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Encouraging B. anthracis to unwittingly unmask itself will help eradicate the pathogen

Anthrax-causing bacteria can be engineered to shed their invisibility cloaks, making it easier for the immune system to eradicate it, according to a new study published in Microbiology. The work could lead to new measures to treat anthrax infection in the event of a biological warfare attack.

7 May 2010

ETH Zurich researchers discover HIV transmission chains

Since the emergence of the first AIDS cases in the early 1980s, an infectious wave has spread over Switzerland. Every year, several hundred people are infected with the HI-virus which triggers the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, AIDS. Does the infection spread according to a particular pattern? Do these patterns vary among the transmission groups such as drug addicts, homosexual or heterosexual persons?

7 May 2010

Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus replicates, spreads by hijacking PYM cellular protein

Research from the University of Leeds has identified how the virus which causes Kaposi's Sarcoma replicates and spreads - opening a door to a possible new treatment for the disease.

7 May 2010

Neurons' complicated tree-like structure formation unravelled

A breakthrough about the formation and maintenance of tree-like nerve cell structures could have future applications in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and the repair of injuries in which neurons are damaged. The findings by the international team led by Prof. Benjamin Podbilewicz of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Faculty of Biology are published in the May 6th issue of Science Express.

7 May 2010

Survey reveals low awareness of postherpetic neuralgia amongst Americans

The American Pain Foundation (APF) announced today at the American Pain Society (APS) Annual Meeting the results of a national survey that showed postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), also known as after-shingles pain, continues to be a condition with low awareness amongst Americans, demonstrating a need for health care provider (HCP) intervention.

7 May 2010

Challenges and limitations faced in avian influenza

Over the past decade, substantial resources have been spent on tackling avian influenza and building a global capacity for a pandemic response. The catastrophic costs of the 1918 influenza pandemic are well documented, and the swine flu pandemic of 2009-10 has raised the alarm yet again.

7 May 2010

Roche launches cobas(R) 4800 System in Canada for testing CT, NG and HPV

Roche Diagnostics Canada announced today the launch of a new Health Canada approved clinical laboratory system designed to increase laboratory testing efficiency and to accommodate current and long-term molecular diagnostic needs. The cobas(R) 4800 System combines in vitro diagnostic tests for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing with fully-automated sample preparation and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 7 May 2010

Resolvyx presents new data on RX-10001 for corneal herpes simplex virus infection at ARVO 2010

Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the leading resolvin therapeutics company, today announced the presentation of data on its novel resolvins for the treatment of both ocular surface diseases and retinal diseases at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, being held May 2-6, 2010.

7 May 2010

New CD4 test kit can improve quality of life for HIV and AIDS patients

The use of rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests for the measurement of CD4 T-cells, a marker of the immune system will be an important factor in improving the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS especially in developing and resource-poor countries.

7 May 2010

New measurement technique can lead to better treatment strategies for malaria and sickle-cell disease

Thanks to an interdisciplinary team of researchers, scientists now have a more complete understanding of one of the human body's most vital structures: the red blood cell.

7 May 2010

Hepcidin is found in various biological fluids, says new research

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of hepcidin in iron metabolism, particularly anaemia of chronic disease and iron overload. There have also been reports of its expression in various proinflammatory disorders and various organs, linking it to innate immunity and iron metabolism.

7 May 2010

HealthMap's H1N1 survey identifies disparities in international public health systems

As H1N1 began to emerge in April 2009, HealthMap - an automated online disease tracking and mapping tool created by researchers in the Informatics Program at Children's Hospital Boston - was already collecting information about the virus and plotting that information on a map of the globe, creating a freely available, real-time, digestible display of the outbreak.

7 May 2010

New study may help design better vaccines for dengue fever

Some of the human immune system's defences against the virus that causes dengue fever actually help the virus to infect more cells, according to new research published today in the journal Science.

7 May 2010

Amira Pharmaceuticals' LPA1 receptor antagonist program data published in British Journal of Pharmacology

Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that preclinical data from its LPA1 receptor antagonist program has been published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

7 May 2010

Imprinted genes may be the root cause of gender specific diseases, says study

Pregnancy places competing demands on a mother's physiology: Her body wants to produce a strong healthy baby but not at the expense of her own health. Some of the genes that she passes on to her child therefore try to protect her own body from excessive demands from her child.

7 May 2010

ALMA launches malaria drive on opening day of WEF on Africa

The African Leaders Malaria Alliance, comprised of the heads of 26 countries, on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa "launched a fresh drive to eliminate malaria using a combination of bed nets, insecticides and medication," Reuters reports (Nyambura-Mwaura, 5/5).

7 May 2010

Pennsylvania Auditor assails use of some HIV/AIDS prevention funds

Philadelphia Inquirer: "The Pennsylvania Auditor General's Office criticized the state's oversight of HIV/AIDS prevention funding Wednesday in a report that alleges more than $700,000 in waste, abuse, and potentially fraudulent spending by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

7 May 2010

WHO publishes comprehensive report on H1N1

"A year after the H1N1 [swine] flu first appeared, the World Health Organization has issued perhaps the most comprehensive report on the pandemic's activity to date," HealthDay News/Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports (Gardner, 5/5).

7 May 2010

Researchers demonstrate how Plasmodium falciparum can able to circumvent action of artemisinin

Researchers from CNRS, INSERM and Toulouse University Hospital have demonstrated how the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which causes severe forms of malaria, is able to circumvent the action of artemisinin and its derivatives, which are today the first-line drugs used to treat this disease. This study supplies some important findings that will enable a clearer understanding of the mechanisms of resistance to antimalarial drugs and the testing of novel therapeutic strategies in a context where the drug resistance of parasites is of increasing concern.

6 May 2010

New study links fecal contamination on hands and bacterial contamination in stored water

Scientists are reporting dramatic new real-world evidence supporting the idea that hand washing can prevent the spread of water-borne disease. It appears in a new study showing a connection between fecal bacteria contamination on hands, fecal contamination of stored drinking water, and health in households in a developing country in Africa. The study is in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology, a semi-monthly journal.

6 May 2010

Disease/Infection News

Encouraging B. anthracis to unwittingly unmask itself will help eradicate the pathogen

ETH Zurich researchers discover HIV transmission chains

Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus replicates, spreads by hijacking PYM cellular protein

Neurons' complicated tree-like structure formation unravelled

Survey reveals low awareness of postherpetic neuralgia amongst Americans

Challenges and limitations faced in avian influenza

Roche launches cobas(R) 4800 System in Canada for testing CT, NG and HPV

Resolvyx presents new data on RX-10001 for corneal herpes simplex virus infection at ARVO 2010

New CD4 test kit can improve quality of life for HIV and AIDS patients

New measurement technique can lead to better treatment strategies for malaria and sickle-cell disease

Hepcidin is found in various biological fluids, says new research

HealthMap's H1N1 survey identifies disparities in international public health systems

New study may help design better vaccines for dengue fever

Amira Pharmaceuticals' LPA1 receptor antagonist program data published in British Journal of Pharmacology

Imprinted genes may be the root cause of gender specific diseases, says study

ALMA launches malaria drive on opening day of WEF on Africa

Pennsylvania Auditor assails use of some HIV/AIDS prevention funds

WHO publishes comprehensive report on H1N1

Researchers demonstrate how Plasmodium falciparum can able to circumvent action of artemisinin

New study links fecal contamination on hands and bacterial contamination in stored water

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

Modular, Scalable, Intelligent: How n6 Is Rethinking NGS Library Prep

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