Infectious Diseases News and Research

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Promising new strategy to treat severe dengue disease on the horizon

Researchers led by Duke-NUS Medical School have discovered that tryptase, an enzyme in human cells that acts like scissors to cut up nearby proteins, is responsible for blood vessel leakage in severe dengue hemorrhagic fever.

27 Aug 2019

NIH announces new round of funding for Research Centers in Minority Institutions

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the National Institutes of Health, has funded three new awards and renewed the awards of eight institutions previously funded under the Research Centers in Minority Institutions Specialized Centers program.

26 Aug 2019

Early detection method for pinpointing molecular signatures of Lyme disease

When researchers examined the mitochondrial DNA of Ötzi, a man entombed in ice high in the Tyrolean Alps some 5,300 years ago, they made a startling discovery.

26 Aug 2019

Skin patch delivers melanoma medication in one minute

Researchers have developed a fast-acting skin patch that can deliver medication to treat melanoma in one minute.

26 Aug 2019

Hidden Zika outbreak in Cuba uncovered by genomic sequencing and travel data

Researchers from the Scripps have stumbled upon evidence of a hidden outbreak of Zika virus infection in Cuba, around 300 miles from the coast of Miami. The researchers managed to detect the outbreak by some detective work that used air travel patterns as well as genome sequencing of the viral samples.

25 Aug 2019

New approach to detection reveals unreported Zika outbreak in 2017

Public health experts in the US have discovered that the Zika virus may still be spreading in the Americas, despite case reporting having approached close to zero.

23 Aug 2019

Study uncovers link between dietary zinc and protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae

Researchers have uncovered a crucial link between dietary zinc intake and protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae, the primary bacterial cause of pneumonia.

23 Aug 2019

Scientists identify unique way to treat incurable type of children's brain cancer

An international team of researchers led by Yale University, University of Iowa, and the Translational Genomics Research Institute, an affiliate of City of Hope, has discovered a new pathway that may improve success against an incurable type of children's brain cancer.

23 Aug 2019

New therapy found to be effective for patients with a particular type of bone marrow cancer

Mount Sinai researchers have found a new type of therapy to be effective for patients with a particular type of bone marrow cancer that is resistant to several standard therapies, according to results of a clinical trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine in August.

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

Meaningful PTSD symptom improvement linked to lower risk of type 2 diabetes

Research from Saint Louis University finds treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that leads to an improvement in symptoms was associated with a 49 percent lower risk of incident type 2 diabetes.

21 Aug 2019

Drug that treat human breast cancer might also work for canine lung cancer

Despite those velvet paintings of poker-playing dogs smoking pipes, cigars and cigarettes, our canine friends really don't use tobacco. But like many humans who have never smoked, dogs still get lung cancer.

21 Aug 2019

Move to single-patient rooms reduced rates of hospital-acquired infections

The move to single-patient rooms at the McGill University Health Centre's Glen site in 2015 resulted in significantly reduced rates of hospital-acquired infections, suggests a study published today in the highly respected journal JAMA: Internal Medicine published by the American Medical Association.

21 Aug 2019