Microbiology News and Research

RSS

Scientists discover T cell homing beacons for lungs

Scientists have identified a pair of molecules critical for T cells, part of the immune system, to travel to and populate the lungs. A potential application could be strengthening vaccines against respiratory pathogens such as influenza.

27 Sep 2019

Washing machine could be a reservoir of multidrug-resistant pathogens

For the first time ever, investigators have identified a washing machine as a reservoir of multidrug-resistant pathogens. The pathogens, a single clone of Klebsiella oxytoca, were transmitted repeatedly to newborns in a neonatal intensive care unit at a German children's hospital.

27 Sep 2019

Study uncovers molecule linking weight gain to gut bacteria

UT Southwestern researchers have found a key driver of the crosstalk that helps synchronize the absorption of nutrients in the gut with the rhythms of the Earth's day-night light cycle.

27 Sep 2019

New discovery sheds light on how pancreatic cancer fuels its growth

A new discovery about pancreatic cancer sheds light on how the cancer fuels its growth and may help explain how promising cancer drugs work - and for whom they will fail.

26 Sep 2019

New NIH program aims to improve lives for people with inherited blood and immune diseases

People with inherited diseases of the blood and immune system can now receive treatment at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center through a new, streamlined program that integrates expertise from many medical specialties and related basic science disciplines.

26 Sep 2019

Only half of patients with sinus, throat, or ear infections receive first-line antibiotics

Investigators have now shown that only half of patients presenting with sinus, throat, or ear infections at different treatment centers received the recommended first-line antibiotics, well below the industry standard of 80 percent.

25 Sep 2019

$22 million NIH grant helps renew AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource

The AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource has been renewed with the George Washington University serving as the primary site for the next five years, through a $22 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

25 Sep 2019

UAB researchers find key role for IgG autoantibodies in IgA nephropathy

The most common form of the kidney disease called glomerulonephritis is IgA nephropathy.

24 Sep 2019

Tapeworms need their head for stem cell-driven regeneration

Scientists have identified the stem cells that allow tapeworms to regenerate and found that their location in proximity to the head is essential, according to a new study in eLife.

24 Sep 2019

Green tea compound shows promise in tackling antibiotic resistance

Green tea has gained immense popularity across the globe, mainly because of its health benefits. Green tea extract has been used for many purposes – for weight loss, improved brain function, enhanced metabolism, and lower risk of some types of cancer, among others.

24 Sep 2019

The biological clock modulates immune response efficiency, study shows

According to a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, the biological clock influences immune response efficacy. Indeed, CD8 T cells, which are essential to fight infections and cancers, function very differently according to the time of day.

24 Sep 2019

New method harnesses the power of killer T cells to attack tumor cells, treat cancer

They've been called the "special forces" of the immune system: invariant natural killer T cells. Although there are relatively few of them in the body, they are more powerful than many other immune cells.

24 Sep 2019

Researchers discover how bacterial enzyme removes inflammation-causing meat carbohydrates

Most mammals naturally produce a carbohydrate known as Neu5Gc - humans do not. However, when we eat red meat, animal Neu5Gc is incorporated in our tissues.

23 Sep 2019

New study shows how fungal biofilm morphology impacts lung disease

Findings from an innovative new study led by researchers at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine and published this week in Nature Microbiology reveal that the way in which human fungal pathogens form colonies can significantly impact their ability to cause disease.

23 Sep 2019

Natural antioxidant in green tea can help eliminate antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Scientists at the University of Surrey have discovered that a natural antioxidant commonly found in green tea can help eliminate antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

23 Sep 2019

UMSOM receives landmark contract from NIAID for influenza research

Kathleen Neuzil, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics and Director of the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced that CVD has been awarded a contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, with total funding up to more than $200 million over seven years if all contract options are exercised.

20 Sep 2019

TUM researchers identify complex interactions between bacteria and parasites

A team at the Technical University of Munich has completed the first study of the effects of a simultaneous infection with blood flukes (schistosomes) and the bacterium Helicobacter pylori - a fairly common occurrence in some parts of the world.

19 Sep 2019

Study: Gene editing may correct genetic mutation responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare but devastating genetic disorder that causes muscle loss and physical impairments.

18 Sep 2019

Low blood iron levels increase risk of Dengue

The more anemic you are, the more likely it is that you could spread dengue fever because mosquitoes feeding on your blood have a greater chance of picking up the virus. This was reported by a new study published in the journal Nature Microbiology on September 16, 2019.

17 Sep 2019

Inherited genetic tendency appears to protect people from MRSA infections

An inherited genetic tendency appears to increase the likelihood that a person can successfully fight off antibiotic-resistant staph infections, according to a study led by Duke Health researchers.

17 Sep 2019