Infectious Diseases News and Research

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New diagnostic criteria can help distinguish malignant cancerous chest cavity masses from histoplasmosis

Researchers led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have developed new diagnostic criteria to enable clinicians to distinguish malignant cancerous chest cavity masses from those caused by fungal histoplasmosis infection.

23 Jul 2015

Retail meat harbors disease-causing Klebsiella pneumoniae, shows new study

Chicken, turkey and pork sold in grocery stores harbors disease-causing bacteria known as Klebsiella pneumoniae, according to a new study. The research, which was published online today in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, shows that contaminated meat may be an important source of human exposure to Klebsiella.

23 Jul 2015

Researchers develop diagnostic test to detect enterovirus D68

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a diagnostic test to quickly detect enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), a respiratory virus that caused unusually severe illness in children last year. The outbreak caused infections at an unprecedented rate, with over 1,000 confirmed cases and 14 reported deaths nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

23 Jul 2015

Heidelberg University scientists gain new insight into cytotoxic effect of Ebola virus

In the course of basic research in membrane biochemistry scientists at Heidelberg University have gained new insight into the cytotoxic effect of the Ebola virus. Employing biochemical and cell biological methods they have shed light on the molecular relationships between the Ebola glycoprotein and its role in mediating cytotoxicity.

22 Jul 2015

Researchers report new drug combination that effectively treats HCV patients co-infected with HIV

Roughly 20 to 30 percent of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are also infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV). Both blood-borne viruses share the same modes of transmission, but many HCV medications currently have significant limitations due to adverse interactions with HIV treatments. Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report a new combination that effectively treats HCV in patients co-infected with HIV.

22 Jul 2015

Researchers devise way to induce protective immunity in mice against influenza viruses

A vaccine that protects against a wide variety of influenza viruses (a so-called universal flu vaccine) is a critical public health goal given the significant rates of illness and death caused by seasonal influenza and the potentially devastating effects of a pandemic influenza strain.

22 Jul 2015

Early antiretroviral treatment prevents AIDS- and non-AIDS-related diseases in HIV-infected people

Starting antiretroviral therapy early not only prevents serious AIDS-related diseases, but also prevents the onset of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other non-AIDS-related diseases in HIV-infected people, according to a new analysis of data from the Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) study, the first large-scale randomized clinical trial to establish that earlier antiretroviral treatment benefits all HIV-infected individuals.

22 Jul 2015

Young, single South African women adhere well to daily PrEP regimen to prevent HIV infection

A clinical study funded by the National Institutes of Health has found that young, single black women in South Africa adhered to a daily pill regimen to prevent HIV infection--an HIV prevention strategy known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. This finding is the first strong indication that this population at substantial HIV risk could accept and reliably adhere to daily PrEP dosing.

22 Jul 2015

Alefacept drug offers clinical benefit to certain individuals with new-onset type 1 diabetes

Individuals with new-onset type 1 diabetes who took two courses of alefacept (Amevive®, Astellas Pharma Inc.) soon after diagnosis show preserved beta cell function after two years compared to those who received a placebo.

21 Jul 2015

Phase II open-label study demonstrates that high-risk populations adhere well to daily regimen of PrEP

Results from HPTN 067, a Phase II, randomized, open-label study, demonstrate most study participants had higher coverage of sex events and better adherence when they were assigned to the daily dosing arm, investigators from the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) reported today at the 8th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Vancouver, Canada.

21 Jul 2015

Study findings provide basis for potential development of new methods to control HIV infection

Lower levels of cholesterol in certain immune cells--a result of enhanced cholesterol metabolism within those cells--may help explain why some HIV-infected people are able to naturally control disease progression, according to research that will be presented in a poster at the 8th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015) in Vancouver, Canada, and the pre-conference 2015 Towards an HIV Cure Symposium.

20 Jul 2015

Chicago creates sustainable network to meet complicated public health emergencies

The Ebola epidemic and resulting international public health emergency is referred to as a "Black Swan" event in medical circles because of its unpredictable and impactful nature. However, a paper in the June 30 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, a leading journal in the field of infectious diseases, suggests that the response of the Chicago Ebola Response Network (CERN) in 2014-2015 has laid a foundation and a roadmap for how a regional public health network can anticipate, manage and prevent the next Black Swan public health event.

17 Jul 2015

TSRI scientists awarded two grants to develop new therapeutic target to reduce latent HIV infection

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have been awarded a pair of grants totaling nearly $2.8 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of The National Institutes of Health to develop a new therapeutic agent to reduce latent levels of HIV that hide from the immune system in infected individuals.

17 Jul 2015

UVA Children's Hospital finds potential cause of child paralysis outbreak

A mysterious outbreak of child paralysis cases previously linked to enterovirus D68 may instead have another cause, doctors at the University of Virginia Children's Hospital are cautioning after determining that a stricken child appeared to be suffering from a different virus.

17 Jul 2015

Novel cancer drug candidate developed in Singapore advances into clinical trials

A made-in-Singapore cancer drug has advanced into clinical trials, charting a milestone in Singapore's biomedical sciences initiative that will go towards improving the lives of cancer patients in Singapore, and worldwide.

17 Jul 2015

Human activity has jeopardised future human health, say experts

A new report calling for immediate worldwide action to protect the natural systems that support human health has been released by The Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission on Planetary Health.

16 Jul 2015

SLU researcher awarded NIH's Cutting-Edge Basic Research Award to solve pain-killer problem

SLU pain researcher Daniela Salvemini has been awarded the NIH's Cutting-Edge Basic Research Award (CEBRA) to solve an alarming problem: pain killers that are capable of quelling terrible pain also carry debilitating side effects and significant risk of addiction.

16 Jul 2015

New drug DSM265 shows potential to cure, prevent malaria

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and in Australia have shown that a drug currently in testing shows potential to cure malaria in a single dose and offers promise as a preventive treatment as well.

16 Jul 2015

New hand-held paper machine could be used for point-of-care detection of infectious diseases, cancer

In the U.S. and other industrialized nations, testing for infectious diseases and cancer often requires expensive equipment and highly trained specialists. In countries where resources are limited, performing the same diagnostics is far more challenging. To address this disparity, scientists are developing a portable, low-cost "paper machine" for point-of-care detection of infectious diseases, genetic conditions and cancer.

16 Jul 2015

Magnetic nanoparticles may hold key to bringing immunotherapy into successful clinical use

In recent years, researchers have hotly pursued immunotherapy, a promising form of treatment that relies on harnessing and training the body's own immune system to better fight cancer and infection. Now, results of a study led by Johns Hopkins investigators suggests that a device composed of a magnetic column paired with custom-made magnetic nanoparticles may hold a key to bringing immunotherapy into widespread and successful clinical use.

16 Jul 2015

Infectious Diseases News and Research

New diagnostic criteria can help distinguish malignant cancerous chest cavity masses from histoplasmosis

Retail meat harbors disease-causing Klebsiella pneumoniae, shows new study

Researchers develop diagnostic test to detect enterovirus D68

Heidelberg University scientists gain new insight into cytotoxic effect of Ebola virus

Researchers report new drug combination that effectively treats HCV patients co-infected with HIV

Researchers devise way to induce protective immunity in mice against influenza viruses

Early antiretroviral treatment prevents AIDS- and non-AIDS-related diseases in HIV-infected people

Young, single South African women adhere well to daily PrEP regimen to prevent HIV infection

Alefacept drug offers clinical benefit to certain individuals with new-onset type 1 diabetes

Phase II open-label study demonstrates that high-risk populations adhere well to daily regimen of PrEP

Study findings provide basis for potential development of new methods to control HIV infection

Chicago creates sustainable network to meet complicated public health emergencies

TSRI scientists awarded two grants to develop new therapeutic target to reduce latent HIV infection

UVA Children's Hospital finds potential cause of child paralysis outbreak

Novel cancer drug candidate developed in Singapore advances into clinical trials

Human activity has jeopardised future human health, say experts

SLU researcher awarded NIH's Cutting-Edge Basic Research Award to solve pain-killer problem

New drug DSM265 shows potential to cure, prevent malaria

New hand-held paper machine could be used for point-of-care detection of infectious diseases, cancer

Magnetic nanoparticles may hold key to bringing immunotherapy into successful clinical use

Industry Focus: Infectious Diseases eBook

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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