Necrotizing Fasciitis News and Research

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TGen investigators help track hypervirulent strep outbreak in southwestern U.S.

The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) has helped state, local and tribal health officials identify an outbreak of "hypervirulent" strep bacteria in the American Southwest.

22 Mar 2016

Over- or under-reaction of immune system can be life-threatening

The dilemma of our immune system is comparable to the story of Icarus and Daedalus from Greek mythology. To escape their captivity, Daedalus built wings from feathers and wax for himself and his son. Daedalus warned his son that he must neither fly too high but also not too low, otherwise the sun's heat or the humidity of the sea would destroy his wings and he would crash. After they had successfully escaped, Icarus became boisterous and flew higher and higher until the sun began to melt the wax of his wings and he fell into the sea. Similarly, an over- or under-reaction of our immune system can be life-threatening.

11 Mar 2016

NNFF's Lifetime Health-Science Achievement Award 2015 goes to John Crew and Ron Najafi

The National Necrotizing Fasciitis Foundation today announced that it has awarded NNFF's Lifetime Health-Science Achievement Award 2015 to John Crew, MD and Ron Najafi, PhD for "Excellence in Innovative Healthcare". Their pioneering work has improved care for patients with life-threatening 'flesh-eating' disease and other types of wounds.

25 Sep 2015

Breakthrough approach saves patient's eyes and life from flesh-eating disease

The National Necrotizing Fasciitis Foundation today announced that a patient's eyes—and life—were saved by doctors at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, TN, working with NNFF, NovaBay Pharmaceuticals and Dr. John Crew, director of the Advanced Wound Care Center at Seton Medical Center in Daly City, CA.

27 Aug 2015

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

Blog explains why NeutroPhase can play important role in treating 'flesh-eating' infections

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that WoundSource™ has highlighted NovaBay's NeutroPhase wound cleanser in a recent blog posting. The blog explains why NeutroPhase can play an important role in treating life-threatening necrotizing fasciitis, or 'flesh-eating' infections.

21 Apr 2014

Scientists discover novel mechanism that influences GAS virulence at early steps of necrotizing fasciitis

How does Streptococcus pyogenes, or Group A streptococcus (GAS) — a bacterial pathogen that can colonize humans without causing symptoms or can lead to mild infections — also cause life-threatening diseases such as necrotizing fasciitis (commonly known as flesh-eating disease) and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome?

21 Jan 2014

Research opens way to possible new treatments for bacterial infections

How does Streptococcus pyogenes, or Group A streptococcus (GAS) - a bacterial pathogen that can colonize humans without causing symptoms or can lead to mild infections - also cause life-threatening diseases such as necrotizing fasciitis (commonly known as flesh-eating disease) and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome?

17 Jan 2014

‘Flesh-eating’ disease treatments: an interview with Dr. John Crew, Seton Medical Center

Untreated, the mortality probably exceeds 70%. Flesh eating is a description of Toxic Inflammatory Cellulitis which usually starts by bacterial subcutaneous infection followed by freezing in phase II healing which is inflammatory.

9 Dec 2013

NeutroPhase irrigation therapy and NPWT help treat severe flesh eating and wound infections

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing topical non-antibiotic antimicrobial products, today announced the publication of a scientific paper by Dr. John R. Crew of Seton Medical Center, Daly City, California, describing the first use of adjunctive NeutroPhase irrigation therapy in conjunction with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy to successfully manage the severely-infected wound in the arm of a patient with life-threatening 'flesh-eating' disease.

20 Nov 2013

Neutra working to help end staph infections in locker rooms

With football season now in full swing, a dangerous, highly resistant strain of staph infections is plaguing locker rooms across the country, potentially costing organizations such as the NFL and NCAA millions of dollars. Neutra Corp., a growing provider of all-natural wellness solutions, is working to help end the costly epidemic.

17 Oct 2013

Engineered protein from flesh-eating bacteria acts as molecular 'superglue'

In a classic case of turning an enemy into a friend, scientists have engineered a protein from flesh-eating bacteria to act as a molecular "superglue" that promises to become a disease fighter. And their latest results, which make the technology more versatile, were the topic of a report here today at the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.

12 Apr 2013

Immune response more complicated than thought

Researchers have found that the orientation and concentration of antibodies could determine the control of bacterial infection.

28 Dec 2012

FDA clears Meridian Bioscience’s new illumigene Group A Strep test

Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio today announced that it has received FDA clearance for a new molecular diagnostic test for Group A Streptococcus on the illumigene platform.

18 Sep 2012

Orthopedists should suspect necrotizing fasciitis in patients with out of proportion pain

Dr. Russell Russo, an Orthopedic Surgeon at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, and other researchers stress that orthopedists should have a high index of suspicion for necrotizing fasciitis, or flesh-eating bacterial infection, in every patient with pain or other symptoms that are out of proportion to the initial diagnosis. Their recommendations are published in the September 2012 issue of Orthopedics Today.

17 Sep 2012

Study describes first known case of necrotizing fasciitis from bath salts

A study led by Russell R. Russo, MD, a third-year Orthopaedic Surgery resident at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine, has identified a new source of life-threatening necrotizing fasciitis - "bath salts."

13 Jan 2012

Vaxent, PREVENT sign license agreement to develop and commercialize Strep-A vaccine

An international collaboration between Vaxent, a Memphis-based early stage vaccine development company in the Memphis Bioworks Foundation Incubator, and The Pan-Provincial Vaccine Enterprise Inc. (PREVENT), a Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) in Saskatchewan, has put a vaccine for group A streptococcus (Strep-A) back on the path for potential commercialization.

26 Sep 2011

Illicit drug users may face increased risk of microbial infections

Illicit drug users are at increased risk of being exposed to microbial pathogens and are more susceptible to serious infections say physicians writing in the Journal of Medical Microbiology.

10 Mar 2011

UC researchers explore dynamics of bacterial evolution

Researchers found that as dominant members of the population surrendered to host immune defenses, they were replaced by a hyperaggressive, mutant minority population that thrived and took over the abandoned community to become the new majority.

15 May 2010

Gene mutation that decreases flesh-eating disease discovered by scientists

Scientists at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute in Houston recently discovered a simple gene mutation that decreases the chance people will get a flesh-eating disease called necrotizing fasciitis. Further, they proved that inactivating this section of the gene lessens the devastating disease in humans.

30 Dec 2009