Disease/Infection News

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Researchers explore new ways to treat, prevent Streptococcus pneumoniae

Scientists from Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology have used the power of new genomic technology to discover that microbes that commonly infect the eye have special, previously unknown properties. These properties are predicted to allow the bacterium -- Streptococcus pneumoniae -- to specifically stick to the surface of the eye, grow, and cause damage and inflammation.

13 Nov 2014

McGill study helps identify people at risk for oral human papillomavirus

Oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infections were more common among men who had female partners with oral and/or genital HPV infection, suggesting that the transmission of HPV occurs via oral-oral and oral-genital routes, according to a McGill University study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

13 Nov 2014

Researchers find that yellow fever mosquitoes contain odor-detecting gene

One of the world's deadliest mosquitoes sustains its taste for human blood thanks in part to a genetic tweak that makes it more sensitive to human odor, according to new research.

13 Nov 2014

New treatment regimen for hepatitis C in transplant patients produces promising results

A new treatment regimen for hepatitis C, the most common cause of liver cancer and transplantation, has produced results that will transform treatment protocols for transplant patients, according to research published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

12 Nov 2014

Antibiograms could improve antibiotic effectiveness, help address problems with antibiotic resistance

Use of "antibiograms" in skilled nursing facilities could improve antibiotic effectiveness and help address problems with antibiotic resistance that are becoming a national crisis, researchers conclude in a new study.

12 Nov 2014

Research opens new potential target against enterics

In research published in Nature Chemical Biology, scientists from RIKEN in Japan have discovered a surprisingly simple mechanism through which enterics can adjust to the very different oxygen environments inside the human gut and outside.

12 Nov 2014

Study examines overall survival of patients with chronic HCV infection, cirrhosis

Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis who attained sustained virological response (SVR) had survival comparable with that of the general population, whereas patients who did not attain SVR had reduced survival, according to a study in the November 12 issue of JAMA.

12 Nov 2014

Salivary mucins protect teeth from cariogenic bacterium

Salivary mucins, key components of mucus, actively protect the teeth from the cariogenic bacterium, Streptococcus mutans, according to research published ahead of print in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. The research suggests that bolstering native defenses might be a better way to fight dental caries than relying on exogenous materials, such as sealants and fluoride treatment, says first author Erica Shapiro Frenkel, of Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

11 Nov 2014

Successful treatments help HIV-infected persons achieve similar longevity as those without HIV

New research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that HIV-infected adults are at a higher risk for developing heart attacks, kidney failure and cancer. But, contrary to what many had believed, the researchers say these illnesses are occurring at similar ages as adults who are not infected with HIV.

11 Nov 2014

Study reveals ETEC bacteria's genetic composition

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) bacteria are responsible each year for around 400 million cases of diarrhoea and 400,000 deaths in the world's low- and middle-income countries. Children under the age of five are most affected.

11 Nov 2014

Griffith University receives significant funding boost to combat pneumonia

Griffith University’s bid to fight the childhood killer pneumonia has received a significant boost following the award of a $304,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

11 Nov 2014

Two new oral medications post-transplant is safe, beneficial for patients with hepatitis C

All patients with hepatitis C who receive a liver transplant will eventually infect their new livers. These transplanted organs then require anti-viral treatment before they become severely damaged. But traditional post-transplant hepatitis C therapy can take up to a year, is potentially toxic and can lead to organ rejection.

11 Nov 2014

New study finds that it is possible to distinguish between different hemorrhagic fevers

A new study has found it is possible to distinguish between different hemorrhagic fevers, including Marburg (Ebola cousin) and Lassa before the person becomes symptomatic.

11 Nov 2014

Survey: Majority of U.S. adult women do not believe that they are up to date on vaccinations

A national survey from Rite Aid and National Foundation for Infectious Diseases reveals that the majority of adult women living in the United States do not believe they are up to date on vaccinations to protect against many preventable diseases.

11 Nov 2014

New model explains how immune cells recognize, destroy bacteria

The innate immune system serves as the body's specialized armed forces division, comprised of a host of defense mechanisms used to battle bacterial infections. Among the system's warriors are white blood cells including the specialized macrophages, which maintain constant surveillance for foreign intruders or pathogens, functioning as the body's first line of defense, poised to attack at barrier sites including the skin, lungs and intestines.

11 Nov 2014

Disease/Infection News

Researchers explore new ways to treat, prevent Streptococcus pneumoniae

McGill study helps identify people at risk for oral human papillomavirus

Researchers find that yellow fever mosquitoes contain odor-detecting gene

New treatment regimen for hepatitis C in transplant patients produces promising results

Antibiograms could improve antibiotic effectiveness, help address problems with antibiotic resistance

Research opens new potential target against enterics

Study examines overall survival of patients with chronic HCV infection, cirrhosis

Salivary mucins protect teeth from cariogenic bacterium

Successful treatments help HIV-infected persons achieve similar longevity as those without HIV

Study reveals ETEC bacteria's genetic composition

Griffith University receives significant funding boost to combat pneumonia

Two new oral medications post-transplant is safe, beneficial for patients with hepatitis C

New study finds that it is possible to distinguish between different hemorrhagic fevers

Survey: Majority of U.S. adult women do not believe that they are up to date on vaccinations

New model explains how immune cells recognize, destroy bacteria

U of T, Chematria and IBM partner to find new treatments for Ebola virus

Resonance Health launches new diagnostic imaging solution for patients with fatty liver disease

BioInfect 2014 conference explores global anti-microbial agenda

LSTM receives research grants to develop Experimental Human Pneumococcal Carriage model

UF Health researcher finds way to grow human norovirus

How can super-resolution technology help study neurotransmission?

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

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