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Humic substances extracted from coal can help fight viruses

Scientists from Russia demonstrated a novel approach leveraging the combination of high-resolution mass spectrometry and chemoinformatics to identify biologically active molecular components of humic substances extracted from coal, and discovered substances with antiviral activity against the tick-borne encephalitis virus.

19 Aug 2019

UVA scientists reveal how E. coli knows to cause the worst possible infections

A pair of University of Virginia School of Medicine scientists have revealed how E. coli seeks out the most oxygen-free crevices of your colon to cause the worst infection possible.

19 Aug 2019

Research shows how E. coli knows where and when to begin colonizing the colon

A pair of University of Virginia School of Medicine scientists have revealed how E. coli seeks out the most oxygen-free crevices of your colon to cause the worst infection possible.

19 Aug 2019

FDA approves effective new treatment for extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is the leading infectious killer in the world, far above AIDS. It kills about 1.6 million of the 10 million it affects every year. About 30,000 patients worldwide now have XDR tuberculosis (that fails to respond to any of the four antibiotic categories in use at present).

15 Aug 2019

Study shows how cervicovaginal microbiome can elicit resistance to chlamydia

The vaginal microbiome is believed to protect women against Chlamydia trachomatis, the etiological agent of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections in developed countries.

13 Aug 2019

Researchers examine how superbug fights last-resort antibiotics

Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today. A new study shows how superbugs adapt to combat 'last-resort antibiotics'.

13 Aug 2019

Study sheds light on likely conserved functions of gammaherpesvirus microRNAs

The discovery of thousands of host mRNAs targeted by gammaherpesvirus microRNAs (miRNAs) could shed light on the biology of gammaherpesviruses and how these pathogens establish lifelong infections, according to a study published August 8 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Scott Tibbetts of the University of Florida, and colleagues.

From PLOS ONE 13 Aug 2019

Scientists point to enterovirus infection as cause for acute flaccid myelitis

Scientists at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the University of California San Diego report antibody evidence in cerebrospinal fluid that points to enterovirus infection as a cause for acute flaccid myelitis, a disease responsible for partially paralyzing more than 560 children in the United States since 2014. Results of the study appear in the journal mBio.

13 Aug 2019

Study provides evidence that enterovirus may be a factor in acute flaccid myelitis

A new study analyzing samples from patients with and without acute flaccid myelitis provides additional evidence for an association between the rare but often serious condition that causes muscle weakness and paralysis, and infection with non-polio enteroviruses.

13 Aug 2019

Researchers discover antibiotic that could prevent diarrhea caused by C. difficile

In Australia, more than 10,000 patients a year acquire a serious bacterial infection called Clostridioides difficile, often while in hospital, resulting in the death of up to 300 people per year.

13 Aug 2019

Rice, UTHealth researchers search for clues to combat antibiotic resistance

To combat the rise of drug-resistant bacteria, researchers are examining how one superbug adapts to fight an antibiotic of last resort, hoping to find clues that can prolong the drug's effectiveness.

13 Aug 2019

New test may improve the ability to diagnose riskiest forms of HPV infection

Ninety-nine percent of cervical cancers are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). More than 200 HPVs, some of which are associated with varying degrees of cancer risk, complicate diagnosis and treatment.

12 Aug 2019

HIV infection raises risk of additional health problems

People living with HIV are more likely to develop certain other health conditions over the course of their lives.

12 Aug 2019

Study shows how dual DNA barcoding could help improve diagnosis of fungal infections

A new study from The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) has demonstrated how dual DNA barcoding could help improve the diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases, giving patients access to potentially life-saving treatment much sooner.

9 Aug 2019

Lung mucosa plays big role in elderly's susceptibility to tuberculosis

Old lungs are not as capable as young lungs of fighting off an infection of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis, placing seniors at a greater risk of developing TB.

8 Aug 2019

'Stealth MRSA' is hiding in its genes to develop antibiotic resistance, study reveals

The superbug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a problem pathogen of long-standing clinical concern due to its resistance to methicillin and related antibiotics, such as oxacillin.

7 Aug 2019

Blocking key mineral uptake could prevent gonorrhea infection

A team of researchers may have found a way to block gonorrhea infection by blocking bacterial pathogen from using zinc, an essential mineral found in many food sources.

6 Aug 2019

LUCA Biologics develops live biotherapeutics for unmet medical needs in women's health

LUCA Biologics, a biotechnology company co-founded by Dr. Jacques Ravel, announced today it will develop live biotherapeutics for widespread, unmet medical needs in women's health. Ravel will serve as LUCA's Chief Scientist.

6 Aug 2019

Major step toward creation of vaccine that could neutralize ‘superbug’

Researchers from the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute have taken a major step toward the creation of vaccine that could neutralize the culprit behind a growing public health crisis.

6 Aug 2019

Researchers discover elastic polymer with broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found that an elastic polymer possesses broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, allowing it to kill a range of viruses and drug-resistant bacteria in just minutes - including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

2 Aug 2019