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"Neoehrlichiosis" Internationally Diagnosed And Successfully Treated In Patients Without Immunodeficiency For The First Time

The intercellular bacteria "Candidatus Neoehrlichia", as e.g. Borrelia, can be transferred by ticks. Approx. 4.2 % of indigenous ticks are infected with this rarely explored bacterium which, until today, has been exclusively identified as pathogenic bacterium in patients with an impairment of the immune system, such as in case of leukaemia, rheumatism or after organ transplantation.

1 Mar 2016

Anti-bacterial fabrics show promise against superbugs

Antibiotics have proven to be a valuable weapon in the fight against infectious bacteria. However, due to the excess use of antibiotics in conventional treatments, overtime antibiotics have become less effective.

1 Mar 2016

P. gingivalis could be a novel risk factor for esophageal cancer

University of Louisville School of Dentistry researchers have found a bacterial species responsible for gum disease, Porphyromonas gingivalis, is present in 61 percent of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

27 Feb 2016

New infection-fighting bandages for serious burn victims

Serious burn victims are immunocompromised and may be missing skin on parts of their body, and this makes them highly vulnerable to bacteria. Thanks to progress in intensive care, they are decreasingly likely to die from burn trauma. Death is more commonly the result of infections that can occur several months after being hospitalized. The bandages used to treat burns actually represent a real breeding ground for microbes.

26 Feb 2016

Genome sequencing shows association between STIs and Trachoma

For the first time, genome sequencing has been carried out on Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis), a bacteria responsible for the disease Trachoma - the world's leading infectious cause of blindness, according to a study in Nature Communications.

26 Feb 2016

Japanese bioengineers tweak E. coli genes to pump out morphine precursor

A common gut microbe could soon be offering us pain relief. Japanese bioengineers have tweaked Escherichia coli genes so that they pump out thebaine, a morphine precursor that can be modified to make painkillers. The genetically modified E. coli produces 300 times more thebaine with minimal risk of unregulated use compared to a recently developed method involving yeast.

26 Feb 2016

Ground-breaking discovery could lead to new treatments for diabetes

Why would a bacteria-killing protein be present in an area of the body that is not normally exposed to bacteria, like the pancreas? Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa puzzled over this question for some time, until they eventually discovered that the protein in question was doing something entirely unexpected - it was actually helping the pancreas regenerate and produce insulin.

25 Feb 2016

New research shows copper can destroy MRSA in touch contamination

New research from the University of Southampton shows that copper can destroy MRSA spread by touching and fingertip contamination of surfaces.

24 Feb 2016

UEA research paves way for new wave of drugs to kill superbugs

Scientists at the University of East Anglia are getting closer to solving the problem of antibiotic resistance.

24 Feb 2016

Ohio State researchers working on new way to treat drug-resistant cancer

Researchers at The Ohio State University are working on a new way to treat drug-resistant cancer that the ancient Greeks would approve of--only it's not a Trojan horse, but DNA that hides the invading force.

24 Feb 2016

Inadequate dietary intake of essential amino acids and nutrient choline linked to stunting

Worldwide, an estimated 25 percent of children under age 5 suffer from stunted growth and development. The most visible characteristic is short stature, but the effects of stunting are far more profound: The condition prevents children from reaching their cognitive potential; makes them more susceptible to illness and infection; and shortens their life spans.

24 Feb 2016

Researchers explore how E. coli survives in the presence of effective predatory bacteria

The majority of disease-causing bacteria in the body are rendered harmless by the protective effects of the immune system. Those that manage to escape the immune system can be killed by antibiotics, but bacteria are becoming more and more resistant to more and more antibiotics.

22 Feb 2016