Plague News and Research

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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

FDA promise to "reboot" antibiotic development rules to combat rise in resistance falls short

The rise of antibiotic resistance among hospital-acquired infections is greater than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in its 2008 analysis, according to an ahead-of-print article in the journal, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

2 Aug 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

Plague detection through anti-carbohydrate antibodies could lead to rapid diagnosis

Even today, the lives of humans and animals are claimed by plague. A new antibody-based detection method can be used to reliably and sensitively identify plague in patient serum and other biological samples.

18 Jul 2013

MerTK inhibition in leukocytes decreases tumor growth and metastasiss

The tyrosine kinase MerTK plays a prominent role in the body's immune response. MerTK signaling helps "calm" the body's first line of immunity, the macrophage, while it performs the routine duties - clearing cells that die and healing damaged tissue.

9 Jul 2013

Researchers discover role of TonB bacterial protein that causes various diseases

A Kansas State University-led study has discovered the role of a protein in bacteria that cause a wide variety of diseases, including typhoid fever, plague, meningitis and dysentery. The results may lead to new and improved antibiotics for humans and animals.

2 Jul 2013

Mayo researchers find rheumatic condition gout may be due to flare-ups in other joints

The painful rheumatic condition gout is often associated with the big toe, but it turns out that patients at highest risk of further flare-ups are those whose gout first involved other joints, such as a knee or elbow, Mayo Clinic has found.

15 Jun 2013

The more healthy lifestyle behaviors, the less memory issues

Research has shown that healthy behaviors are associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, but less is known about the potential link between positive lifestyle choices and milder memory complaints, especially those that occur earlier in life and could be the first indicators of later problems.

31 May 2013

Common sugar molecule promising target for development of broad-spectrum vaccine

Developing new vaccines to protect against diseases that plague humans is fraught with numerous challenges-one being that microbes tend to vary how they look on the surface to avoid being identified and destroyed by the immune system. However, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have discovered a sugar polymer that is common on the cell surface of several pathogens.

28 May 2013

Molecular switch protects salmonella from harm during infection

For the first time, researchers have found a particular kind of molecular switch in the food poisoning bacteria Salmonella Typhimurium under infection-like conditions. This switch, using a process called S-thiolation, appears to be used by the bacteria to respond to changes in the environment during infection and might protect it from harm, researchers report this week online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

28 May 2013

Research: Anti-cancer drug tested as possible treatment for Alzheimer's disease proved ineffective

An anti-cancer drug about to be tested in a clinical trial by a biomedical company in Ohio as a possible treatment for Alzheimer's disease has failed to work with the same type of brain plaques that plague Alzheimer's patients, according to results of a study by University of Florida researchers.

24 May 2013

Grifols signs worldwide licensing agreement for Aradigm's Pulmaquin

Grifols, S.A. and Aradigm Corporation today announced the signing of an exclusive, worldwide license for Aradigm's proprietary formulations of inhaled ciprofloxacin (Pulmaquin and Lipoquin) for the treatment of severe respiratory diseases, including non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

21 May 2013

Spontaneous brain activity in amygdala higher among combat veterans with PTSD

Chronic trauma can inflict lasting damage to brain regions associated with fear and anxiety. Previous imaging studies of people with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, have shown that these brain regions can over-or under-react in response to stressful tasks, such as recalling a traumatic event or reacting to a photo of a threatening face.

18 May 2013

Researchers discover connection between CB1 receptors and PTSD

In a first-of-its-kind effort to illuminate the biochemical impact of trauma, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have discovered a connection between the quantity of cannabinoid receptors in the human brain, known as CB1 receptors, and post-traumatic stress disorder, the chronic, disabling condition that can plague trauma victims with flashbacks, nightmares and emotional instability.

14 May 2013

Ancient DNA study provides information about origin of Justinianic Plague

From the several pandemics generally called 'pestilences' three are historically recognized as due to plague, but only for the third pandemic of the 19th to 21st centuries AD there were microbiological evidences that the causing agent was the bacterium Yersinia pestis.

13 May 2013

Experts report new outbreaks and increased spread of Cassava Brown Streak Disease

Cassava experts are reporting new outbreaks and the increased spread of Cassava Brown Streak Disease or CBSD, warning that the rapidly proliferating plant virus could cause a 50 percent drop in production of a crop that provides a significant source of food and income for 300 million Africans.

6 May 2013

UAB expert offers simple strategies to tackle summer allergy season

Sneezing, wheezing and coughing are just some of the symptoms that seasonal allergies can stir up. One sinus expert at the University of Alabama at Birmingham said despite a late spring, the summer allergy season will be strong.

29 Apr 2013

Sanovas introduces new surgical imaging technology, MicroCam

Sanovas Inc., a life science technology company developing and commercializing the next-generation of micro-invasive diagnostics, devices and drug delivery technologies, announced today the launch of MicroCam™, its OEM "Plug & Play" micro imaging platform for endoscopic device applications.

22 Apr 2013

AIM suppression could help prevent obesity-associated diseases

Obesity is linked to the widespread epidemics of diabetes and heart disease that plague society, but a lesser-known fact is that the weight can also lead to autoimmune disease.

5 Apr 2013

Historical review provides lessons for control of plague

Today archaeologists unearthed a 'Black Death' grave in London, containing more than a dozen skeletons of people suspected to have died from the plague. The victims are thought to have died during the 14th century and archaeologists anticipate finding many more as they excavate the site.

16 Mar 2013