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Single dose restores normal cellular signaling in mouse model of autism

In a further test of a novel theory that suggests autism is the consequence of abnormal cell communication, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that an almost century-old drug approved for treating sleeping sickness also restores normal cellular signaling in a mouse model of autism, reversing symptoms of the neurological disorder in animals that were the human biological age equivalent of 30 years old.

18 Jun 2014

Fecal microbiota transplantation works by restoring healthy bacteria and functioning to recipient's gut

Fecal microbiota transplantation --- the process of delivering stool bacteria from a healthy donor to a patient suffering from intestinal infection with the bacterium Clostridium difficile --- works by restoring healthy bacteria and functioning to the recipient's gut, according to a study published this week in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

17 Jun 2014

C. difficile bacteria pose major health threat without proper infection prevention in hospitals, homes

Without proper infection prevention in hospitals, and now homes, the Clostridium difficile bacteria poses a major health threat, cautions a Case Western Reserve University infection control researcher.

17 Jun 2014

New project improves techniques for detecting E. coli

Kansas State University diagnosticians are helping the cattle industry save millions of dollars each year by developing earlier and accurate detection of E. coli.

17 Jun 2014

Artificial sweetener have potential to limit impact of therapeutic drugs

One of the active ingredients in a popular artificial sweetener could have the potential to limit the impact of therapeutic drugs, reduce the number and balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut and alter hormone secretion, according to an article published in Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A: Current Issues.

17 Jun 2014

Discovery may lead to new treatments for common autoimmune diseases

Researchers at the University of Georgia report in the Journal of Biological Chemistry that an enzyme known as Tumor Progression Locus 2, or Tpl2, plays a key role in directing and regulating several important components of the body's immune system.

17 Jun 2014

Mechanisms of recurrent bacteria AOM in children under scrutiny

The immune response in young children with bacterial acute otitis media differs between individuals who are prone to such infection and those who are not, US researchers have shown.

16 Jun 2014

Cepheid releases molecular test for detection of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria

Cepheid today announced the release of Xpert® Carba-R, an on-demand molecular test for rapid and accurate detection of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria, to be marketed as a CE IVD product under the European Directive on In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices.

16 Jun 2014

Investigators study new cancer immunotherapy to help patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

Medical investigators at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare are studying a new cancer immunotherapy to see if it can successfully help patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

16 Jun 2014

Specific enzyme helps protect good commensal bacteria from harmful effects of antibiotics

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland have discovered that populating the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of mice with Bacteroides species producing a specific enzyme helps protect the good commensal bacteria from the harmful effects of antibiotics.

13 Jun 2014

Findings provide new strategy for developing safe, effective vaccine against strep throat

An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, have identified the genes encoding a molecule that famously defines Group A Streptococcus (strep), a pathogenic bacterial species responsible for more than 700 million infections worldwide each year.

12 Jun 2014

GPM Pediatrics physician addresses potential health risks in kiddie pools

Michael Gabriel of GPM Pediatrics, a Brooklyn Pediatric Center, discusses an article posted on JC Online that discusses the potential health risks that lurk in kiddie pools.

12 Jun 2014

Coordinated intervention focused on long-term care facilities reduces CRE cases

A new study found a nationwide effort to control carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in Israel reduced CRE cases by improving compliance of infection control standards and using a coordinated intervention focused on long-term care facilities.

12 Jun 2014

Infection prevention and control guidance prioritizes strategies to combat MRSA

New guidelines aim to reduce the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), improve patient safety and prioritize current prevention efforts underway in hospitals. This drug resistant bacterium is a common source of patient morbidity and mortality in U.S. hospitals, causing nearly twice the number of deaths, significantly longer hospital stays and higher hospital costs than other forms of the bacteria.

11 Jun 2014

Bacteria must be considered part of overall pathology of atherosclerosis

Scientists believe they have an explanation for the axiom that stress, emotional shock, or overexertion may trigger heart attacks in vulnerable people. Hormones released during these events appear to cause bacterial biofilms on arterial walls to disperse, allowing plaque deposits to rupture into the bloodstream, according to research published in published today in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

11 Jun 2014

Health tips for global travellers

Nothing ruins a summer vacation faster than getting sick. "Remember that most diseases are transmitted by food, water and insects," says John A. Sellick, Jr., DO, University at Buffalo associate professor of medicine and hospital epidemiologist at Veterans Affairs Western New York Healthcare System. "So get vaccinated, keep insects off you as much as possible and be careful with what you put in your mouth."

11 Jun 2014

Novel bone implants can keep germs at bay

Hospital germs can be fatal, since they are resistant to antibiotics. As a result, alternative methods of defense against bacteria are in demand. Fortunately, a German-French research team has been able to develop bone implants that keep the germs at bay.

11 Jun 2014

Dendrimer offers a simple way of creating vesicles

One of the defining features of cells is their membranes. Each cell's repository of DNA and protein-making machinery must be kept stable and secure from invaders and toxins. Scientists have attempted to replicate these properties, but, despite decades of research, even the most basic membrane structures, known as vesicles, still face many problems when made in the lab. They are difficult to make at consistent sizes and lack the stability of their biological counterparts.

11 Jun 2014

New device designed to detect foodborne bacteria

A new device designed to sample and detect foodborne bacteria is being trialled by scientists at the University of Southampton.

11 Jun 2014

Antimicrobial abrasion-resistant coatings with long-term effect for killing germs reliably

Researchers at the INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials have now produced antimicrobial abrasion-resistant coatings with both silver and copper colloids with a long-term effect that kill germs reliably and at the same time prevent germs becoming established.

11 Jun 2014