Cold, Flu & Cough

What is the Common Cold?

The common cold, also known as rhinopharyngitis, is a type of respiratory tract infection caused by a virus.

Influenza Infection in Animals

Does the 'Stomach Flu' Vaccine Prevent Type I Diabetes?

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

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Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

Risk Factors and Walking Pneumonia Prevention

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

New oral antiviral drug candidate targets measles and Croup syndrome

A new oral antiviral drug candidate has been developed for the treatment of diseases caused by orthoparamyxoviruses, such as measles and Croup syndrome, according to a study published by researchers in the Center for Translational Antiviral Research at Georgia State University.

22 May 2026

Boston Children's scientists create new booster-free mRNA vaccine strategy

In a new study published in Nature Immunology, researchers at Boston Children's Hospital demonstrated that pairing the original COVID-19 mRNA vaccine with an immune system enhancer, known as an adjuvant, extended the duration of the vaccine's protection in mice from a few months up to two years.

22 May 2026

AI-created miniproteins show promise for targeting hard-to-treat diseases

G protein-coupled receptors, or GPCRs, sit in the plasma membrane, the boundary that defines the inside and outside of a living cell. They communicate with nearly every physiological process in our bodies - from the ability to see and smell, to sensing of adrenaline, insulin, nutrients and medicines.

21 May 2026

Scientists capture immune cells attacking live melanoma cells in real time

Scientists at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have captured, for the first time, 'housekeeping' immune cells actively attacking and engulfing live melanoma cells – a discovery that could change the way we approach treatment for one of Australia's most common and deadly cancers.

21 May 2026

Most Americans misunderstand which sexually transmitted infections have preventive vaccines

While data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the total number of U.S. cases of three sexually transmitted infections (STIs) declined from 2022-24, infection rates remain 13% higher than a decade ago. CDC provisional data show more than 2.2 million U.S. cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported in 2024.

21 May 2026

New vaccine approach targets broad protection against arenavirus infections

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have discovered that combining key vaccine ingredients could give the body the tools it needs to fight the entire family of arenaviruses with a single vaccine.

21 May 2026

Polymer-based immunotherapies enhance tumor targeting and immune activation

Conventional immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies, can reinvigorate T cells but typically benefit less than 30% of patients.

21 May 2026

Wastewater tracking catches hospital fungus before patients show symptoms

A new UNLV-led wastewater surveillance study brings scientists one step closer in the global race to detect and deter skyrocketing cases of a potentially deadly drug-resistant fungus that puts hospital patients at risk of serious blood, heart, or brain infections.

20 May 2026

Cytokine-armored CAR-T cell therapy successfully attacks aggressive brain tumors in mice

Scientists at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a new cytokine-armored CAR-T cell therapy that helps the immune system better attack aggressive brain tumors in mice while reducing dangerous side effects that have long limited immune-based treatments for glioblastoma, one of the deadliest and most treatment-resistant brain cancers.

20 May 2026

Engineered nanomaterials optimize delivery barriers in cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy works by mobilizing the body's own immune system to recognize and destroy malignant cells.

20 May 2026

Adjuvanted and high-dose flu vaccines protect older adults equally well

In a large study of 429,595 adults aged 65 years or older, adjuvanted and high-dose influenza vaccines showed no significant difference in protection against PCR-confirmed influenza. The findings support current recommendations that both enhanced vaccines are reasonable options for older adults, while second-season results may further refine the evidence.

20 May 2026

New mRNA vaccine strategy dramatically amplifies cancer-fighting T cells

Engineers from the University of Houston, MIT and Harvard have developed a new mRNA-based strategy that dramatically amplifies the T-cell response to vaccines - an advance that could lead to far more powerful cancer vaccines and stronger protection against infectious diseases.

19 May 2026

Private equity hospital acquisitions linked to worse pulmonary patient outcomes

A large new study presented at the 2026 ATS International Conference shows that patients treated for COPD or pneumonia experience worse outcomes across several important measures when they are treated at hospitals that have been acquired by private equity firms.

19 May 2026

New skin patch could replace bulky polygraphs and sleep monitors

A novel wireless chest patch enables continuous monitoring of stress signals, enhancing psychophysiological assessment in clinical and real-world settings.

19 May 2026

Researchers discover water's role in brain learning and memory signaling

How do we learn to remember? At the most fundamental level, it's all about chemicals and electricity. Beyond their roles in diet and nutrition, calcium and magnesium work as ions, or charged particles, in the brain.

19 May 2026

How antibody-drug conjugates are redefining targeted cancer therapy

Antibody-drug conjugates are rapidly expanding cancer therapies, with 19 approved globally and many more in development, but their success depends on better targets, payloads, linkers, dosing, and patient selection. The Cell review shows that next-generation ADCs could widen treatment options, but safety, resistance, tumor heterogeneity, and clinical translation remain major barriers.

19 May 2026

Azithromycin fails to improve severe wheezing in preschool children

A study led by researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson showed that giving the antibiotic azithromycin did not help preschool children seen in the hospital emergency room with bouts of severe wheezing.

18 May 2026

Health experts outline symptoms and risks of shipboard hantavirus

It's one of the cruisegoer's biggest fears: a contagious disease outbreak at sea.

18 May 2026

GLP-1 weight loss medications linked to significant drop in asthma flares

New research presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May) shows the use of the new GLP-1 class of obesity drugs in people with asthma is associated with a 26 % fall in the number of asthma exacerbations and a 14% drop in use of asthma inhaler reliever use. The study is by Simon Høj and Dr Kjell Erik Julius Håkansson, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark and colleagues.

15 May 2026

Researchers develop pH and redox-sensitive systems to reduce immunotherapy toxicity

Although cancer immunotherapy has transformed treatment by harnessing the immune system to eliminate tumors, only a small subset of patients benefit. Many solid tumors remain "cold," characterized by poor immune cell infiltration and resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB).

15 May 2026