Pathogen News and Research

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Research shows role played by PAMPs in immune system signaling and response

How big you are may be as important as what you look like, at least to immune system cells watching for dangerous bacteria and viruses.

18 Jan 2017

Researchers find explanation for link between persistent infection and long-term immunity

Many infectious diseases are one and done; people get sick once and then they are protected from another bout of the same illness.

17 Jan 2017

Could pathogen infection really lead to Alzheimer’s?

New concepts of infectious disease are evolving with the realization that pathogens are key players in the development of progressive chronic diseases that originally were not thought to be infectious. Infection is well-known to be associated with numerous neurological diseases for which...

12 Jan 2017

Penn Vet researchers identify potential target to fight against Ebola

Viruses and their hosts are in a eternal game of one-upmanship. If a host cell evolves a way to stop a virus from spreading, the virus will look for a new path. And so on and so forth.

12 Jan 2017

'Dementia gene' may offer protection against cognitive decline linked to parasitic diseases

New research published online in The FASEB Journal, suggests that carriers of the Apolipoprotein E4 allele, which is the single strongest genetic predictor of Alzheimer's disease and is associated with cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease, may have a reduced risk of cognitive decline associated with parasitic diseases.

11 Jan 2017

Archaeologist discovers 800-year-old genomes from bacterial infection in Byzantine skeleton

Eight hundred years ago, in a hardscrabble farming community on the outskirts of what was once one of the fabled cities of the ancient world, Troy, a 30-year-old woman was laid to rest in a stone-lined grave.

10 Jan 2017

Common viruses pose serious challenges in long-term care facilities

A widespread outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) at a long-term dementia care ward infected 73 percent of patients, demonstrating the serious challenges in mitigating the spread of infectious diseases in such settings.

10 Jan 2017

Genetic influence on immune system appears to be higher than previously thought

Nearly three quarters of immune traits are influenced by genes, new research from King's College London reveals.

5 Jan 2017

ESCMID grant helps young investigators to study microorganisms, find better approaches to treat infectious diseases

The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases through its annual grant programme helps young investigators pursue ground-breaking research to advance our understanding of microorganisms and find better approaches to diagnose, prevent and treat infectious diseases.

5 Jan 2017

UM SOM study identifies key Zika proteins as likely suspects for damage

Until it burst onto the scene earlier this year, Zika was an obscure, little-known virus. As a result, scientists know little about how it works.

3 Jan 2017

Using 'fire to fight fire' approach to battle against disease could increase severity, research shows

A treatment billed as a potential breakthrough in the fight against disease, including cancer, could back-fire and make the disease fitter and more damaging, new research has found.

30 Dec 2016

New database of PCR primers enables effective detection and identification of RNA viruses

Scientists at Korea's Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology scientists have compiled a comprehensive new public database of genetic information to enable the detection and identification of RNA viruses using the polymerase chain reaction assay.

28 Dec 2016

UF researchers play integral role in Ebola vaccine trial

An international group of researchers associated with the World Health Organization has published its final report on the Ebola vaccine trial in Guinea, finding that the vaccine is a safe and effective way to prevent Ebola infection.

26 Dec 2016

Inherited CD70 deficiency increases susceptibility to Epstein-Barr virus and EBV-related cancer

Investigators at the National Institutes of Health and international colleagues have identified a genetic immune disorder characterized by increased susceptibility and poor immune control of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and, in some cases, an EBV-associated cancer called Hodgkin's lymphoma.

23 Dec 2016

Genomic sequencing reveals new insights into major shigellosis outbreaks in California

In a study that could have significant impact on how disease outbreaks are managed, researchers at UC Davis and the California Department of Public Health have sequenced and analyzed genomes from Shigella sonnei (S. sonnei) bacteria associated with major shigellosis outbreaks in California in 2014 and 2015.

23 Dec 2016

Researcher develops new method to accurately identify elusive molecules

Among the most important molecules in the living world are sugars or carbohydrates, which play a vital role in life processes. Sugars provide the main source of fuel for the body, protect muscles from damage and contribute to the immune response.

21 Dec 2016

Research sheds light on key genes essential to pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori

Professor Frédéric Veyrier's most recent research, in collaboration with the team of Professor Hilde De Reuse at the Institut Pasteur, has shed light on key genes essential to the pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori bacterium, which causes gastric infections.