Microbiology News and Research

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Challenges involved in tracing the source of Legionnaires’ disease outbreak

Genetic research helps to explain why tracing the source of an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that claimed four lives has proven to be more complicated than scientists hoped.

10 Apr 2015

USPTO issues Cardio3 BioSciences Notice of Allowance for patent covering CAR-expressing TCR-deficient T-Cells

Cardio3 BioSciences, a leader in engineered cell therapies with clinical programs initially targeting indications in cardiovascular disease and oncology, today announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a significant patent application covering T-Cell receptor-deficient T-Cells which are engineered to express a chimeric antigen receptor.

9 Apr 2015

Study may point to immediate cause of CF exacerbations

In the genetic disorder cystic fibrosis (CF), the most severe symptoms are recurring episodes of lung inflammation and bacterial infection (known as "exacerbations") that happen from one to three times a year and cause ever-increasing amounts of lung damage through the course of a CF patient's life.

9 Apr 2015

New study describes economic consequences of using T2Candida Panel for detection of candidemia

A new study describes a model that estimates the economic consequences of using the T2Candida Panel (a novel diagnostic product that provides Candida detection) as an adjunct to the current blood culture-based diagnostic strategy in a high-risk hospital patient cohort.

9 Apr 2015

UTMB scientists develop quick-acting vaccine that is effective against Ebola strain

An interdisciplinary team from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and Profectus BioSciences, Inc. has developed a quick-acting vaccine that is both safe and effective with a single dose against the Ebola strain that killed thousands of people in West Africa last year.

8 Apr 2015

Researchers reveal molecular structure of cytotoxin from Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Researchers from the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio today revealed the molecular structure of the cytotoxin from Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a widespread, highly contagious bacterium that infects the lungs.

8 Apr 2015

CXCR3 molecule is key mediator of melanoma metastasis, shows research

In a unique partnership demonstrating excellence in "team science," Dartmouth investigators from Norris Cotton Cancer Center identified a role for the molecule CXCR3 (widely known to regulate the migration of immune cells) as a key mediator of melanoma metastasis.

7 Apr 2015

Common cancers deform mitochondria to create conducive environment for tumor growth

In a breakthrough in the understanding of how cancer does its deadly work, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have shown that many cancers - including nearly all pancreatic cancers - enslave and deform mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, to create an environment more conducive to tumor growth.

7 Apr 2015

New review highlights future research initiatives to eradicate polio

April 12th 2015 marks the 60th anniversary of the publication of Jonas Salk's landmark polio vaccine trial results, which confirmed that the first vaccine against polio was safe and effective. A new review, which was published online ahead of print in Future Microbiology, provides a comprehensive overview of current polio vaccines, and highlights new and future research initiatives, such as new vaccine formulations, that could help ensure that polio is eradicated and eradication is maintained.

6 Apr 2015

Dartmouth researchers use new strategies to target drug-resistant pathogens

By engineering antibacterial enzymes, Dartmouth investigators led by Karl Griswold, PhD are using novel strategies to target the prevalent drug-resistant bacterium Staphylococcus aureus.

3 Apr 2015

Microbes go dormant in the presence of SSV9 virus

The microbes could surrender to the harmless virus, but instead freeze in place, dormant, waiting for their potential predator to go away, according to a recent study in mBio.

3 Apr 2015

NASH patients more likely to have increased intestinal permeability, shows study

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the more severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that can progress to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, is associated with leakiness of the intestinal wall, which in turn may worsen liver disease, according to research published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the new basic science journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

3 Apr 2015

Researchers pinpoint molecular mechanisms that inhibit Hippo pathway in pediatric bone cancers

A particular molecular pathway permits stem cells in pediatric bone cancers to grow rapidly and aggressively, according to researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center and its Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center.

2 Apr 2015

Canada's VSV-EBOV Ebola vaccine proves safe, effective in Phase 1 clinical trial

The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, and Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Gregory Taylor, today welcomed the news of promising trial outcomes of Canada's VSV-EBOV Ebola vaccine. The results of several studies and trials bring the world closer to ending this global outbreak through the provision of a commercially available vaccine.

2 Apr 2015

Low doses of imatinib drug can push immune system to combat bacterial infections

Low doses of the anti-cancer drug imatinib can spur the bone marrow to produce more innate immune cells to fight against bacterial infections, Emory researchers have found.

1 Apr 2015

NIH awards $2.1 million grant to counter antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Dr. Walter Fast, associate professor of medicinal chemistry at The University of Texas at Austin's College of Pharmacy, a four-year $2.1 million grant to develop small-molecules that counter antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. If successful, the research could lead to new drugs for treating bacterial infections that are resistant to most antibiotics.

1 Apr 2015

Antibodies from dromedary camels may prove therapeutic for MERS patients

Antibodies from dromedary camels protected uninfected mice from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and helped infected mice expunge the disease, according to a study published online March 18th in the Journal of Virology, a journal published by the American Society for Microbiology.

31 Mar 2015

Study finds link between neurodegenerative disorders and inflammation

Researchers from McMaster University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York have discovered that a protein associated with neurodegenerative diseases like ALS also plays an important role in the body's natural antiviral response.

30 Mar 2015

New faculty members join UNC Lineberger to help launch immunotherapy clinical trials

Two new faculty members have joined the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center to help launch groundbreaking immunotherapy clinical trials testing an experimental treatment in which patients' own immune cells are genetically engineered to fight their cancer.

30 Mar 2015

Study suggests new approach to help prevent meningococcal outbreaks

Nasal drops of harmless bacteria can inhibit a related bug that sometimes causes meningococcal disease, according to new findings published online in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The study--conducted among college students, a group at higher risk for this often serious illness--suggests a new approach that could help suppress outbreaks of the disease, if supported by future research.

30 Mar 2015

Microbiology News and Research

Challenges involved in tracing the source of Legionnaires’ disease outbreak

USPTO issues Cardio3 BioSciences Notice of Allowance for patent covering CAR-expressing TCR-deficient T-Cells

Study may point to immediate cause of CF exacerbations

New study describes economic consequences of using T2Candida Panel for detection of candidemia

UTMB scientists develop quick-acting vaccine that is effective against Ebola strain

Researchers reveal molecular structure of cytotoxin from Mycoplasma pneumoniae

CXCR3 molecule is key mediator of melanoma metastasis, shows research

Common cancers deform mitochondria to create conducive environment for tumor growth

New review highlights future research initiatives to eradicate polio

Dartmouth researchers use new strategies to target drug-resistant pathogens

Microbes go dormant in the presence of SSV9 virus

NASH patients more likely to have increased intestinal permeability, shows study

Researchers pinpoint molecular mechanisms that inhibit Hippo pathway in pediatric bone cancers

Canada's VSV-EBOV Ebola vaccine proves safe, effective in Phase 1 clinical trial

Low doses of imatinib drug can push immune system to combat bacterial infections

NIH awards $2.1 million grant to counter antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria

Antibodies from dromedary camels may prove therapeutic for MERS patients

Study finds link between neurodegenerative disorders and inflammation

New faculty members join UNC Lineberger to help launch immunotherapy clinical trials

Study suggests new approach to help prevent meningococcal outbreaks

Microbiology eBook

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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