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Research team develops microbiome-based index for assessing skin health

Microbiomes aren't just for understanding and modulating gut health - skin, our largest organ, hosts a vibrant and complex microbiome that can provide health insights. An international research team has developed an index to better understand skin health across human populations.

22 Aug 2019

Virginia Tech professor wins NSF grant to study biofilm formation in bacteria

Should I stay or should I go? This is a common question people ask themselves in their journey through life, but bacteria are also asking the same question.

22 Aug 2019

Single course of antibiotics may boost colon cancer risk

In an extensive "data mining" analysis of British medical records, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center conclude that taking even a single course of antibiotics might boost--albeit slightly--the risk of developing colon cancer--but not rectal cancer--a decade later.

22 Aug 2019

Lungs feed deadly bacteria in cystic fibrosis

In cystic fibrosis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a much-feared pathogen. The bacterium easily colonizes the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis, leading to chronic infections that are almost impossible to eradicate and are ultimately fatal.

22 Aug 2019

New method prevents the release of synthetic DNA from genetically modified cells

The method prevents a gene that encodes a synthetic protein from spreading into the wild and stabilizes it so that it cannot mutate and lose its function.

21 Aug 2019

Mysterious lung disease linked to vaping spreads across 14 US states

The CDC is investigating a series of cases of mysterious, severe lung disease. The cause is not known, but every patient uses an e-cigarette.

21 Aug 2019

Geneticists prove therapeutic effects of probiotics on vaginal health

Scientists have found strong evidence that three genes from Lactobacillus species can mediate adhesion to the vaginal epithelium.

20 Aug 2019

Type 1 diabetes linked to gut microbiome and genetic factors

A new study has revealed that the gut microbiome of children with a high genetic risk of developing type 1 diabetes is markedly different from those who have a low risk of the condition.

20 Aug 2019

Genetic risk for autoimmunity may be linked to differences in gut microbiome

Children with increased genetic risk of type 1 diabetes have different gut microbiomes than those with low risk, a new study found.

20 Aug 2019

Researchers develop new gene editing system that could be used for anticancer immunotherapy

Dr. Mihue Jang and her group at the Center for Theragnosis of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology announced that they have developed a new gene-editing system that could be used for anticancer immunotherapy through the simultaneous suppression of proteins that interfere with the immune system expressed on the surface of lymphoma cells and activation of cytotoxic T lymphocyte, based on the results of joint research conducted with Prof. Seokmann Hong and his group at Sejong University.

20 Aug 2019

FDA approves new drug to treat adults with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Xenleta (lefamulin) to treat adults with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia.

19 Aug 2019

UVA scientists reveal how E. coli knows to cause the worst possible infections

A pair of University of Virginia School of Medicine scientists have revealed how E. coli seeks out the most oxygen-free crevices of your colon to cause the worst infection possible.

19 Aug 2019

Research shows how E. coli knows where and when to begin colonizing the colon

A pair of University of Virginia School of Medicine scientists have revealed how E. coli seeks out the most oxygen-free crevices of your colon to cause the worst infection possible.

19 Aug 2019

Scientists find a potent weapon against antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a big threat to global health, and a growing number of infections are now becoming harder to treat. The usual treatments, like antibiotics used to treat them, becomes less effective. Now, a team of researchers may have found a potent weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can help treat persistent infections.

15 Aug 2019

FDA approves effective new treatment for extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is the leading infectious killer in the world, far above AIDS. It kills about 1.6 million of the 10 million it affects every year. About 30,000 patients worldwide now have XDR tuberculosis (that fails to respond to any of the four antibiotic categories in use at present).

15 Aug 2019

Removal of a critical enzyme may help cases of sepsis finds research

Scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have shown that removal of an enzyme called the PH domain Leucine-rich repeat Protein Phosphatase 1 (PHLPP1) could help laboratory mice with sepsis in a model they had created for their experiment. The study titled, “PHLPP1 counter-regulates STAT1-mediated inflammatory signalling,” was published this week in the journal eLife.

15 Aug 2019

Powerful weapon discovered to fight antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are a major cause of serious infections that often persist despite antibiotic treatment, but scientists at the UNC School of Medicine have now discovered a way to make these bacteria much more susceptible to some common antibiotics.

14 Aug 2019