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SIgN discovers strategy that cripples ability of dengue virus to escape host immune system

A new strategy that cripples the ability of the dengue virus to escape the host immune system has been discovered by A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN). This breakthrough strategy opens a door of hope to what may become the world's first universal dengue vaccine candidate that can give full protection from all four serotypes of the dreadful virus.

14 Aug 2013

Chemical compound prevents fungal cells from adhering to surfaces

Targeting serious and sometimes deadly fungal infections, a team of researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) has discovered a chemical compound that prevents fungal cells from adhering to surfaces, which, typically, is the first step of the infection process used by the human pathogen Candida albicans (C. albicans).

14 Aug 2013

LMU immunologists develop new technique to fight against tumors, autoimmune diseases

Immunologists at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich have come up with a new technique that can be used both to fight tumors and to treat autoimmune diseases. A new grant from the Federal Ministry for Education and Research will enable the method to be developed further.

14 Aug 2013

Study: Strain of bacteria infections in humans originally come from cattle

A strain of bacteria that causes skin and soft tissue infections in humans originally came from cattle, according to a study to be published in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

13 Aug 2013

Bacterial strains that delay cell division might be used to design drugs that stop division entirely

In 1958 a group of scientists working in Denmark made the striking observation that bacterial cells are about twice as large when they are cultured on a rich nutrient source than when they are cultured on a meager one.

13 Aug 2013

GE, UW scientists to develop new medical device for detecting infectious disease

You've heard of on-demand TV, now imagine on-demand medical diagnosis - anytime, anywhere in the world. Scientists at GE Global Research, the technology development arm of the General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE), are working with a team based at the University of Washington to develop a new medical device, the size of a pack of playing cards, that can detect infectious disease by way of a simple nasal swab, in less than an hour.

9 Aug 2013

Faecal contamination in natural pools due to droppings from birds

The use of natural pools - those that do not use chlorine or other chemical disinfection products - has seen an upward trend in recent years. Now, scientists from the University of Barcelona have discovered faecal contamination in some pools due to droppings from birds and other animals.

9 Aug 2013

University of Surrey scientists move one step closer to find successful treatment for TB

Scientists at the University of Surrey have undertaken research into tuberculosis which could result in quicker treatment for sufferers and potentially reduce the problem of drug-resistance.

9 Aug 2013

Researchers improve efficacy of RASV by modifying pathogen’s ability to survive in hostile environment

The bacterial pathogen Salmonella has a notorious capacity for infection. Last year alone, according to the Center for Disease Control, various species of Salmonella caused multistate disease outbreaks linked with contaminated peanut butter, mangoes, ground beef, cantaloupe, poultry, tuna fish, small turtles and dry dog food.

7 Aug 2013

TGen receives $20,000 grant from ACF for STEM education

The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) received another boost today for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education with a $20,000 grant from the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF).

7 Aug 2013

Single antibiotic treatment safe and effective for children with invasive bloodstream infections

Children with invasive bloodstream infections treated with a single antibiotic are just as likely to overcome their infections as those who get two-drug therapy, but at half the risk of drug-induced kidney damage, according to results of a Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study.

6 Aug 2013

Study offers new hope for treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Researchers have discovered how an experimental drug is capable of completely eradicating human lymphoma in mice after just five doses. The study, led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College, sets the stage for testing the drug in clinical trials of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, itself the seventh most frequently diagnosed cancer in the U.S.

2 Aug 2013

MAPS method could speed development of new vaccines for serious pathogens

A new method of vaccine design, called the Multiple Antigen Presentation System, may result in vaccines that bring together the benefits of whole-cell and acellular or defined subunit vaccination.

1 Aug 2013

METH use can make person more susceptible to fungal lung infection

Methamphetamine use can make a person more susceptible to the lung infection cryptococcosis, according to a study published in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

30 Jul 2013

Hope for treatment of childhood infections may come straight from the gut: Therapeutic poop

Call it therapeutic poop, if you will, but the best hope yet for an effective treatment of childhood infections with the drug-resistant bacterium C. difficile may come straight from the gut, according to recent research.

30 Jul 2013

Scientists develop simple, inexpensive and reliable method of detecting plague pathogen

Diagnosing the presence of Yersinia pestis, the cause of plague, may soon be easier than ever before. Scientists working with Peter Seeberger, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPIKG) in Potsdam and Professor at the Freie Universit-t Berlin, have come up with a simple, inexpensive and reliable method of detecting the bacterium.

25 Jul 2013

Study reveals African bats may play a role in evolution of MERS-CoV predecessor viruses

The MERS-coronavirus is regarded as a dangerous novel pathogen: Almost 50 people have died from infection with the virus since it was first discovered in 2012. To date all cases are connected with the Arabian peninsula. Scientists from the University Bonn (Germany) and South Africa have now detected a virus in the faeces of a South African bat that is genetically more closely related to MERS-CoV than any other known virus.

25 Jul 2013

Researchers discover mechanism that prevents immune system from spinning out of control

A team led by a University of Arizona researcher has discovered a previously unknown mechanism that prevents the immune system from going into overdrive, shedding light not only on how our body controls its response to pathogens but on conditions such as autoimmune diseases, allergies and chronic inflammation as well.

24 Jul 2013

Serum Institute of India secures license to patents, technologies related to tuberculosis vaccine

Hopes are high for a new and improved tuberculosis vaccine: Serum Institute of India is planning on taking a promising vaccine - originally developed in Germany - and introducing it into the clinical setting.

23 Jul 2013

American Crystallographic Association analysis may help researchers design vaccine against HIV/AIDS

Designing an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine is something of a paradox: a good vaccine would be safe and look enough like HIV to kick-start the immune system into neutralizing the virus - but the problem is that this is exactly what the human immune system has trouble doing even when it's exposed to the real thing.

19 Jul 2013

Pathogen News and Research

SIgN discovers strategy that cripples ability of dengue virus to escape host immune system

Chemical compound prevents fungal cells from adhering to surfaces

LMU immunologists develop new technique to fight against tumors, autoimmune diseases

Study: Strain of bacteria infections in humans originally come from cattle

Bacterial strains that delay cell division might be used to design drugs that stop division entirely

GE, UW scientists to develop new medical device for detecting infectious disease

Faecal contamination in natural pools due to droppings from birds

University of Surrey scientists move one step closer to find successful treatment for TB

Researchers improve efficacy of RASV by modifying pathogen’s ability to survive in hostile environment

TGen receives $20,000 grant from ACF for STEM education

Single antibiotic treatment safe and effective for children with invasive bloodstream infections

Study offers new hope for treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

MAPS method could speed development of new vaccines for serious pathogens

METH use can make person more susceptible to fungal lung infection

Hope for treatment of childhood infections may come straight from the gut: Therapeutic poop

Scientists develop simple, inexpensive and reliable method of detecting plague pathogen

Study reveals African bats may play a role in evolution of MERS-CoV predecessor viruses

Researchers discover mechanism that prevents immune system from spinning out of control

Serum Institute of India secures license to patents, technologies related to tuberculosis vaccine

American Crystallographic Association analysis may help researchers design vaccine against HIV/AIDS

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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