Pathogen News and Research

RSS

Changes in land use may influence the spread of diseases

The quest to discover how new diseases - such as Covid-19 - emerge and spread in response to global land-use change driven by human population expansion still contains "major gaps", researchers have claimed.

3 Jun 2020

Cats resistant to SARS-CoV-2 reinfection

Researchers at Colorado State University have made important discoveries about domestic cats infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that could address concerns about human-to-animal transmission and the role domestic pets might play in spreading the virus.

2 Jun 2020

Scientists to develop device to identify neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 infection

A Texas A&M University team of scientists and engineers is leading the development of a device that can be used to rapidly identify antibodies produced by human B cells that can neutralize infection by SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19.

2 Jun 2020

Human waste could be used to create nitrogen-rich fertilizer

Researchers from Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan have proven it is possible to create nitrogen-rich fertilizer by combining the solid and liquid components of human waste.

2 Jun 2020

NAU scientist collaborating on vault-based vaccine to prevent and treat COVID-19

C. Todd French, assistant professor of biology and leader of Northern Arizona University's new COVID-19 Testing Service Center, is working with scientists at Vault Pharma, an emerging biotechnology company, to test candidate vaccines against the novel coronavirus.

1 Jun 2020

When flu season converges with COVID-19

As if the COVID-19 pandemic isn't scary enough, the flu season is not far away. How severe will the flu season be as it converges with the COVID-19 outbreak? What can we do to prepare?

30 May 2020

Chimeron Bio and George Mason NCBID partner to develop a coronavirus vaccine

Chimeron Bio, an RNA therapeutics company, and George Mason University's National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases, a leading institute conducting pioneering research on infectious diseases.

30 May 2020

New genetic engineering technique sets the stage for advances in medicine and beyond

From bacteria-made insulin that obviates the use of animal pancreases to a better understanding of infectious diseases and improved treatments, genetic engineering of bacteria has redefined modern medicine. Yet, serious limitations remain that hamper| progress in numerous other areas.

30 May 2020

How comorbidities affect SARS-CoV-2 viral entry

Almost from the start of the current COVID-19 pandemic, it has become clear that individuals suffering from other medical conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and lung disease are far more likely to contract the infection and to have a poorer outcome.

28 May 2020

Research provides important insights into genetic adaptation of SARS-CoV-2 to humans

In their groundbreaking paper available on the preprint server medRxiv, University of Pittsburgh researchers were appraising signals of SARS-CoV-2 genome evolution and found that purifying selection (i.e., removal of deleterious mutations) represents the dominant trait during early coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic - suggesting that the virus will evolve as it diversifies in a growing number of hosts.

28 May 2020

Novel testing system predicts outcomes in patients with sepsis

More than 1.7 million Americans develop sepsis each year, and more than 270,000 die from it. The condition--which happens when the body has an extreme response to a bacterial or viral infection, causing a chain reaction that can lead to organ failure and death--has few strategies for treatment.

26 May 2020

'Good' bacteria have a niche in our noses, study suggests

Beneficial strains of bacteria residing in our guts, genital tracts, and skin have been shown to play a role in human health, and now, researchers publishing May 26 in the journal Cell Reports suggest that some of these "good" bacteria also have a niche in our noses.

26 May 2020

SARS-CoV-2 is uniquely adapted to infect humans

The novel coronavirus pandemic has sparked much debate on its origin, with some suggesting it may have been laboratory-grown. Previous studies, however, mentioned that it is zoonotic in nature, which means that the virus jumped from wild animals and found its way to humans.

25 May 2020

Teens develop septic shock due to COVID-19

Since the emergence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), most people who develop severe illness are older adults, those with underlying medical conditions, and those who are immunocompromised. Though children are mostly spared, some adolescents developed septic shock due to COVID-19, a new study has found.

24 May 2020

First COVID-19 vaccine found to be safe, able to generate rapid immune response in phase 1 clinical trial

The first COVID-19 vaccine to reach phase 1 clinical trial has been found to be safe, well-tolerated, and able to generate an immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in humans, according to new research published in The Lancet.

22 May 2020

IL-6 blocker use in severe COVID-19 increases risk of secondary infections

With many hundreds of thousands of deaths due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is a rush to find an effective vaccine or drug against the virus. A new study on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 shows that the use of some biologically plausible drugs may be counterproductive, and care should be taken when trying out unproven therapies.

22 May 2020

Researchers analyze data on RNA structure of tick-borne encephalitis virus

Researchers from Sechenov University together with colleagues from several Russian institutes analyzed data on the RNA structure of tick-borne encephalitis virus.

22 May 2020

Prediction of incubation period for COVID-19 and other viruses

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in May 2020 provides a method to estimate the incubation period for any new pathogen, which could help to define the optimal quarantine period necessary to keep the spread of the causative agent in check.

22 May 2020

Adding an array of spices to a meal may help reduce inflammation

Adding an array of spices to your meal is a surefire way to make it more tasty, but new Penn State research suggests it may increase its health benefits, as well.

21 May 2020

Analysis: Get ready for the vaccine — they’re never simple

If there is a silver lining to the flawed U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, it is this: The relatively high number of new cases being diagnosed daily — upward of 20,000 — will make it easier to test new vaccines.

21 May 2020