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Scientists chemically synthesize ECA-derived oligosaccharides relevant for immunotherapy

Immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies is a promising treatment strategy, and it might now be within reach: American scientists have successfully prepared an oligosaccharide enterobacterial antigen for which a monoclonal antibody has been developed. The study is published in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

31 Jul 2015

New synthetic gene drives could one day improve human health and the environment

Gene drives are genetic elements - found naturally in the genomes of most of the world's organisms - that increase the chance of the gene they carry being passed on to all offspring, and thus, they can quickly spread through populations. Looking to these natural systems, researchers around the world, including some Wyss Institute scientists, are developing synthetic gene drives that could one day be leveraged by humans to purposefully alter the traits of wild populations of organisms to prevent disease transmission and eradicate invasive species.

31 Jul 2015

Study shows why candidate vaccine used in HVTN 505 clinical trial not protective against HIV infection

A study by researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Duke University helps explain why the candidate vaccine used in the HVTN 505 clinical trial was not protective against HIV infection despite robustly inducing anti-HIV antibodies: the vaccine stimulated antibodies that recognized HIV as well as microbes commonly found in the intestinal tract, part of the body's microbiome.

31 Jul 2015

Patients with HPV traces post-treatment more likely to have oropharyngeal cancer recurrence

Oropharyngeal cancer patients who were found to have detectable traces of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) in their saliva following cancer treatment are at an increased risk for recurrence, a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has found.

31 Jul 2015

amfAR releases recommendations to help U.S. states to achieve goals of National HIV/AIDS Strategy

Major achievements have been made in the domestic HIV/AIDS response as a result of increased realignment and coordination of efforts at the federal level. However, that level of consistent coordination and alignment has yet to take place in most states. In an effort to identify what needs to be done, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, in collaboration with the National HIV/AIDS Initiative at the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown Law, has released a set of recommendations for how states across the U.S. can improve HIV prevention and care outcomes in an effort to achieve the goals identified within the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

31 Jul 2015

IU scientists find evidence that invisible war between microorganisms may affect human health

Health experts have warned for years that the overuse of antibiotics is creating "superbugs" able to resist drugs treating infection.

31 Jul 2015

Study shows link between liver-produced molecules, pneumonia susceptibility during sepsis

New evidence highlights the importance of the liver in immunity against bacterial pneumonia. The study is the first of its kind to directly show such a link between liver-produced molecules and pneumonia susceptibility during sepsis.

31 Jul 2015

Astellas reports topline results from isavuconazole Phase 3 study in candidemia and other invasive Candida infections

Astellas today announced topline results from the Phase 3 ACTIVE study evaluating the efficacy and safety of intravenous (IV) and oral isavuconazole, commercially known as CRESEMBA (isavuconazonium sulfate), under development for adults with candidemia and other invasive Candida infections.

30 Jul 2015

Hospitals penalized in HAC Reduction program may not reflect poor quality of care, shows study

Hospitals that were penalized more frequently in the Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program offered advanced services, were major teaching institutions and had better performance on other publicly reported process-of-care and outcome measures, according to a study in the July 28 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on Medicare and Medicaid at 50.

30 Jul 2015

Discovery could put individuals with relapsing UTIs on fast track for new therapeutic regimen

It's one thing to grow bacteria in a test tube, perform a screen in the lab, and find a mutation in the pathogen's genes. It's a whole other thing, and much rarer, to find the exact same mutation in nature--in this case, in E. coli in urine samples from some 500 patients suffering from relapsing urinary tract infections.

30 Jul 2015

Cepheid announces international availability of updated Xpert Carba-R test to identify Superbugs

Cepheid today announced the international availability of an update to Xpert Carba-R, with the addition of two newly emerging carbapenemase genes, OXA-181 and OXA-232. The on-demand, molecular test also detects and differentiates among the five most prevalent mechanisms of carbapenem resistance, namely KPC, NDM, VIM, IMP-1 and OXA-48.

29 Jul 2015

Hospitals can make patients sick, reveals Consumer Reports

Hospitals are thought to be sterile, safe environments where sick people get better, not sicker. But that's not always the case according to a new investigation by Consumer Reports into hospital-acquired infections.

29 Jul 2015

New type of mycovirus can cause aspergillosis in humans

Researchers, led by Dr Robert Coutts, Leverhulme Research Fellow from the School of Life and Medical Sciences at the University of Hertfordshire, and Dr Ioly Kotta-Loizou, Research Associate at Imperial College, have discovered a completely novel type of mycovirus.

29 Jul 2015

Commission on Global Health Risk Framework for the Future holds first public meeting

Over the past 15 years, outbreaks of Ebola, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and H1N1 have demonstrated the lack of an adequate local and global health system infrastructure to prevent or mitigate the systemic burdens that result from infectious disease incidents of international significance.

29 Jul 2015

Shortage of meningitis C-containing vaccine threatens to limit disease control in Africa

With Africa at risk of a large meningitis outbreak, an acute shortage of meningitis C-containing vaccine threatens to severely limit the world's ability to minimize the number of people affected, four international public health organizations warned today.

29 Jul 2015

New WFSJ initiative to help journalists report on staggering toll of HCV

The World Federation of Science Journalists is launching a new initiative to help journalists report on the staggering toll of Hepatitis C (HCV) as well as the scientific and political barriers to treating the disease.

29 Jul 2015

Two-step regimen of experimental MERS vaccines show promise in mice

A two-step regimen of experimental vaccines against Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) prompted immune responses in mice and rhesus macaques, report National Institutes of Health scientists who designed the vaccines. Vaccinated mice produced broadly neutralizing antibodies against multiple strains of the MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV), while vaccinated macaques were protected from severe lung damage when later exposed to MERS-CoV.

29 Jul 2015

Study elucidates on global prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infections

Hepatitis B infections are among the most common infectious diseases worldwide. The disease can become chronic, and is one of the most important causes of severe diseases such as liver cancer. In the scope of an international study funded by the World Health Organization, scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig determined how often the chronic infection occurs in different countries and how many people of the general population are affected. They noted strong differences between different countries.

29 Jul 2015

Researchers at Sydney’s Centenary Institute fight against hepatitis infection

Today is World Hepatitis Day. 400 million people around the world are currently living with hepatitis B or C. Each year, we see around 1.4 million people die from viral hepatitis. Researchers at Sydney’s Centenary Institute are working hard to change this.

28 Jul 2015

World Hepatitis Alliance partners with WHO to raise awareness on viral hepatitis

The World Hepatitis Alliance, and its supporters today asks the public, the hepatitis community and governments to raise awareness of the 4000 people who die from viral hepatitis every day.

28 Jul 2015

Disease/Infection News

Scientists chemically synthesize ECA-derived oligosaccharides relevant for immunotherapy

New synthetic gene drives could one day improve human health and the environment

Study shows why candidate vaccine used in HVTN 505 clinical trial not protective against HIV infection

Patients with HPV traces post-treatment more likely to have oropharyngeal cancer recurrence

amfAR releases recommendations to help U.S. states to achieve goals of National HIV/AIDS Strategy

IU scientists find evidence that invisible war between microorganisms may affect human health

Study shows link between liver-produced molecules, pneumonia susceptibility during sepsis

Astellas reports topline results from isavuconazole Phase 3 study in candidemia and other invasive Candida infections

Hospitals penalized in HAC Reduction program may not reflect poor quality of care, shows study

Discovery could put individuals with relapsing UTIs on fast track for new therapeutic regimen

Cepheid announces international availability of updated Xpert Carba-R test to identify Superbugs

Hospitals can make patients sick, reveals Consumer Reports

New type of mycovirus can cause aspergillosis in humans

Commission on Global Health Risk Framework for the Future holds first public meeting

Shortage of meningitis C-containing vaccine threatens to limit disease control in Africa

New WFSJ initiative to help journalists report on staggering toll of HCV

Two-step regimen of experimental MERS vaccines show promise in mice

Study elucidates on global prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infections

Researchers at Sydney’s Centenary Institute fight against hepatitis infection

World Hepatitis Alliance partners with WHO to raise awareness on viral hepatitis

Advancing Menopause Care: Non-Hormonal Treatments for Vasomotor Symptoms

Building quality into drug development for safer, faster medicines

How Pulp Fixin Is Turning Paper into High-Performance Sustainable Labware

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