Bacteria News and Research

RSS

2010 Internal Medicine conference at Toronto Convention Center

More than 5,000 internists (adult medicine specialists), subspecialists, medical students, and allied health professionals will meet in Toronto, Canada, for Internal Medicine 2010, the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Physicians (ACP), April 22 - 24 (Thursday - Saturday), at the Toronto Convention Center.

2 Apr 2010

New clues into genomic complexity of Mimivirus

A study published online today in the journal Genome Research offers surprising new clues into the genomic complexity of the giant Mimivirus, the largest known virus in the world. Previous studies have shown that unlike most viruses, the Mimivirus has more genes than many bacteria and performs functions that normally occur only in cellular organisms.

2 Apr 2010

Mtb fine-tunes behaviour to escape detection and causes TB

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) possesses extraordinary survival ability by masking itself from the host immune system and persisting for decades inside the host. Speaking at the Society for General Microbiology's spring meeting in Edinburgh today, Dr Kristine Arnvig provides further insight into how the bacterium causes tuberculosis (TB) by fine-tuning its behaviour in response to its surroundings to escape detection.

1 Apr 2010

Bile secretions in small intestine send signals to disease-causing gut bacteria

Bile secretions in the small intestine send signals to disease-causing gut bacteria allowing them to change their behavior to maximize their chances of surviving, Montana State University research associate Steve Hamner told the Society for General Microbiology during its spring meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1 Apr 2010

Panel of experts endorse effectiveness of Mirasol PRT System for preventing GVHD

CaridianBCT, a leading global provider of technology, products and services in the blood banking, transfusion medicine and cell therapy industries, today announced that a panel of medical and scientific experts have endorsed the effectiveness of the Mirasol® Pathogen Reduction Technology System for replacing gamma irradiation, the current standard of care for preventing transfusion-related Graft vs. Host Disease in platelet recipients.

31 Mar 2010

Indispensable role of Mindin in innate and adaptive immunity

Mindin has an indispensable role in both innate and adaptive immunity. A research group in China investigated regulation of mindin expression and the signaling pathway involved. mRNA expression of mindin was upregulated during dextran sulfate sodium induced mouse intestinal inflammation. Stimulation with CpG-ODN (a known TLR-9 ligand) induced upregulation of mindin expression in RAW 264.7 cells and significantly increased the NF-κB-luciferase activity in vitro.

31 Mar 2010

Vidazorb probiotic supplements could minimize severity of IBS symptoms

April is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month. IBS is a chronic condition affecting between 15 and 20 percent of all adults in the Western world. However, IBS is difficult to identify due to the numerous symptoms associated with it. Almost 40 percent of IBS sufferers report symptoms severe and frequent enough to disrupt their daily lives, making it is a serious issue—one to which Vidazorb® probiotic supplements may offer some relief.

31 Mar 2010

Plant-based system could help improve lives of hemophilic patients

Hemophilia, a disease linked with legends of European monarchs, frail heirs and one flamboyant charlatan called Rasputin, still afflicts many people today.

31 Mar 2010

PolyMedix completes Phase 1B clinical study with PMX-30063 defensin-mimetic antibiotic

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging bio-technology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat acute cardiovascular disorders and infectious diseases, has successfully completed a Phase 1B clinical study with its novel defensin-mimetic antibiotic, PMX-30063. The data from the study demonstrate that administration of multiple doses of PMX-30063 are safe and well-tolerated at dose levels which showed bactericidal activity in blood samples drawn from subjects in the study.

31 Mar 2010

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals reports net income of $2.7M for 2009 against year-ago loss

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage specialty pharmaceutical company developing first-in-class, anti-infective compounds for the treatment and prevention of antibiotic-resistant infections, today reported full-year and fourth quarter financial results for 2009. The company also highlighted recent progress of its proprietary and partnered development programs.

30 Mar 2010

New DNA test to detect Lyme disease spirochete infection

Many of the more than 30,000 people a year in the United States with suspected cases of Lyme disease spirochete (bacterial) infection can now take a DNA test developed by a Connecticut scientist/physician and his team that can quickly determine if they test positive for Lyme spirochetes in their blood.

30 Mar 2010

Preclinical study of DAS181 for treatment and prevention of ILI published

NexBio, Inc. announced today the publication in the Journal of Infectious Diseases of a preclinical study suggesting that treatment with DAS181 (Fludase®) may reduce the risk of secondary bacterial pneumonia following influenza virus infection.

30 Mar 2010

Tomato genes could be used as future treatment in gene therapy: Study

Tomato genes could be used as a future treatment in gene therapy, according to new research results from Lund University.

30 Mar 2010

Research challenges current thinking about TB bacterium

Two new tuberculosis studies by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers provide good news and bad news about the bacterium that infects nearly a third of the world's population and a disease that kills nearly 2 million people each year.

30 Mar 2010

Glue ear: Bacterial nasal spray may help children

Many children have long-term problems with fluid in the middle ear, and sometimes surgery is the only way to shift it. However, a bacterial nasal spray can have the same effect in some children, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

29 Mar 2010

TB-causing bacteria can hijack fat metabolism to drive progression of the disease

The factors instrumental in triggering latent tuberculosis infection to progress into active disease have long remained elusive to researchers. New insight into the mystery is provided by Professor David Russell, speaking at the Society for General Microbiology's spring meeting in Edinburgh today. His work could help develop innovative strategies for treating the disease.

29 Mar 2010

FDA: Outbreak of campylobacteriosis linked to drinking raw milk

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with several state agencies, is alerting consumers to an outbreak of campylobacteriosis associated with drinking raw milk. At least 12 confirmed illnesses have been recently reported in Michigan. Symptoms of campylobacteriosis include diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever.

27 Mar 2010

Renowned expert to present latest research on gut microbes at EICC

Trillions and trillions of bacteria live in the human gut. The thought of all these invisible inhabitants inside you might be yucky, but without them we would not be here at all. Which microbes reside in our gut? Are they harmful? Where do they come from? What do they actually do deep in our bowels? Do pre- or pro- biotics affect them?

25 Mar 2010

Campylobacter cells can survive with biofilm protection

In research published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, IFR researchers have found that Campylobacter will readily form a biofilm under laboratory conditions, and that, when the bacteria were left in air, they respond to these stressful conditions by more rapidly forming this biofilm.

25 Mar 2010

Study: MetAP inhibitors prevent TB growth in test tubes

Suspecting that a particular protein in tuberculosis was likely to be vital to the bacteria's survival, Johns Hopkins scientists screened 175,000 small chemical compounds and identified a potent class of compounds that selectively slows down this protein's activity and, in a test tube, blocks TB growth, demonstrating that the protein is indeed a vulnerable target.

25 Mar 2010