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Zika virus detected in Singapore neighborhood: 15 cases spark renewed vigilance

Entomological, wastewater, and case surveillance of the Zika virus (ZIKV) in Singapore.

26 Feb 2024

Study reveals how long COVID can affect brain function through vascular disruption

The neurological response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be due to brain-brain barrier (BBB) disruption.

26 Feb 2024

Elevated IFN-γ levels linked to long COVID, study finds

Researchers find elevated IFN-γ levels in long COVID patients, with symptom improvement correlating with decreased IFN-γ, suggesting it as a potential biomarker and target for therapeutic intervention.

22 Feb 2024

Breakthrough gene therapy method utilizes bird retrotransposon for safe gene insertion

The recent approval of a CRISPR-Cas9 therapy for sickle cell disease demonstrates that gene editing tools can do a superb job knocking out genes to cure hereditary disease.

20 Feb 2024

Study reveals seasonal MERS-CoV peaks in Kenyan camels and potential human transmission

Researchers found biphasic peaks of MERS-CoV in dromedaries in Kenya, with evidence of serologic exposure among slaughterhouse workers, highlighting potential human transmission risks.

18 Feb 2024

Combo of targeted and immunotherapy may boost NSCLC treatment by overcoming immune resistance and enhancing anti-tumor activity

Researchers evaluated rational combination treatment regimens for advanced/metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

15 Feb 2024

Home-administered COVID-19 rapid antigen tests show comparable accuracy to clinician-performed tests

In a study involving nearly 1,000 patients seen at the Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital (BCCFH) during a five-month period in 2022 -; researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine, the University of Maryland School of Medicine and five other collaborators report that a rapid antigen test (RAT) for detecting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can be used at home with accuracy comparable to the same test being administered by a health care professional.

13 Feb 2024

New study finds 4’-fluorouridine effective against avian influenza in vitro and in vivo

A PLOS Pathogens study reveals 4’-fluorouridine effectively combats avian influenza in vitro and in animal models, showing promise as a treatment that overcomes resistance and reduces disease severity without significant adverse effects.

11 Feb 2024

Breakthrough technique unveils secrets of "backtracking" in gene regulation

A technique can determine for the first time how frequently, and exactly where, a molecular event called "backtracking" occurs throughout the genetic material (genome) of any species, a new study shows.

9 Feb 2024

CARB-X awards $1.8 million to Visby Medical to develop a portable rapid PCR test for gonorrhea

Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) will award up to US$1.8 million to biotechnology company, Visby Medical, to develop a portable rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic to detect the presence of the pathogen that causes gonorrhea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and its susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, a former frontline oral antibiotic that can no longer treat resistant NG.

9 Feb 2024

New cervical cancer detection method promises to reduce unnecessary screenings

The BMC Medicine study introduces the CerMe detection method, using PCDHGB7 hypermethylation to effectively triage high-risk HPV-positive women, potentially reducing unnecessary colposcopy referrals.

8 Feb 2024

AI's ability to detect COVID-19 from coughs faces real-world challenges

A Nature Machine Intelligence study reveals that while AI classifiers can predict COVID-19 from audio recordings, their effectiveness diminishes when accounting for confounding factors, highlighting the challenges in applying AI diagnostics in real-world settings.

8 Feb 2024

Study reveals high insomnia rates in non-hospitalized COVID-19 survivors

Researchers investigated insomnia prevalence and its association with anxiety and depression in the non-hospitalized COVID-19-recovered community.

7 Feb 2024

New study sheds light on sex differences in allergic airway inflammation

Researchers explored how sex hormones and chromosomes influence allergic inflammation and gene expression in four-core genotype (FCG) mice exposed to house dust mites (HDMs).

7 Feb 2024

Promising influenza drug candidate shows activity against resistant variants

Influenza A viruses with induced resistance to a new candidate antiviral drug were found to be impaired in cell culture and weakened in animals, according to a study by researchers in the Center for Translational Antiviral Research at Georgia State University.

6 Feb 2024

Resveratrol can combat Alzheimer's via inflammatory suppression, study shows

Study demonstrates Resveratrol's ability to mitigate Alzheimer's Disease (AD) symptoms by inhibiting proinflammatory responses and promoting antioxidant enzyme expression in microglial cell lines, offering insights into its neuroprotective mechanisms.

5 Feb 2024

Long-COVID recovery insight: Fatigue and cognitive deficits improve over two years

Study reveals improvements in cognitive deficits and fatigue among long-COVID patients over two years, with specific risk factors like depressive symptoms and old age predicting non-recovery.

5 Feb 2024

XBB.1.5 updated COVID vaccine booster offers 54% increased protection against symptomatic infection

Early estimates show the 2023-24 updated monovalent XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine offers significant protection against symptomatic infection, with effectiveness varying by age and time since vaccination.

4 Feb 2024

New sequencing tool speeds up SARS-CoV-2 outbreak response and informs treatment

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. In the context of two Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks involving local transmission and an international flight, the authors of this article used meta-transcriptome and multi-amplicon sequencing to successfully acquire the complete viral genome sequences from clinical samples with varying viral loads.

1 Feb 2024

Is there an association between vitamin D, immunocompetence, and aging?

The role of an individual’s immunocompetence in the responsiveness to vitamin D.