Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Vaping linked to over 200 health problems, but still safer than smoking

Vaping has been linked to hundreds of health problems in the UK over the last five years, including heart conditions, chest pain and pneumonia.

30 Sep 2019

Nanoparticles moving through airway mucus may predict severity of COPD

In a proof-of-concept experiment, researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have successfully used microscopic man-made particles to predict the severity of patients' chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by measuring how quickly the particles move through mucus samples.

30 Sep 2019

Deer can pass tuberculosis to humans, CDC warns

Tuberculosis or TB is a highly contagious infection that usually affects the lungs, but it can spread to other parts of the body, such as the spine and brain. Commonly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which can spread through the air from person to person.

30 Sep 2019

Nintedanib drug can benefit patients with broad range of scarring lung diseases

Nintedanib, a medication approved for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, slows the decline in lung function among patients with a broad range of scarring lung diseases.

30 Sep 2019

Smart shirt technology is a promising tool for monitoring lung disease

A smart shirt that measures lung function by sensing movements in the chest and abdomen has proved to be accurate when compared to traditional testing equipment, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress.

30 Sep 2019

Lipid produced in response to cold helps reduce blood sugar

Researchers based in Brazil, the United States and Germany have discovered that 12-HEPE, a lipid produced in response to cold by brown adipose tissue in the human body, helps reduce blood sugar. The results of their experiments with mice pave the way for new treatments for diabetes.

27 Sep 2019

Scientists discover T cell homing beacons for lungs

Scientists have identified a pair of molecules critical for T cells, part of the immune system, to travel to and populate the lungs. A potential application could be strengthening vaccines against respiratory pathogens such as influenza.

27 Sep 2019

Washing machine could be a reservoir of multidrug-resistant pathogens

For the first time ever, investigators have identified a washing machine as a reservoir of multidrug-resistant pathogens. The pathogens, a single clone of Klebsiella oxytoca, were transmitted repeatedly to newborns in a neonatal intensive care unit at a German children's hospital.

27 Sep 2019

Vapors from tank-style e-cigarettes have higher concentrations of harmful metals

A team of scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has found the concentration of metals in electronic cigarette aerosols -- or vapor -- has increased since tank-style electronic cigarettes were introduced in 2013.

27 Sep 2019

WHO begins emergency vaccination campaign to slow measles outbreak in DR Congo

The WHO and government of the DR Congo have begun an emergency vaccination program to stop the spread of measles in the country.

27 Sep 2019

Limited research on prevention of sexual violence against women in sub-Saharan Africa

Sexual violence is a human rights issue and a women's health issue. Without adequate research-based knowledge, neither health services nor the justice system can offer victims the help they need.

27 Sep 2019

Study provides new insights on how influenza virus achieves efficient viral RNA replication

New insights on how subunits of the influenza virus polymerase co-evolve to ensure efficient viral RNA replication are provided by a study published October 3 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Nadia Naffakh of the Institut Pasteur, and colleagues. As the authors note, the findings could lead to novel strategies for antiviral drug development.

From PLOS ONE 27 Sep 2019

Study may help scientists to learn more about the causes of chronic pain

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found that inflammation increases neuronal activity, gene expression and sensory nerve (neurite) outgrowth in neurons involved in thermal - but not physical- sensations in mice.

27 Sep 2019

NIH awards $30 million to accelerate progress in TB vaccine development

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded $30 million in first-year funding to establish new centers for immunology research to accelerate progress in tuberculosis vaccine development.

26 Sep 2019

Children's of Alabama using cold sore virus to fight pediatric brain cancer

Children's of Alabama is home to one of the most exciting studies underway in pediatric cancer: evaluating the use of a cold sore virus to treat children with progressive malignant brain tumors.

26 Sep 2019

Respiratory groups unite to advocate 'healthy lungs for all' on World Lung Day 2019

Today, on World Lung Day, the American Thoracic Society is united with members of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies and WLD partner organizations to advocate for respiratory health globally and call on policymakers to ensure that everyone has access to the services they need to improve their lung health.

25 Sep 2019

Meet the health officials who alerted the world to the alarming vaping illness

Dr. Lynn D'Andrea knew something was amiss when three teenagers with similar mysterious, dangerous lung injuries came into the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin one after another, gasping for air.

25 Sep 2019

Molecular changes are linked with adverse events following treatment of lymphatic filariasis

The Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis delivers mass drug administration to 500 million people each year, and adverse events are common following treatment. Now, researchers have reported in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases that certain changes in gene expression are associated with these adverse events.

From PLOS ONE 25 Sep 2019

Mummies show atherosclerosis was prevalent in ancient times

A new study published in the American Heart Journal used spectroscopic imaging techniques to ‘see’ fatty plaques in the arteries of ancient mummies. This shows that the people of ancient times also had a high incidence of clogged arteries, showing that heart disease is of very old lineage.

24 Sep 2019

Mice also fidget like humans while making decisions

Almost everyone fidgets, said Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Associate Professor Anne Churchland. She referred to a collage of videos she compiled of different people rocking back and forth in their chairs, clicking a pen, shaking their legs.

24 Sep 2019