagnosing food allergies.
Food allergy
research
became evidence-based, thanks to our pioneering researchers
—
at a time when the medical community was skeptical about the relevance of food allergies.
The T-cell receptor gene
, which plays a crucial role in recognizing foreign invaders and orchestrating an immune response. It opened the door to understanding how bodies fight viruses, bacteria and cancer.
Superantigens
, extremely powerful bacterial toxins associated with particularly virulent diseases, such as toxic shock syndrome and Legionnaire’s disease.
Combined chemotherapy for tuberculosis
. National Jewish Health physicians were among the leaders in developing this crucial tool for fighting tuberculosis.
Culture medium for tuberculosis
. A low-cost medium to grow tuberculosis organisms, which could make evaluation of drug-resistance possible in many of the hardest hit nations.
Proteins
that slow the growth of cancer tumors by preventing the growth of blood vessels necessary for their growth and survival. The discovery could lead to new therapies for cancer.
Mechanisms of apoptosis
. Pioneering efforts have helped doctors understand how the body effectively removes and recycles up to two billion cells a day and resolves inflammation in the lung.
Immune response trigger
. Research at National Jewish Health revealed exactly what triggers the adaptive immune response: fragments of proteins from invading organisms bound to and presented by MHC molecules.
The immunological synapse
, a complex and long-lived connection between immune-system cells that greatly influences the immune response.
New family of anti-viral agents
. A naturally occurring lipid fights viral infections in the lungs and the inflammation associated with them.
Methamphetamine hazards
. Groundbreaking research identified hazardous chemical exposures associated with clandestine methamphetamine laboratories.
Breast cancer inhibitor.
A protein known as cdk6 is low in breast cancer cells, and is being investigated as a potential tool for diagnosing breast cancer and as a therapy to fight it.
Genetic roots of pulmonary fibrosis
. A team led by researchers at National Jewish Health discovered genetic mutations that increase the risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis by 7 to 22 times, offering insight into the origins and possible treatments for this devastating disease.
Food allergy cure
. In several trials, patients have been desensitized to allergenic foods through repeated exposure to small amounts of the food or its proteins. Still in clinical trials.
Allergies to artificial joints
. Researchers have developed a blood test that can detect allergy to nickel used in artificial joints, a common cause of failure.