Stem cell transplants have become the standard of care for patients with relapsed lymphoma, but not for patients who suffer from both this disease and HIV. A new study showing that this treatment is a viable option for select patients with HIV-associated lymphoma will be published in the January 15, 2005, issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology. Because of the immunodeficiency associated with HIV, HIV-positive patients are more likely to develop lymphoma than HIV-negative individuals, and the treatment for their cancer is far less likely to be successful.

Millions of patients suffering from liver damage (cirrhosis) and failure may benefit from research by the Universities of Edinburgh and Southampton which may lead to new life-saving treatments. There is currently no cure for liver cirrhosis and a patient's only hope of survival is to receive a liver transplant. The Edinburgh scientists from the University's Centre for Inflammation Research, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Southampton and Cincinnati, USA have, for the first time, identified two separate populations of immune cells macrophages in the liver. One group of macrophages causes scarring to the liver, but the next wave of immune cells, produced only a few days later, change function to break down and reabsorb the scarring. These findings, published in the January edition of Journal of Clinical Investigation, will help doctors to understand the mechanisms by which the liver is damaged and repaired and may lead to future treatments.