Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Flu vaccine: the facts. An interview with Dr Lisa Maragakis

There are different formulations of the flu vaccine but in general they all do the same thing, which is to stimulate our body's immune system to recognize and fight against the influenza virus.

21 Dec 2015

Luminex's NxTAG Respiratory Pathogen Panel obtains FDA clearance

Luminex Corporation today announced that it has received FDA clearance for its NxTAG Respiratory Pathogen Panel that detects 20 clinically relevant viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens, including the atypical bacteria Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumonia.

20 Dec 2015

New vaccine shows promise against Middle East respiratory syndrome in dromedary camels

An international research project with the involvement of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Animal Health Research Centre (IRTA-CReSA), has designed a vaccine shown to be effective in protecting dromedaries against the coronavirus (CoV) that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

18 Dec 2015

Findings show promising evidence for creating broad-spectrum antiviral

UW researchers working in collaboration with Kineta Inc. and the University of Texas at Galveston have shown that making a drug-like molecule to turn on innate immunity can induce genes to control infection in several -known viruses.

18 Dec 2015

Epilepsy deaths should be considered a public health priority, say doctors

Epilepsy is not a public health priority, yet it takes more lives than sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or fires, according to an article reviewing the topic. Doctors say epilepsy deaths should be a focus of research and education to understand and prevent those deaths, according to the "Views and Reviews" article published in the December 16, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Dec 2015

Researchers call for improved cause-of-death reporting to advance understanding of epilepsy

Recent studies conclude that people with epilepsy have a 27-fold greater risk of sudden death than people without the disorder. However, many of these deaths could be prevented through greater identification of epilepsy as a cause of death, and in educating the public more effectively about the disease's life-threatening dangers.

17 Dec 2015

Converting white fat cells into beige fat cells could help fight obesity

The body's ability to harness heat production by converting white fat cells, which store calories, into beige fat cells, which burn energy, could help fight obesity, according to researchers at Georgia State University.

17 Dec 2015

Researchers find new way to prevent or reduce pathologies caused by malformed proteins

Improperly formed proteins can cause a host of serious illnesses, from muscular dystrophy to cystic fibrosis. A question of enormous import in research, beyond the challenge of determining how malformed proteins contribute to specific disease processes, is figuring out ways to prevent or reduce the pathologies they cause.

16 Dec 2015

BUSM researchers explore how do not resuscitate orders affect hospital rankings for pneumonia

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine examined how hospital differences in patient preferences for life-sustaining treatments (do not resuscitate, or DNR, orders) affected hospital rankings for pneumonia.

16 Dec 2015

Molecular signatures can predict flu vaccine responses in young and old

What factors inhibit strong responses to seasonal flu vaccines in the elderly? Why do anti-flu antibodies last longer after vaccination in some people? Answers are emerging from an Emory University-based systems biology analysis of blood samples from more than 400 volunteers who received seasonal flu vaccines. Bali Pulendran, PhD, led a team of researchers who tracked patterns of gene expression, known as molecular signatures, of strong immune responses in volunteers' blood across five consecutive seasons from 2007 to 2011.

16 Dec 2015

TaiGen releases Taigexyn (nemonoxacin) capsules in Taiwan

TaiGen Biotechnology Company, Limited today announced that together with its distribution partner, Holding Distribution, it has launched Taigexyn (nemonoxacin) capsules in Taiwan, the first market where Taigexyn is available.

16 Dec 2015

SLU researcher discovered world's first dengue vaccine

A vaccine to prevent dengue fever discovered by a Saint Louis University researcher in 1997 and now licensed worldwide by Sanofi Pasteur has been approved for use in Mexico. Dengvaxia is the world's first vaccine approved to prevent dengue fever, which is a virus spread by mosquitoes primarily in tropical and sub-tropical areas.

15 Dec 2015

Flu vaccine strategy needs to be reworked, York U study finds

In the face of a flu epidemic, a one-size fits all vaccine strategy won't be effective, a York University study has found. Instead, strategies need to change significantly depending on the characteristics of each region in Canada and how easily the particular flu strain spreads.

15 Dec 2015

Viralytics announces completion of $28 million placement

Viralytics Limited announces that it has completed a placement of 46,118,270 shares to international and domestic sophisticated or professional investors at an issue price of $0.615 per share to raise $28,362,736.

14 Dec 2015

Virginia Governor speaks at ADAMS Compassionate Healthcare Network Health Fair in Chantilly, VA

As ACHN Chairman Dr. Yahya Alvi explained, "Local and state officials have called the ADAMS Free clinic a model for healthcare to community members who could not otherwise afford that care. We are delighted Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe will attend and speak at the Fair on Saturday, along with many other County and State Civic Leaders who will join us. This is a perfect way for our officials to tell their constituents about our Clinic services."

14 Dec 2015

Four journalists from China and India win 2016 EurekAlert! Fellowships for International Science Reporters

Four early-career journalists from China and India have emerged from the fiercest competition to date to win the 2016 EurekAlert! Fellowships for International Science Reporters.

13 Dec 2015

Johns Hopkins-led study shows disparities in access to minimally invasive hysterectomies for uterine cancer

A new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers shows wide racial and economic disparities in access to minimally invasive hysterectomies for early uterine cancer in the United States. This is despite years of accumulating evidence that the procedures to remove the uterus are linked to fewer postoperative complications, the researchers say.

13 Dec 2015

Combination treatment provides effective one-two punch against prostate cancer

Results from a long-term clinical trial conducted by cancer researchers at Houston Methodist Hospital show that combining radiation treatment with "suicide gene therapy," a technique in which prostate cancer cells are genetically modified so they signal a patient's immune system to attack them, provides a safe and effective one-two punch against the disease.

12 Dec 2015

NIAID scientists successfully test prime-boost H7N9 influenza vaccine concept in clinical trial

In clinical trials, several candidate H7N9 pandemic influenza vaccines made from inactivated viruses have been shown to be safe and to generate an immune response. However, scientists believe for practical use, these potential vaccines would require multiple doses or the addition of adjuvants, which enhance the immune response.

12 Dec 2015

Discovery may provide reliable 'clock' for forensic scientists

Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and University of Colorado Boulder have discovered that unique and changing microbial communities present during decomposition of human cadavers may provide a reliable "clock" for forensic scientists. The method could be used to estimate time of death in different seasons, as well determine the original location of moved corpses and help locate buried corpses.

11 Dec 2015