Antibiotic News and Research

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Antibiotics are drugs used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms.

Strep throat, scarlet fever and other disorders appears to use a single wasplike "stinger" to spread infection

The bacterium responsible for strep throat, scarlet fever and other disorders appears to use a single wasplike "stinger" to spread infection, according to surprised microbiologists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

15 Aug 2004

Scientists discover the body's own defense against H.Pylori, the cause of stomach ulcers and stomach cancer

An international team led by The Burnham Institute's Minoru Fukuda, Ph.D., has discovered that a human glycoprotein inhibits Helicobacter pylori ("H. pylori"), the bacterium that causes stomach ulcers and is linked with 90% of stomach cancers.

13 Aug 2004

Drug interactions between prescription medication and herbal supplements can be extremely dangerous

Herbal supplements may be natural, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are safe.

11 Aug 2004

Research unlocks the mystery of the miraculous healing powers of honey

A Sydney researcher has unlocked the mystery of the miraculous healing powers of honey, adding to the calls for its use as a first line defence against serious infection.

11 Aug 2004

Self-assembling peptides, a breakthrough with enormous therapeutic potential

In the August 12 issue of the journal Nature, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania detail the creation of a library of small protein-like molecules that can self-assemble to form hollow corkscrew-like pores that could mimic pores seen in living systems.

11 Aug 2004

Hospital anti-infection strategy probably won't work

Hospital patients increasingly face tenacious bacterial infections because microbes found in hospitals acquire resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics. A recent strategy alternating the most commonly used antibiotics has sparked hope of stopping the spread of antibiotic resistance.

9 Aug 2004

New twist to the 2001 anthrax attacks in the U.S.

In a new twist to the 2001 anthrax attacks in the U.S., the Federal Bureau of Investigation is searching 2 homes in new York and New Jersey which may be related to the attacks.

5 Aug 2004

Growing crisis of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Scientists, the federal government and the pharmaceutical industry must work together quickly to solve the growing crisis of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a Virginia Commonwealth University infectious disease expert said in today's issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

5 Aug 2004

How to avoid MRSA infection

Staph bacteria are not uncommon in health care settings. In fact, they account for a large number of hospital-related infections each year.

3 Aug 2004

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

Swedish Medical Center is expanding its investigation of possible exposures to the pertussis (whooping cough) bacteria

As a precautionary measure, Swedish Medical Center is expanding its investigation of possible exposures to the pertussis (whooping cough) bacteria to include additional patients and employees.

29 Jul 2004

Corus Pharma selected as a biotech company to watch

Corus Pharma announced yesterday that it has been selected as a member of FierceBiotech's annual "The Fierce 15." FierceBiotech Editor-in-Chief John D. Carroll observed "We applaud Corus' ongoing commitment to increasing the quality of life for people living with cystic fibrosis."

29 Jul 2004

New diagnoses of STIs increased by four per cent from 678,709 in 2002 to 708,083

Overall, new diagnoses of STIs in GUM clinics increased by four per cent from 678,709 in 2002 to 708,083 during 2003. However the picture is variable, with diagnoses of some infections such as chlamydia and syphilis increasing, and diagnoses of gonorrhoea and genital herpes declining.

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

Yeast and tea tree oil kill MRSA superbug

Manchester Metropolitan University is working with a cutting edge technology firm to find a treatment for the hospital superbug MRSA which kills 5,000 patients each year.

23 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

Prescription drugs from bogus Canadian website are all fake

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) analysis of three commonly prescribed drugs purchased from a Web site advertised as Canadian showed that so-called "Canadian Generics" bought from the Web site were fake, substandard and potentially dangerous.

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

Vermont Department of Health reports that a Chittenden County toddler died over the weekend from meningococcal disease

The child, who attended Ed-U-Care Children's Center in Essex Junction, became ill on Saturday night, was taken to the hospital and died early Sunday morning.

13 Jul 2004