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Bacteria in gut may be the cause of uveitis in the eye

The inflammatory eye disorder autoimmune uveitis occurs when a person's immune system goes awry, attacking proteins in the eye. What spurs this response is a mystery, but now a study on mice suggests that bacteria in the gut may provide a kind of training ground for immune cells to attack the eye.

19 Aug 2015

Reducing amyloid fibril levels in semen may help reduce transmission of HIV

There may be two new ways to fight AIDS -- using a heat shock protein or a small molecule - to attack fibrils in semen associated with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during the initial phases of infection, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

18 Aug 2015

Molecular tweezer blocks HIV, breaks up proteins in semen that boost infection

An unprecedented potential "molecular tweezer" called CLR01, reported in the journal eLife, not only blocks HIV and other sexually transmitted viruses, but also breaks up proteins in semen that boost infection.

18 Aug 2015

New research explores underlying mechanisms by which bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance genes

A scientific peek into bacteria boudoirs is revealing how "sex" among disease-causing microbes can lead different species or strains to become resistant to antibiotic medications.

18 Aug 2015

U-M microbiome research may lead to new ways to prevent, fight lung infections in patients

With every breath you take, microbes have a chance of making it into your lungs. But what happens when they get there? And why do dangerous lung infections like pneumonia happen in some people, but not others? Researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School have started to answer these questions by studying the microbiome of the lungs - the community of microscopic organisms that are in constant contact with our respiratory system.

18 Aug 2015

NanoViricides speeds up HerpeCide drug development program

NanoViricides, Inc., a nanomedicine company developing anti-viral drugs, reports that it is accelerating its HerpeCide drug development program.

17 Aug 2015

LSTM's CMNH raises funds for Ebola-hit maternal health facilities in Sierra Leone

Earlier this year LSTM's Centre for Maternal and Newborn Health (CMNH) cycled 4,247 miles to raise funds for urgently needed medical equipment for maternal health facilities in Sierra Leone which have been affected by the Ebola outbreak.

17 Aug 2015

Risk for endophthalmitis no higher with Avastin, finds study

Eye injections of the drug Avastin, used to treat retinal diseases, bring no greater risk of endophthalmitis, a potentially blinding eye infection, than injections with the much more expensive drug Lucentis made by the same company, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Their findings are published today in JAMA Ophthalmology.

14 Aug 2015

Tips for preventing ticks, Lyme disease

When a mosquito decides to dine on your blood, you typically know it - there's pain, itch, and annoyance. Ticks, on the other hand, take a stealthier approach, burrowing into hard-to-spot areas and hanging around for hours or days at a time.

14 Aug 2015

Ontario nearing ambitious UN targets for ending AIDS epidemics

A new study suggests Ontario is nearing ambitious United Nations targets for ending the AIDS epidemics: By 2020, 90 per cent of all people living with HIV should know their HIV status, 90 per cent of all people diagnosed with HIV are receiving sustained antiretroviral drug therapy and 90 per cent of people on ART have a very low or undetectable levels of the virus.

14 Aug 2015

Researchers develop new genomic data set on Lassa virus

An international team of researchers has developed the largest genomic data set in the world on Lassa virus (LASV).

14 Aug 2015

Duke specialist offers infection control measures to maintain health of pro football players

Keeping any team healthy is an important and daunting challenge, but the task is amplified in the National Football League when a bug that spreads rapidly through locker rooms and training facilities can impact an entire season.

14 Aug 2015

Bio-fortification of sweet potatoes may help combat vitamin A deficiency in South Africa

Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children. It also increases the risk of disease and death from severe infections, according to the World Health Organization.

14 Aug 2015

PHIV children may lack immunity against measles, mumps, and rubella despite vaccination

Between one-third and one-half of individuals in the United States who were infected with HIV around the time of birth may not have sufficient immunity to ward off measles, mumps, and rubella--even though they may have been vaccinated against these diseases.

14 Aug 2015

TSRI study reveals ancient roots of Lassa virus and how it has changed over time

Working as part of an international team in North America and West Africa, a researcher at The Scripps Research Institute has published new findings showing the ancient roots of the deadly Lassa virus, a relative of Ebola virus, and how Lassa virus has changed over time.

14 Aug 2015

Researchers receive Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant to eliminate neglected tropical diseases

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a $7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation aimed at eliminating river blindness and elephantiasis, two neglected tropical diseases that annually sicken millions.

14 Aug 2015

USciences professor provides infection control measures for college-bound students

Thousands of students across Greater Philadelphia will soon start the next chapter of their lives as they begin their college journeys away from home.

13 Aug 2015

Increasing vaccination coverage in the US protects against chickenpox

Since the chickenpox vaccine became available in the U.S. in 1995, there has been a large reduction in chickenpox cases. Hospitalizations and outpatient visits for chickenpox have continued their decline after a second dose of the vaccine was recommended to improve protection against the disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.

13 Aug 2015

Researchers identify potential drug target to fight TB

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first new drug to fight tuberculosis (TB) in more than 40 years, but treatment still takes six months, 200 pills and leaves 40 percent of patients uncured. Thus, new targets are needed. Today in ACS Central Science, researchers report they have identified one such target -- a gene that allows the disease to camp out in human immune cells, and is thus essential for the organism's proliferation.

13 Aug 2015

CMC Biologics, PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative sign agreement for development of specific monoclonal antibodies

CMC Biologics, a global leader in clinical and commercial development and contract manufacture of therapeutic proteins, announced today it has entered into an agreement with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) for process development and manufacture of specific monoclonal antibodies to test for their capacity to protect humans from malaria infection.

12 Aug 2015

Disease/Infection News

Bacteria in gut may be the cause of uveitis in the eye

Reducing amyloid fibril levels in semen may help reduce transmission of HIV

Molecular tweezer blocks HIV, breaks up proteins in semen that boost infection

New research explores underlying mechanisms by which bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance genes

U-M microbiome research may lead to new ways to prevent, fight lung infections in patients

NanoViricides speeds up HerpeCide drug development program

LSTM's CMNH raises funds for Ebola-hit maternal health facilities in Sierra Leone

Risk for endophthalmitis no higher with Avastin, finds study

Tips for preventing ticks, Lyme disease

Ontario nearing ambitious UN targets for ending AIDS epidemics

Researchers develop new genomic data set on Lassa virus

Duke specialist offers infection control measures to maintain health of pro football players

Bio-fortification of sweet potatoes may help combat vitamin A deficiency in South Africa

PHIV children may lack immunity against measles, mumps, and rubella despite vaccination

TSRI study reveals ancient roots of Lassa virus and how it has changed over time

Researchers receive Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant to eliminate neglected tropical diseases

USciences professor provides infection control measures for college-bound students

Increasing vaccination coverage in the US protects against chickenpox

Researchers identify potential drug target to fight TB

CMC Biologics, PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative sign agreement for development of specific monoclonal antibodies

Exploring the nanoscale: How AFM is transforming cosmetic science

Innovating Texture and Culture in Plant-Based Foods

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

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