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Lung disease linked to the use of contaminated well water in a CPAP machine

Many people rely on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines as a safe and effective treatment for sleep apnea. But a new case report describes a rare complication—a lingering inflammatory disease of the lungs, apparently related to the use of contaminated well water in a CPAP machine. The report appears in the December Southern Medical Journal, official journal of the Southern Medical Association.

3 Dec 2009

Sepsis, a serious infection, remains a major threat to 'late preterm' infants

Sepsis is a serious infection that is a major cause of death in very premature infants. But sepsis is also a threat in "late preterm" infants born just a few weeks prematurely, according to a study in the December issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

3 Dec 2009

Genta to supply Ganite for new CF clinical trial

Genta Incorporated announced that the Company will supply Ganite® (gallium nitrate injection) for a new clinical trial that will be initiated in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who may develop serious infections.

2 Dec 2009

Positive results from DermaGen's Phase I/IIa AMP study of atopic dermatitis

DermaGen AB - part of the Karolinska Development dermatology and wound healing company "Pergamum" - announced that Dermagen AB has received promising results from a clinical Phase I/IIa study. DermaGen AB is developing a novel antimicrobial peptide (AMP) treatment for atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease where dry skin and the skin's weakened barrier function make patients susceptible to colonization by microorganisms, a triggering or exacerbating factor of the disease.

2 Dec 2009

New approach to identify molecules that prevent immune cells from attacking body

A study led by a Scripps Research Institute scientist describes a new, highly pragmatic approach to the identification of molecules that prevent a specific type of immune cells from attacking their host. The findings add a powerful new tool to the ongoing search for potential treatments for autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as blood cancers, such as myeloid leukemia.

2 Dec 2009

Copper may help fight against healthcare-associated infections

In a busy Birmingham teaching hospital, researchers swapped a conventional toilet seat, tap-handles and a ward door push-plate for similar items made from 70% copper. They compared the number of microbes on the copper surfaces against the number of bacteria on the same items from another ward and found that the copper surfaces had 90-100% fewer live bacteria than the non-copper surfaces.

2 Dec 2009

New patented technology to combat healthcare-associated infections

Independent testing performed at ATS Labs, an internationally recognized antimicrobial testing laboratory, demonstrated that PerfectClean with Micrillon wipers eliminated biological contaminants in a very short time. This promising technology has the potential to impact disinfection practices in the healthcare market.

2 Dec 2009

Genetic Analysis introduces GA-map microarray test for screening of infant gut microbiota

Genetic Analysis AS, the molecular diagnostics company, has launched its GA-map™ microarray test for high throughput screening of infant gut microbiota. At the recent Sackler Colloquium on Microbes and Health in the US, the company presented data from evaluation screens that show its potential as a tool for probing the mechanisms of disease in conditions associated with the gut flora.

1 Dec 2009

New analysis suggests physicians should change their diagnosis and treatment for sore throat

New analysis from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) suggests that physicians need to re-think their diagnosis and treatment of sore throat, or pharyngitis, in adolescents and young adults to consider a more newly identified and potentially dangerous culprit as the source of that infection.

1 Dec 2009

DFG approves establishment of new CRCs; research topics range from modern prostheses to political reforms to marine bacteria

The DFG has approved the establishment of 17 new Collaborative Research Centres as of 1 January 2010. This decision was made recently by the relevant Grants Committee in Bonn.

1 Dec 2009

Scientists provide the first comprehensive picture of minimal cell

What are the bare essentials of life, the indispensable ingredients required to produce a cell that can survive on its own? Can we describe the molecular anatomy of a cell, and understand how an entire organism functions as a system? These are just some of the questions that scientists in a partnership between the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and the Centre de Regulacio Genòmica (CRG) in Barcelona, Spain, set out to address.

28 Nov 2009

B cells and their antibodies defend against microbes and control commensal microflora

Microbes populated the earth long before any eukariotic cell. Therefore, in order to survive, mono and multi-cellular organisms had to develop mechanisms of adaptation, cohabitation and defense against bacteria, fungi and viruses. One of these mechanisms is mediated by immunoglobulins in the serum and at mucosal surfaces.

27 Nov 2009

Whitehead researchers develop new type of genetic screen for human cells

Whitehead researchers have developed a new type of genetic screen for human cells to pinpoint specific genes and proteins used by pathogens, according to their paper in Science.

27 Nov 2009

Wnt signaling pathway plays a role in diabetic retinopathy

A group led by Dr. Jian-xing Ma at The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK has demonstrated that the Wnt signaling pathway plays a role in diabetic retinopathy.

26 Nov 2009

Hospital germ check strategies adaptable for homes

With cold and flu season upon us, it's more important than ever to employ good practices to control the spread of infections and avoid illness.

26 Nov 2009

Low-temperature plasma prototype devices as bactericidal cocktails

MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) and other drug-resistant bacteria could face annihilation as low-temperature plasma prototype devices have been developed to offer safe, quick, easy and unfailing bactericidal cocktails.

26 Nov 2009

Cells protect themselves against viruses and bacteria with novel non-genetic mechanism

When cells are confronted with an invading virus or bacteria or exposed to an irritating chemical, they protect themselves by going off their DNA recipe and inserting the wrong amino acid into new proteins to defend them against damage, scientists have discovered.

26 Nov 2009

Novel way to fight UTIs: Research into Alzheimer's disease

Research into Alzheimer's disease seems an unlikely approach to yield a better way to fight urinary tract infections (UTIs), but that's what scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and elsewhere recently reported.

25 Nov 2009

Researchers uncover atomic-level action of ring-shaped protein motors

The atomic-level action of a remarkable class of ring-shaped protein motors has been uncovered by researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) using a state-of-the-art protein crystallography beamline at the Advanced Light Source (ALS).

25 Nov 2009

Several new vaccines require booster shots to remain effective during a lifetime: Study

Preventing disease is the goal of every health care provider and fortunately every year, new vaccines are being added to assist in disease prevention. But do all vaccines boost immunity for the same period of time? And, if not, when are additional 'booster shots' needed to keep immunity strong?

24 Nov 2009