Disease/Infection News

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Malaria protein could one day help stop cancer

Scientists at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver Coastal Health and the BC Cancer Agency have discovered a protein from malaria that could one day help stop cancer in its tracks.

13 Oct 2015

Danish researchers face possible breakthrough in fight against cancer

The hunt for a vaccine against malaria in pregnant women has provided an unexpected side benefit for Danish researchers, namely what appears to be an effective weapon against cancer. The scientists behind the vaccine aim for tests on humans within four years.

13 Oct 2015

Get your flu shot before fall festivities, says Loyola infectious disease specialist

While planning your family's fall festivities this month, add the flu shot to the list. Then follow through with a visit to your doctor to make sure everyone is protected for the flu season. October is the recommended month to receive the vaccine for your best shot at preventing the flu.

13 Oct 2015

Tamoxifen drug clears MRSA, reduces mortality

Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have found that the breast cancer drug tamoxifen gives white blood cells a boost, better enabling them to respond to, ensnare and kill bacteria in laboratory experiments. Tamoxifen treatment in mice also enhances clearance of the antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogen MRSA and reduces mortality.

13 Oct 2015

Men on effective HIV therapy less likely to get HBV infection, shows research

Previous studies of individuals with HIV have suggested that HIV drug regimens that included drugs active against hepatitis B virus (HBV) can decrease the risk of infection with the liver-damaging HBV.

13 Oct 2015

Rebiotix's RBX2660 receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for treatment of recurrent C diff infection

Rebiotix Inc. today announced that U.S. Food and Drug Administration has designated its lead Microbiota Restoration Therapy (MRT) RBX2660 as a Breakthrough Therapy for the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile (C diff) infection, a challenging to treat gastrointestinal (GI) infection that causes 29,000 deaths in the U.S. annually.

12 Oct 2015

FDA orders three duodenoscope manufacturers in the U.S. to conduct postmarket surveillance studies

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today ordered the three manufacturers of duodenoscopes marketed in the U.S. to conduct postmarket surveillance studies to better understand how the devices are reprocessed in real-world settings.

12 Oct 2015

QMUL, UCT researchers awarded £3.5m MRC grant to prevent TB in South African primary school children

The Medical Research Council has awarded a grant of £3.5m to researchers from Queen Mary University of London and University of Cape Town to carry out a trial to determine whether a weekly vitamin D supplement can prevent tuberculosis (TB) in South African primary school children.

12 Oct 2015

High dose flu vaccines significantly reduce hospitalization risk during influenza season

In the largest nursing home study to date on the effect of high dose flu vaccine, researchers found that shots with four times the strength of standard flu shots significantly reduced the risk of being hospitalized during the influenza season. There was a 1.2 percent difference (19.7 percent versus 20.9 percent) in admission for the group that received the high dose vaccine compared to the one that received the standard dose vaccine.

12 Oct 2015

People often end up in emergency room because of infection-related falls

People who end up in the emergency room because of a fall often are tripped up by an infection, rather than a loose throw rug or poor eyesight, suggests a study being presented at IDWeek 2015.

12 Oct 2015

Antiviral agent protects rhesus monkeys from deadly Ebola virus

Rhesus monkeys were completely protected from the deadly Ebola virus when treated three days after infection with a compound that blocks the virus's ability to replicate. These encouraging preclinical results suggest the compound, known as GS-5734, should be further developed as a potential treatment, according to research findings to be presented tomorrow at the IDWeek conference.

12 Oct 2015

UV robots help reduce rates of C. diff transmission among cancer inpatients

Robots are capable of all sorts of tasks to help better treat cancer: They connect oncologists to patients remotely, make incisions, staple them shut, deliver "nano" therapies--and they clean rooms. New research from Penn Medicine infection control specialists found that ultraviolet (UV) robots helped reduce the rates transmission of the common bacterial infection known as Clostridium difficile among cancer inpatients - mostly blood cancer patients, a group more vulnerable to hospital-acquired infections - by 25 percent. The interventions also saved about $150,000 in annual direct medical costs.

12 Oct 2015

Glycan binding proteins modify parasite infection in cells of the heart muscle

Chagas disease is the main cause of infectious heart disease in Latin America. Researchers from the INGEBI and IBYME Institutes in Argentina explored the effect of glycan binding protein interactions between the human host and Typanosoma cruzi parasite. They found that a glycan binding protein expressed in humans modified the infection in cells of the heart muscle, showing the importance of galectins in the response to parasite infection.

12 Oct 2015

Novel mathematical method may help reduce development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

It is estimated that each year in the United States 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to one or more types of antibiotics, and at least 23,000 people will die because of these infections. This problem is being exacerbated by overuse of antibiotics for livestock and also in community clinical practice. This overuse, combined with the slow pace of novel drug discovery is a growing threat to public health.

12 Oct 2015

Disease/Infection News

Malaria protein could one day help stop cancer

Danish researchers face possible breakthrough in fight against cancer

Get your flu shot before fall festivities, says Loyola infectious disease specialist

Tamoxifen drug clears MRSA, reduces mortality

Men on effective HIV therapy less likely to get HBV infection, shows research

Rebiotix's RBX2660 receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for treatment of recurrent C diff infection

FDA orders three duodenoscope manufacturers in the U.S. to conduct postmarket surveillance studies

QMUL, UCT researchers awarded £3.5m MRC grant to prevent TB in South African primary school children

High dose flu vaccines significantly reduce hospitalization risk during influenza season

People often end up in emergency room because of infection-related falls

Antiviral agent protects rhesus monkeys from deadly Ebola virus

UV robots help reduce rates of C. diff transmission among cancer inpatients

Glycan binding proteins modify parasite infection in cells of the heart muscle

Novel mathematical method may help reduce development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

FDA permits marketing of first CSF nucleic acid-based test for detection of multiple pathogens

Discovery may help scientists to better predict how quickly HIV virus returns after patients stop treatment

FDA takes major step to put greater emphasis on the prevention of foodborne illness

Safety and immunogenicity clinical trial of Ebola vaccine regimen starts in Sierra Leone

Volunteer nurse back in isolation with Ebola complications

New national report on use of antiviral drugs to treat, prevent influenza

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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