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Profound immune system discovery opens door to halting destruction of lupus

A researcher funded by the Lupus Research Institute (LRI) has discovered an entirely new and powerful molecular switch that controls the inflammatory response of the immune system.

14 Dec 2007

New principle for developing vaccines

Infections with a certain type of bacteria (group B streptococcus) can lead to severe, sometimes life-threatening, infections in newborn infants.

14 Dec 2007

New study suggests why vaccines directed against cancer, HIV don't work

Researchers from the University of Missouri and Imperial College London have found evidence suggesting why vaccines directed against the virus that causes AIDS and many cancers do not work.

14 Dec 2007

Molecular 'trip switch' shuts down inflammatory response

Like a circuit breaker that prevents electrical wiring from overheating and bringing down the house, a tiny family of three molecules stops the immune system from mounting an out-of-control, destructive inflammatory response against invading pathogens, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have found.

14 Dec 2007

Zebrafish study shows key enzyme in gut is a peacemaker

University of Oregon scientists, using zebrafish to study the gastrointestinal tract, say that an enzyme long assumed to be involved in digestion instead is a detoxifying traffic cop, maintaining a friendly rapport between resident gut bacteria and cells.

13 Dec 2007

New UK Centre for Zoonosis Research to open in Liverpool

The UK's National Centre for Zoonosis Research, dedicated to the study of animal-borne human diseases, will be opened at the University of Liverpool.

12 Dec 2007

U.S. healthcare facilities aren't doing enough to protect patients from MRSA

U.S. healthcare facilities aren't doing enough to protect patients from Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, according to a new poll of infection control professionals released today.

12 Dec 2007

Scientists seek to assess the microbial risks in the water we drink

It is a familiar scenario experienced around the world: an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness suddenly emerges in a community, and no one knows where it came from or how to stop it. At the start of the outbreak, only a few people are affected, most often the very old and the very young.

12 Dec 2007

Waterborne carbon increases threat of environmental mercury

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin and a worrisome environmental contaminant, but the severity of its threat appears to depend on what else is in the water.

10 Dec 2007

Mouthguards harbor large numbers of bacteria - can lead to disease

Fractured teeth, neck injuries and abrasions in the mouth, also known as sports-related dental injuries, are ever present among athletes.

10 Dec 2007

Bacteria in cows' milk may cause Crohn's disease

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found how a bacterium, known to cause illness in cattle, may cause Crohn’s disease in humans.

10 Dec 2007

Arsenic contamination of drinking water does not have a universal solution

Though a worldwide problem, arsenic contamination of drinking water does not have a universal solution.

10 Dec 2007

Boost for tick disease research

Roman Ganta, a professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at Kansas State University, has been awarded a grant of $1,825,000 by the National Institutes of Health to figure out how to stop the tick-borne bacteria, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, from making animals and people sick.

10 Dec 2007

Antibiotics may be of little use in treating sinus infections

A new British study disputes the effectiveness of antibiotic drugs prescribed to treat sinus infections.

6 Dec 2007

Scientists strike blow in super bugs struggle

Scientists from the University of Manchester have pioneered new ways of tweaking the molecular structure of antibiotics - an innovation that could be crucial in the fight against powerful super bugs.

From The University of Manchester 5 Dec 2007

Many cancers caused by infections

Cancer -- popularly understood as a result of mutations or mistakes within the genetic code in cells -- is also caused by infections from viruses, bacteria and parasites.

5 Dec 2007

Purified bacterial extract sprayed into lungs ramps up innate immune system

A purified extract prepared from a common microbe and delivered to the lungs of laboratory mice in a spray set off a healthy immune response and provided powerful protection against all four major classes of pathogens including those responsible for anthrax and bubonic plague, according to a presentation at the American Society for Cell Biology's 47th Annual Meeting.

4 Dec 2007

Vaccinating children younger than age 2 with the pneumococcal vaccine linked to less hospitalizations

Vaccinating children younger than age 2 with the pneumococcal vaccine appears to be associated with decreased hospitalizations from pneumonia and reduced health care expenses, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

4 Dec 2007

Humans not the major target of Shiga toxin

If you've survived Shiga toxin and the after-effects of food poisoning, you may have been the innocent victim of a battle for survival between predator and prey.

4 Dec 2007

Johns Hopkins Children's Center receives Gates funding for tuberculosis bacterium tracker

Johns Hopkins Children's Center has received a $946,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to design a system that visually tracks the behavior of the tuberculosis bacterium in the body and its response to current and new drug treatments.

4 Dec 2007