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Hospitals, health systems preparing to treat patients with Ebola face unexpected challenges

Hospitals and health systems preparing for and treating patients with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the fall of 2015 faced unexpected challenges for ensuring safety of staff, patients and the community. The experiences are detailed in two studies published online in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

2 Apr 2015

Canada's VSV-EBOV Ebola vaccine proves safe, effective in Phase 1 clinical trial

The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, and Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Gregory Taylor, today welcomed the news of promising trial outcomes of Canada's VSV-EBOV Ebola vaccine. The results of several studies and trials bring the world closer to ending this global outbreak through the provision of a commercially available vaccine.

2 Apr 2015

American scientists develop simple system to detect influenza virus from nasal or throat swabs

Almost every winter sees a new wave of influenza, threatening people by its highly contagious character and severe pathogenesis if those with weak or compromised immune system are infected. But when do sniffing and high temperature only point to a bad cold and when is it real influenza? American scientists have developed a simple system for testing for the influenza virus by just taking nasal or throat swabs and measuring the viral presence amperometrically by assessing the glucose level.

2 Apr 2015

NIH approves $6.6 million in funding for Phase 2a adult eradication study of Argos' AGS-004

Argos Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of fully personalized immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases based on the Arcelis technology platform, today announced that the NIH Division of AIDS (DAIDS) has approved $6.6 million in funding for an investigator-initiated Phase 2a adult eradication study of AGS-004, the company’s investigational fully personalized immunotherapy for HIV.

2 Apr 2015

Low doses of imatinib drug can push immune system to combat bacterial infections

Low doses of the anti-cancer drug imatinib can spur the bone marrow to produce more innate immune cells to fight against bacterial infections, Emory researchers have found.

1 Apr 2015

World-first human clinical trials for Hendra virus to begin this month

An antibody manufactured at The University of Queensland will be used in world-first human Hendra virus clinical trials starting this month.

1 Apr 2015

TSRI scientists uncover unique mechanism of natural product with antimicrobial, anti-cancer effects

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have uncovered the unique mechanism of a powerful natural product with wide-ranging antifungal, antibacterial, anti-malaria and anti-cancer effects.

1 Apr 2015

Study examines efficacy of continuous UV-C robots versus pulsed xenon in preventing infection

The efficacy of continuous UV-C disinfection robots versus pulsed xenon (PU-UX) was highlighted in a recently published study of ultraviolet (UV) light disinfection systems by an influential infection prevention research team, including Curtis Donskey, M.D.

1 Apr 2015

NIH awards $2.1 million grant to counter antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Dr. Walter Fast, associate professor of medicinal chemistry at The University of Texas at Austin's College of Pharmacy, a four-year $2.1 million grant to develop small-molecules that counter antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. If successful, the research could lead to new drugs for treating bacterial infections that are resistant to most antibiotics.

1 Apr 2015

Research reveals stark variation in genetic tests for inherited eye disease in England

New research from The University of Manchester published in the Journal of Community Genetics reveals a stark variation in genetic testing services for inherited eye disease in England.

31 Mar 2015

New study sheds light on natural small molecule with antimicrobial effects

31 Mar 2015

New research reveals how a deadly fungus grows and kills immune cells

New research from the University of Toronto has scientists re-thinking how a lethal fungus grows and kills immune cells. The study hints at a new approach to therapy for Candida albicans, one of the most common causes of bloodstream infections.

31 Mar 2015

New HCV therapies cost-effective in specific groups of HCV-infected patients

A study led by Boston Medical Center researchers demonstrates that while new therapies to treat Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) are highly effective, they are cost-effective and provide the greatest value in specific groups of HCV-infected patients.

31 Mar 2015

Antibodies from dromedary camels may prove therapeutic for MERS patients

Antibodies from dromedary camels protected uninfected mice from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and helped infected mice expunge the disease, according to a study published online March 18th in the Journal of Virology, a journal published by the American Society for Microbiology.

31 Mar 2015

Drug-resistant E. coli outbreak linked to contaminated endoscopes in Washington state hospital

An outbreak of a novel Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain resistant to antibiotics has been linked to contaminated endoscopes in a Washington state hospital. The study indicates that industry standard cleaning guidelines, which were exceeded by hospital staff, may not be sufficient for sterilizing endoscopes adequately.

31 Mar 2015

New approach allows researchers to trap and watch highly motile cells

Optical imaging of highly motile cells or cells in suspension, such as bacterial systems, yeast cells, and immune cells, is a challenging task, in many cases it is just not possible. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), for example, can spread very efficiently from an infected T cell to an uninfected T cell through direct cell-cell contact.

31 Mar 2015

Study provides insights into climate, social factors that trigger dengue outbreaks

Researchers at Upstate Medical University, in collaboration with a team of international investigators studying dengue fever, have discovered new information on climate drivers of the disease and social risk factors that may be contributing to its spread, according to two scientific papers recently published in BMC Infectious Disease and BMC Public Health, open access, peer-reviewed online journals.

30 Mar 2015

Ebola epidemic reveals critical weaknesses in global public health system

In the year since the World Health Organization (WHO) was first notified of an outbreak of what proved to be Ebola virus disease in the west African country of Guinea, more than 24,000 cases have been reported and over 10,000 individuals have died - primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

30 Mar 2015

Effective therapy enables immune system recovery in majority of children

Most children with HIV who have low levels of a key immune cell eventually recover levels of this cell after they begin treatment, according to a new study conducted by researchers at UCLA and other institutions in the U.S. and Brazil.

30 Mar 2015

Synthetic Biologics begins SYN-004 Phase 2a clinical trial to prevent C. difficile infection

Synthetic Biologics, Inc., a developer of pathogen-specific therapies for serious infections and diseases, with a focus on protecting the microbiome, today announced the initiation of a Phase 2a clinical trial to evaluate the gastrointestinal (GI) antibiotic-degrading effects and the safety of SYN-004, the Company's investigational oral beta-lactamase enzyme designed to protect the microbiome and prevent C. difficile infection (CDI).

30 Mar 2015

Disease/Infection News

Hospitals, health systems preparing to treat patients with Ebola face unexpected challenges

Canada's VSV-EBOV Ebola vaccine proves safe, effective in Phase 1 clinical trial

American scientists develop simple system to detect influenza virus from nasal or throat swabs

NIH approves $6.6 million in funding for Phase 2a adult eradication study of Argos' AGS-004

Low doses of imatinib drug can push immune system to combat bacterial infections

World-first human clinical trials for Hendra virus to begin this month

TSRI scientists uncover unique mechanism of natural product with antimicrobial, anti-cancer effects

Study examines efficacy of continuous UV-C robots versus pulsed xenon in preventing infection

NIH awards $2.1 million grant to counter antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria

Research reveals stark variation in genetic tests for inherited eye disease in England

New study sheds light on natural small molecule with antimicrobial effects

New research reveals how a deadly fungus grows and kills immune cells

New HCV therapies cost-effective in specific groups of HCV-infected patients

Antibodies from dromedary camels may prove therapeutic for MERS patients

Drug-resistant E. coli outbreak linked to contaminated endoscopes in Washington state hospital

New approach allows researchers to trap and watch highly motile cells

Study provides insights into climate, social factors that trigger dengue outbreaks

Ebola epidemic reveals critical weaknesses in global public health system

Effective therapy enables immune system recovery in majority of children

Synthetic Biologics begins SYN-004 Phase 2a clinical trial to prevent C. difficile infection

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

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