Pathogen News and Research

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Good bacteria can help inhibit growth of S. pneumoniae

A new study from the Forsyth Institute is helping to shed more light on the important connections among the diverse bacteria in our microbiome. According to research published in mBio, scientists at Forsyth, led by Dr. Katherine P. Lemon, along with their collaborator at Vanderbilt University, have demonstrated that a harmless bacterium found in the nose and on skin may negatively impact the growth of a pathogen that commonly causes middle ear infections in children and pneumonia in children and older adults.

6 Jan 2016

Body can control pathogen-induced inflammatory response, find Georgia State researchers

The body can control inflammatory response triggered by invasions of microbial pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, a discovery that could lead to the development of new therapeutic agents for uncontrolled inflammation, according to researchers at Georgia State University.

29 Dec 2015

Newly discovered molecular mechanism may provide alternative explanation for antibiotic resistance

The bacterium B. cereus had so far been considered to be exclusively endospore-forming. In response to harsh conditions, the bacteria form protective endospores enabling them to remain dormant for extended periods. When conditions are more favourable, the endospores reactivate to become fully functioning bacteria.

28 Dec 2015

Study shows why immune system fails to develop immunity during malaria infection

Australian scientists have for the first time revealed how malaria parasites cause an inflammatory reaction that sabotages our body's ability to protect itself against the disease.

26 Dec 2015

Study shows pathogens can survive in dry foods for long periods of time

Researchers at the University of Georgia found that pathogens, like salmonella, can survive for at least six months in cookies and crackers.

23 Dec 2015

New easy-to-use computer program can quickly identify drug-resistant infections

Scientists have developed an easy-to-use computer program that can quickly analyse bacterial DNA from a patient's infection and predict which antibiotics will work, and which will fail due to drug resistance. The software is currently being trialled in three UK hospitals to see whether it could help speed up diagnosis of drug-resistant infections and enable doctors to better target the prescription of antibiotics.

21 Dec 2015

Australian researchers develop new technique to combat chronic bacterial infections in hospitals

One of the scourges of infections in hospitals – biofilms formed by bacteria that stick to each other on living tissue and medical instruments, making them harder to remove – can be tricked into dispersing with the targeted application of nanoparticles and heat, researchers have found.

21 Dec 2015

Luminex's NxTAG Respiratory Pathogen Panel obtains FDA clearance

Luminex Corporation today announced that it has received FDA clearance for its NxTAG Respiratory Pathogen Panel that detects 20 clinically relevant viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens, including the atypical bacteria Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumonia.

20 Dec 2015

New vaccine shows promise against Middle East respiratory syndrome in dromedary camels

An international research project with the involvement of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Animal Health Research Centre (IRTA-CReSA), has designed a vaccine shown to be effective in protecting dromedaries against the coronavirus (CoV) that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

18 Dec 2015

Findings show promising evidence for creating broad-spectrum antiviral

UW researchers working in collaboration with Kineta Inc. and the University of Texas at Galveston have shown that making a drug-like molecule to turn on innate immunity can induce genes to control infection in several -known viruses.

18 Dec 2015

New discovery could open door to potential treatment for West Nile virus and Dengue virus infections

A new discovery from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry could open the door to one day treat or prevent diseases caused by West Nile virus and Dengue virus infections.

18 Dec 2015

Louisville researchers move closer to potential treatment for gum disease

University of Louisville researchers recently received a patent on a synthetic biochemical compound and its variants, moving science closer to a treatment for gum disease. This discovery could lead to the formulation of a mouth rinse or tooth varnish to prevent the pathogen, P. gingivalis from colonizing in the mouth and establishing itself orally.

17 Dec 2015

U of T researchers find another clue in understanding the cause of MS

Researchers at the University of Toronto have found another clue in understanding the cause of what drives Multiple Sclerosis (MS) disease. Their findings were published today in Immunity.

16 Dec 2015

New rapid test can detect malaria parasites, viruses and biomarkers

Nothing could be simpler: a drop of blood is placed on a special carrier substance; after a wait of a few minutes, the slide is placed on a device that emits polarised light thanks to an inexpensive polarisation filter. It is covered with a lid containing a second polarisation filter, which blocks the light from all materials except crystalline or materials with directional properties.

13 Dec 2015

U.S. has sufficient capacity for treating Ebola outbreak but financial, resource challenges remain as hurdle

The United States has sufficient capacity for treating another outbreak of the Ebola virus, but financial, staffing and resource challenges remain a hurdle for many hospitals and health systems attempting to maintain dedicated treatment centers for highly infectious diseases, according to new study released today.

12 Dec 2015

Abbott, UCSF identify human pegivirus 2 among some patients with hepatitis C

Abbott and University of California San Francisco published research identifying a newly discovered human virus, known as human pegivirus 2 (HPgV-2), and proving it is found among some patients with hepatitis C (HCV).

12 Dec 2015

Bacteriophage therapy: an alternative to antibiotics? An interview Professor Clokie

A phage is a virus that infects a bacterium. People often get very confused about what the difference is between a virus and a bacterium. A virus, like a bacterium, is also a microorganism, but unlike bacteria, it needs to have a host to be able to replicate and propagate.

2 Dec 2015

Synthetic Biologics announces positive results from first SYN-004 Phase 2a study for prevention of CDI, AAD

Synthetic Biologics, Inc.), a clinical stage company focused on developing therapeutics to protect the gut microbiome while targeting pathogen specific diseases, announced positive topline results from the first Phase 2a study of SYN-004, the Company's candidate designed to protect the gut microbiome from the unintended effects of certain commonly used intravenous (IV) beta-lactam antibiotics for the prevention C. difficile infection (CDI) and antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD).

1 Dec 2015

Researchers aiming to improve accuracy of current diagnostics for Leishmania infantum kinetoplast

In an article published in Small, researchers successfully applied a new qualitative and quantitative method for the detection of a DNA sequence characteristic of Leishmania infantum kinetoplast, a frequent parasite in veterinary that affects humans too.

26 Nov 2015

WPI researchers awarded $1.3 million NIH grant to study use of copper to battle bacterial invader

Copper is an essential micronutrient that all organisms need to maintain healthy metabolism. But unless it is bound to proteins, copper is also toxic to cells. With a $1.3 million award from the National Institutes of Health, researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute will conduct a systematic study of copper in the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), a leading cause of hospital-associated infections that is increasingly resistant to antibiotics, with the hope of discovering new drug targets that might allow cells in the body to use copper to fight back against this bacterial invader.

25 Nov 2015

Pathogen News and Research

Good bacteria can help inhibit growth of S. pneumoniae

Body can control pathogen-induced inflammatory response, find Georgia State researchers

Newly discovered molecular mechanism may provide alternative explanation for antibiotic resistance

Study shows why immune system fails to develop immunity during malaria infection

Study shows pathogens can survive in dry foods for long periods of time

New easy-to-use computer program can quickly identify drug-resistant infections

Australian researchers develop new technique to combat chronic bacterial infections in hospitals

Luminex's NxTAG Respiratory Pathogen Panel obtains FDA clearance

New vaccine shows promise against Middle East respiratory syndrome in dromedary camels

Findings show promising evidence for creating broad-spectrum antiviral

New discovery could open door to potential treatment for West Nile virus and Dengue virus infections

Louisville researchers move closer to potential treatment for gum disease

U of T researchers find another clue in understanding the cause of MS

New rapid test can detect malaria parasites, viruses and biomarkers

U.S. has sufficient capacity for treating Ebola outbreak but financial, resource challenges remain as hurdle

Abbott, UCSF identify human pegivirus 2 among some patients with hepatitis C

Bacteriophage therapy: an alternative to antibiotics? An interview Professor Clokie

Synthetic Biologics announces positive results from first SYN-004 Phase 2a study for prevention of CDI, AAD

Researchers aiming to improve accuracy of current diagnostics for Leishmania infantum kinetoplast

WPI researchers awarded $1.3 million NIH grant to study use of copper to battle bacterial invader

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