Infectious Diseases News and Research

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Researchers discover biomarkers that accurately identify hypervirulent K. pneumoniae

Imagine a pathogen that infects completely healthy people and can cause blindness in one day and flesh-eating infections, brain abscesses and death in just a few days.

9 Jul 2018

New study reveals potential shortcomings of antibiotic susceptibility assays

To determine which antibiotics reliably treat which bacterial infections, diagnostic laboratories that focus on clinical microbiology test pathogens isolated from patients.

9 Jul 2018

NIH researchers identify natural lipid that acts as potent anti-inflammatory

National Institutes of Health researchers have identified a naturally occurring lipid--a waxy, fatty acid--used by a disease-causing bacterium to impair the host immune response and increase the chance of infection. Inadvertently, they also may have found a potent inflammation therapy against bacterial and viral diseases.

9 Jul 2018

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals how complex brain circuit works

The complexity of the human brain presents scientists with immense challenges as they try to find new treatments for a host of diseases and conditions. But the advent of a new technology known as single-cell RNA sequencing is opening a window into how the brain works.

6 Jul 2018

Bacteria adapted to the human body may become more susceptible to antibiotics

A new study published today in Nature Communications, led by scientists at the University of Liverpool in collaboration with the University of Salford, finds evidence that as bacteria adapt to the human body, they can sometimes become more susceptible to antibiotics and therefore easier to kill.

6 Jul 2018

Pneumococcal genes predict course of disease

Pneumococcus is an important cause of pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis. This bacterium commonly resides in the nasal cavity.

6 Jul 2018

SATB1 protein important for maintaining pluripotency of hematopoietic stem cells

Osaka University scientists demonstrate that SATB1 is important for maintaining pluripotency of hematopoietic stem cells

4 Jul 2018

Zika virus-related pregnancy loss in humans may be more common than thought

Fetal death in utero occurred in more than one-fourth of monkeys infected in the laboratory with Zika virus in early pregnancy, according to new research published in Nature Medicine.

3 Jul 2018

PMDA approves use of LYNPARZA in patients with BRCA-mutated breast cancer

AstraZeneca and Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that Japan's Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency has approved LYNPARZA tablets for use in patients with unresectable or recurrent BRCA-mutated, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 -negative breast cancer who have received prior chemotherapy.

2 Jul 2018

Streamlining and translating basic science discoveries into the clinic

To make sure that good ideas to enhance healthcare are not lost due to a lack of resources, a growing number of centers at Penn Medicine organize forums to pitch ideas to improve medical devices and technology, hold annual competitions to fund studies to improve patient care while keeping costs down, and sponsor seed grants for programs focused on patients who need individualized tailoring of their treatment.

2 Jul 2018

Researchers discover gene that plays role in regulating body's immune response to infection

Australia's national science agency CSIRO has identified a new gene that plays a critical role in regulating the body's immune response to infection and disease.

2 Jul 2018

Researchers conduct survey to understand people's perceptions on Zika virus

In a summer outbreak that posed significant risks to pregnant women and their fetuses, 29 people in Miami-Dade County were infected with the Zika virus between late June and early August of 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

30 Jun 2018

Higher doses of rifampin kill more TB bacteria in sputum without increasing adverse effects

Higher daily doses of rifampin, a cornerstone of tuberculosis treatment, killed more TB bacteria in sputum cultures, and the higher doses did so without increasing the adverse effects of treatment, according to a randomized controlled trial published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

29 Jun 2018

Scientists discover how the flu virus resets its trap

For the first time, scientists have directly visualized in real-time structural changes in the surface protein of the influenza virus that may help the virus to fuse with and enter target cells before hijacking their functions.

29 Jun 2018

Researcher wins $2 million NIH grant to study immunological memory

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded a $2 million, five-year grant to Ken Oestreich, an assistant professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, to study immunological memory.

27 Jun 2018

Discovery provides new mechanism that could be exploited to create malaria vaccine

Scientists have revealed that immune cells called natural killer (NK) cells may play a key role in ridding the body of malaria-infected blood cells, a study in eLife reports.

27 Jun 2018

Targeting proteins in semen could prevent sexually transmitted spread of Ebola virus

Protein fragments, called amyloid fibrils, in human semen significantly increase Ebola virus infection and protect the virus against harsh environmental conditions such as heat and dehydration. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report these findings in a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

26 Jun 2018

Testosterone levels in men largely determined by their childhood environment

Men's testosterone levels are largely determined by their environment during childhood, according to new research.

25 Jun 2018

Merck announces FDA acceptance of supplemental Biologics License Application for KEYTRUDA

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for standard review a new supplemental Biologics License Application for KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of patients with resected, high-risk stage III melanoma and granted a Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or target action, date of February 16, 2019.

25 Jun 2018

LSTM led consortium receives grant to investigate how human behavior impacts AMR

An LSTM led consortium called DRUM has been awarded £3 million to investigate the way in which human behaviour drives the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance

22 Jun 2018

Infectious Diseases News and Research

Researchers discover biomarkers that accurately identify hypervirulent K. pneumoniae

New study reveals potential shortcomings of antibiotic susceptibility assays

NIH researchers identify natural lipid that acts as potent anti-inflammatory

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals how complex brain circuit works

Bacteria adapted to the human body may become more susceptible to antibiotics

Pneumococcal genes predict course of disease

SATB1 protein important for maintaining pluripotency of hematopoietic stem cells

Zika virus-related pregnancy loss in humans may be more common than thought

PMDA approves use of LYNPARZA in patients with BRCA-mutated breast cancer

Streamlining and translating basic science discoveries into the clinic

Researchers discover gene that plays role in regulating body's immune response to infection

Researchers conduct survey to understand people's perceptions on Zika virus

Higher doses of rifampin kill more TB bacteria in sputum without increasing adverse effects

Scientists discover how the flu virus resets its trap

Researcher wins $2 million NIH grant to study immunological memory

Discovery provides new mechanism that could be exploited to create malaria vaccine

Targeting proteins in semen could prevent sexually transmitted spread of Ebola virus

Testosterone levels in men largely determined by their childhood environment

Merck announces FDA acceptance of supplemental Biologics License Application for KEYTRUDA

LSTM led consortium receives grant to investigate how human behavior impacts AMR

eBook: Advancing infectious disease vaccine development eBook

The Critical Role of Sample Storage in Drug Discovery and Development

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

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