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BCG vaccine's impact on innate immunity explained at cellular level

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is one of the world’s oldest and most widely used vaccines. It was developed in the early 20th century to provide protection from tuberculosis.

9 Jan 2024

Bacterial "freight elevator" unpacked: How pathogens hide from the immune system

Some bacterial membrane transporters work almost like freight elevators to transport substances through the cell membrane into the interior of the cell. The transporter itself spans the bacterial membrane.

8 Jan 2024

Genomic analysis of uncultured bacteria from patients identifies more than thirty new species

Unknown germs are a common occurrence in hospitals. Researchers at the University of Basel have spent many years collecting and analyzing them.

8 Jan 2024

Does SARS-CoV-2's ability to infect humans stem from its evolutionary past?

Study challenges the hypothesis of genetic recombination in SARS-CoV-2's evolution, suggesting its ancestral virus already possessed human-infecting traits, based on analyses of over 100 viral genomes.

7 Jan 2024

University of Louisville scientists aim to disarm Yersinia pestis, the bubonic plague bacteria

When the body encounters bacteria, viruses or harmful substances, its innate immune cells, neutrophils, assemble at the site to combat the invader.

5 Jan 2024

St. Jude scientists develop novel spectinomycin derivatives to combat Mycobacterium abscessus

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are tackling Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) antibiotic resistance.

5 Jan 2024

Stapled lipopeptides show promise as broad-spectrum antiviral agents

Compounds that obstruct the "landing gear" of a range of harmful viruses can successfully protect against infection by the virus that causes COVID-19, a study published today and led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists shows.

5 Jan 2024

Anti-CTLA-4 nanobodies offer promising strategy to prevent colitis in cancer immunotherapy

Microbiota-reactive T cells trigger colitis in mice harboring the microbiota of wild-caught mice following CTLA-4 blockade, according to a new study that reveals a major mechanism by which anti-CTLA-4 antibodies induce inflammatory toxicities during antitumor immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies.

4 Jan 2024

Scientists unearth dual-action weapons against deadly tuberculosis

A research team has detected various substances that have a dual effect against tuberculosis: They make the bacteria causing the disease less pathogenic for human immune cells and boost the activity of conventional antibiotics / publication in ‘Cell Chemical Biology’.

4 Jan 2024

New non-steroidal anti-inflammatory can inhibit the cytokine storm and preserve innate immunity

Very early in the COVID-19 pandemic clinical trials in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 confirmed that corticosteroids like dexamethasone reduced mortality, but they were harmful when applied at the first COVID-19 symptoms, due to the weakening of innate antiviral immunity, leading to delayed viral clearance and adverse outcomes in severe viral pneumonias.

28 Dec 2023

Researchers receive two grants to study tuberculosis drug development

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers and the TB Drug Accelerator have received two grants totaling $6.8 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to study tuberculosis (TB) drug development.

26 Dec 2023

Shedding new light on the evolution of tuberculosis

Recent research suggests that the emergence of tuberculosis infection in human populations dates back tens of thousands of years earlier than previously known cases in the Middle East.

26 Dec 2023

Microplastics as pathogen carriers in water pose environmental and public health risks

Microplastics, which are minute plastic particles under 5mm in size, are becoming ever more ubiquitous in marine and freshwater ecosystems around the globe.

22 Dec 2023

R21/Matrix-M vaccine gets WHO green light for global rollout

The R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccine is one step closer to mass rollout, after officially receiving WHO prequalification status, making it eligible for procurement by United Nations agencies.

21 Dec 2023

New tool organizes single-cell data for health discoveries

A new methodology that allows for the categorization and organisation of single-cell data has been launched. It can be used to create a harmonized dataset for the study of human health and disease.

21 Dec 2023

New vaccine design targets universal immunity with "chef"-inspired tool

Vaccine development aims at protecting as many people as possible from infections. Short protein fragments of pathogens, so-called epitopes, are seen as a promising new approach for vaccine development.

20 Dec 2023

Over 1 million deaths linked to antimicrobial resistance in Africa

Over 1.05 million deaths were associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and 250,000 deaths were attributable to AMR in the WHO African region, posing an unprecedented health threat.

19 Dec 2023

Hospital coffee machines not responsible for spreading superbugs, study finds

Healthcare workers will be relieved to know that hospital coffee machines are not responsible for spreading disease and a general ban doesn't seem necessary, finds a study published in the Christmas issue of The BMJ.

18 Dec 2023

UMass Amherst researchers develop novel strategy to outsmart antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’

Antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" that can defeat efforts to kill them are an urgent public health crisis, and according to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur each year.

18 Dec 2023

COVID-19 hospitalization linked to greater long-term health risks than seasonal influenza

Study reveals that hospitalized COVID-19 patients face higher long-term risks of death and health adversities across multiple organ systems compared to those hospitalized with seasonal influenza.

18 Dec 2023

Pathogen News and Research

BCG vaccine's impact on innate immunity explained at cellular level

Bacterial "freight elevator" unpacked: How pathogens hide from the immune system

Genomic analysis of uncultured bacteria from patients identifies more than thirty new species

Does SARS-CoV-2's ability to infect humans stem from its evolutionary past?

University of Louisville scientists aim to disarm Yersinia pestis, the bubonic plague bacteria

St. Jude scientists develop novel spectinomycin derivatives to combat Mycobacterium abscessus

Stapled lipopeptides show promise as broad-spectrum antiviral agents

Anti-CTLA-4 nanobodies offer promising strategy to prevent colitis in cancer immunotherapy

Scientists unearth dual-action weapons against deadly tuberculosis

New non-steroidal anti-inflammatory can inhibit the cytokine storm and preserve innate immunity

Researchers receive two grants to study tuberculosis drug development

Shedding new light on the evolution of tuberculosis

Microplastics as pathogen carriers in water pose environmental and public health risks

R21/Matrix-M vaccine gets WHO green light for global rollout

New tool organizes single-cell data for health discoveries

New vaccine design targets universal immunity with "chef"-inspired tool

Over 1 million deaths linked to antimicrobial resistance in Africa

Hospital coffee machines not responsible for spreading superbugs, study finds

UMass Amherst researchers develop novel strategy to outsmart antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’

COVID-19 hospitalization linked to greater long-term health risks than seasonal influenza

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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