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First-of-its-kind noninvasive imaging technique shows two proteins interacting

Radiologists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a first-of-its-kind noninvasive imaging technique that allows them to watch two proteins interacting in live animals.

2 Aug 2004

College freshmen, beware of dorm diseases

High school graduates have more in common with newborn babies than one would think. Although departing the proverbial family nest, incoming college freshmen need vaccinations, too.

2 Aug 2004

Risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) decreases with condom use

A multi-center study from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health suggests that women wishing to decrease their risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) should ensure that their sexual partners use condoms consistently.

31 Jul 2004

Proof of principle that it is possible to deliver new genes body-wide to all the muscles of an adult animal

MDA-supported researchers at the University of Washington-Seattle have delivered the gene for the dystrophin protein to all voluntary muscles with a single intravenous injection in mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

29 Jul 2004

Diseases are being neglected in wake of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria

Millions of the world's poorest people are suffering needlessly from diseases that are being neglected because of the emphasis given to the "big 3" killers, HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, says Professor David Molyneux of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

29 Jul 2004

New process that simplifies the production of proteins

F. William Studier, a biophysicist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, has won a 2004 R&D 100 award for developing a new process that simplifies the production of proteins in the widely used T7 gene expression system.

29 Jul 2004

Research using genomic testing reveals new information on flesh-eating bacteria

New research using nearly a dozen different genomic testing procedures has revealed unprecedented detail about the molecular characteristics and virulence of group A streptococcus (GAS), the “flesh-eating” bacteria, according to scientists at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories, part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

27 Jul 2004

How ulcer bugs stick to stomach

Scientists working to develop a vaccine for the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, the primary cause of ulcers and a contributor to stomach cancers, have uncovered new intricacies in the way the bacterium sticks to the lining of the human stomach.

26 Jul 2004

Natural organohalogens have potent anticancer and antibacterial activity

Human made chemical compounds called organohalogens get loads of attention as they are best known for their often harmful effect on the environment - substances like the CFCs (the ozone-damaging chemicals), dioxin (found in the herbicide Agent Orange), PCBs (industrial fluids) and several pesticides.

22 Jul 2004

Genome decoded of distant relative of human pathogens

The Sanger Institute has completed the sequence and analysis of Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica strain SCRI1043 (ATCC BAA-672).

21 Jul 2004

Russian scientists incorporate HIV antigen into a tomato

Russian scientists are currently creating a pleasant and harmless vaccine, and edible one at that. So far, they managed to incorporate the protein gene – HIV antigen in tomatoes. The research is supported by International Science and Technology Center.

19 Jul 2004

Increase in the number of urinary tract infections and cases of blood poisoning caused by strains of E. coli

The Health Protection Agency has detected an increase in the number of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and cases of blood poisoning caused by strains of E. coli that are resistant to most antibiotics.

17 Jul 2004

Research team developing new defenses against plague and smallpox

Using a federal biodefense grant, a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center team will try to develop new approaches to immunizing people against the plague and smallpox, two of the most feared potential agents of bio-terrorism.

15 Jul 2004

Scientists determine structure of staph, anthrax enzyme

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago have determined the crystal structure of sortase B, an enzyme found in the bacteria that cause staph and anthrax. While an antibiotic is probably five to seven years away, the structure could provide the first clue in developing a treatment for the infections.

15 Jul 2004

Priorities on dealing with the big 3 infectious diseases - HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria

The author of a Viewpoint article published online by THE LANCET argues for a renewed public-health effort to tackle so-called ‘neglected diseases’ which continue to have serious impact in less-developed countries.

13 Jul 2004

Genetic mutation is a major contributor to type 1 diabetes

A natural mutation of a gene that helps regulate the reactivity of the immune system is a major contributor to type 1 diabetes, Medical College of Georgia researchers have found.

12 Jul 2004

The case of a high school student in King County who died this week of meningococcal disease has created public concern

The case of a high school student in King County who was hospitalized and died this week of meningococcal disease – commonly called bacterial meningitis – has created some public concern about risks of exposure to the disease.

10 Jul 2004

Geographic variations in colour perception

It's long been known that color blindness is caused, usually in men, by changes in the red and green opsin genes, the genes that enable humans to perceive color.

9 Jul 2004

New leads for the discovery of anthrax antitoxins that could be used in conjunction with antibiotics to treat late-stage anthrax

A team of researchers led by The Burnham Institute’s Robert C. Liddington has determined the crystal structure of the binding complex between anthrax toxin and one of its host receptors.

8 Jul 2004

High levels of endotoxin, a bacterial compound that collects in house dust, may lower likelihood of eczema in children

Children whose homes contain high levels of endotoxin, a bacterial compound that collects in house dust, may be less likely to develop eczema during their first year of life

6 Jul 2004