Toxin News and Research

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Altered microbiomes in SARS-CoV-2 infection pose threat of antibiotic resistance

A new study discusses changes in the microbiota of various parts of the body with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

27 Feb 2022

First reported case of a cat infected with SARS-CoV-2 Delta AY.3 variant

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is hurting our loved ones — even those that walk on four legs. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania documented the recovery of an 11-year old indoor housecat living in Delaware who first presented to the veterinary hospital after experiencing distressing gastrointestinal symptoms.

23 Feb 2022

Pharmacological manipulation could restore microglia function after exposure to industrial toxin in utero

New research shows that exposure to the industrial byproduct TCDD in utero could cause the brain's immune system to go array later in life, damaging important brain circuits, and potentially giving rise to neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism and ADHD.

11 Feb 2022

Study investigates if prior SARS-CoV-2 infection increases sensitivity to toxin that induces parkinsonism

A recent study explored whether individuals who have recovered from mild to moderate or severe COVID-19 may have an increased risk for developing Parkinson’s disease in the future.

7 Feb 2022

Botox-treated patients report lesser anxiety

Botox, or Botulinum toxin, a medication derived from a bacterial toxin, is commonly injected to ease wrinkles, migraines, muscle spasms, excessive sweating and incontinence.

21 Dec 2021

Dreaded microbe can silence multiple types of pain, study suggests

Anthrax has a scary reputation. Widely known to cause serious lung infections in humans and unsightly, albeit painless, skin lesions in livestock and people, the anthrax bacterium has even been used as a weapon of terror.

20 Dec 2021

New research reveals how Europeans evolved greater resistance against anthrax

New research from the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine has revealed how humans evolved greater resistance against anthrax multiple times during history: when they developed a diet of more ruminants, and when agricultural practices took hold.

7 Dec 2021

Protein found in rattlesnake venom used for making a drug candidate to modulate blood clotting

Researchers in Brazil and Belgium have developed a molecule of pharmaceutical interest from collinein-1, a protein found in rattlesnake venom.

1 Dec 2021

Method can help identify proteins in the body affected by chemicals

How do pollutants and other chemicals that we are exposed to affect our health? Researchers from Linköping University, Sweden, have applied a method to identify the proteins in the body affected by chemicals.

25 Nov 2021

Mtb's exotoxin secretion and trafficking mechanism revealed

Six years ago, Michael Niederweis, Ph.D., described the first known toxin of the deadly pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), an exotoxin that had gone undetected for 132 years.

25 Nov 2021

Novel technique solves structure of the HIV capsid alone and in complex with host factors

A new technique using electron tomography and subtomogram averaging at Diamond's electron Bio-Imaging Centre (eBIC), has solved the structure of the HIV capsid alone and in complex with host factors.

21 Nov 2021

CDC posts food safety alert about multistate outbreak of E. coli O157 infections linked to spinach

A CDC food safety alert regarding a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157 infections linked to spinach has been posted: https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2021/o157h7-11-21/index.html.

20 Nov 2021

Research expands the general understanding of transcription process in bacteria

Bacteria need to constantly adapt to compete against other species for nutrient sources and to survive against threats such as antibiotics and toxins.

15 Nov 2021

SARS-CoV-2 leaves long-term impact on olfactory neurocircuit

The current study looked at the impact of the virus on the CNS in the Syrian golden hamster, a useful animal model for COVID-19.

9 Nov 2021

Study finds link between genes and amount of bacterial toxins in the blood

Lipopolysaccharide, a virulence factor produced by bacteria, is a toxin that can cause a systemic inflammation via the circulation. In a recently completed study, genetic markers were discovered which are associated with a heightened lipopolysaccharide level in the blood.

25 Oct 2021

Study findings may lead to new treatments to fight deadly C. difficile infections

A University of California, Irvine-led study suggests that the glucosyltransferase domain (GTD) is an ideal molecular target for therapeutic interventions for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). These findings may lead to new treatments to fight this deadly disease.

22 Oct 2021

U-M study receives $13 million grant to track cancer risk from environmental exposures

Heavy metals like lead, industrial pollution from steel mills, coal-fired power plants or oil refineries, “forever chemicals” called PFAS that don’t break down in the environment—how much are Michigan residents exposed to these environmental contaminants and what does this mean for their risk of developing cancer?

20 Oct 2021

Brain's motor cortex may play a larger role in Parkinson’s disease, study reveals

The role of neuron and dopamine loss in Parkinson's Disease (PD) has long been recognized by neuroscientists.

19 Oct 2021

Toxic fatty acids trigger cell death in damaged neurons

Cells that normally nourish healthy brain cells called neurons release toxic fatty acids after neurons are damaged, a new study in rodents shows.

6 Oct 2021

Mass Eye and Ear researcher receives P50 NIH grant to establish new center for neurological voice disorders

Kristina Simonyan, MD, PhD, Dr med, director of laryngology research at Mass Eye and Ear, has been awarded an $11.9 million P50 Clinical Research Center Grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communicable Disorders of the National Institute of Health to form a new multidisciplinary center across four academic medical institutions that will be committed to conducting research on laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor, two debilitating neurological voice disorders.

28 Sep 2021