Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Scientists identify key protein driving severe flu in older people

Scientists have discovered why older people are more likely to suffer severely from the flu, and can now use their findings to address this risk.

8 Sep 2025

Mushrooms deliver nutrition medicine and sustainability solutions in one package

This Food Science & Nutrition review highlights mushrooms as nutrient-rich functional foods packed with bioactive compounds that support human health. It explores their therapeutic, industrial, and environmental applications, from disease prevention and drug discovery to bioremediation and bioenergy.

8 Sep 2025

Can an allergy spray help prevent COVID-19?

Researchers determine the efficacy and safety of azelastine nasal spray for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthy adults.

8 Sep 2025

New drug candidate STF 1623 activates innate immunity in solid tumors

Cancer immunotherapy, which primes the body's immune system to fight off tumors, has historically focused on harnessing T cells' natural ability to recognize and attack cancer cells.

5 Sep 2025

Griffith study finds Legionella exposure extends beyond air conditioners

There is a common misconception that legionella is only found in air conditioners and water towers, however, Griffith University research has found people are likely exposed to the bacteria through other sources including through soil.

5 Sep 2025

Scientists uncover human proteins hijacked by SARS-CoV-2 for replication

Despite vaccines and treatments, SARS-CoV-2-the virus that causes COVID-19-continues to pose a global health threat, driven by new variants and its ability to hijack human cells in ways that still aren't fully understood.

5 Sep 2025

Breakthrough technology enables faster and cheaper antibody analysis

Antibodies are the critical targeting agents of the immune system and the crux of immune therapy and vaccine development, but studying them is slow, expensive and labor-intensive.

4 Sep 2025

Neuritin 1 unlocks new pathway to treat obesity without reducing food intake

Is it possible to treat obesity without reducing food intake? A new study co-led by Dr. Antonio Zorzano and Dr. Manuela Sánchez-Feutrie at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) suggests that this might be a possibility, at least in animal models.

4 Sep 2025

Atelerix and Rodon Global partner to integrate cryo-free preservation technology into specialist logistics solutions

Atelerix, a biotech company revolutionizing cell preservation and biological transport with its pioneering hydrogel encapsulation technology, today announced an agreement with Rodon Global (“Rodon”), the established freight company focused on clinical trials and drug discovery headquartered in South Africa.

4 Sep 2025

Penn State researchers reveal new function of antibody-producing cells

The body has an intricate system to defend against infections where each type of immune cell plays a distinct role. Now, a study led by researchers from the Penn State College of Medicine has uncovered a new function of the immune cells that are known for making antibodies.

3 Sep 2025

Long-term benzodiazepine use linked to poor sleep quality in older adults

Long-term use of benzodiazepine and related drugs has been linked to poorer quality sleep in older adults with insomnia.

3 Sep 2025

First complete brain activity map reveals how decisions are made

The first complete activity map of the brain has been unveiled by a large international collaboration of neuroscientists.

3 Sep 2025

Changes at NIH give political appointees greater power to fund or block research

The Trump administration has given notice that political appointees, rather than scientists, will ultimately decide who gets grant money from the world’s largest biomedical research funder — the federal government's National Institutes of Health.

3 Sep 2025

At CDC, worries mount that agency has taken anti-science turn

Public health and access to lifesaving vaccines are on the line in a high-stakes leadership battle at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

3 Sep 2025

How effective is the RSV vaccine for older adults?

A single dose of the RSV vaccine offers 58% protection against hospitalization in older adults, but effectiveness varies in immunocompromised individuals.

3 Sep 2025

AI model predicts flu vaccine strains more accurately than WHO

AI-based models like VaxSeer outperform traditional methods in flu vaccine strain selection, enhancing effectiveness and addressing global influenza challenges.

2 Sep 2025

Research reveals molecular details of ME/CFS and long COVID

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) have heightened innate immune responses to bacteria, viruses, and fungi. While these responses are essential to fight infection, they can cause damage when unchecked.

1 Sep 2025

Babies fed blueberries show fewer allergy symptoms and boosted immune balance

Daily blueberry powder given to infants during complementary feeding modestly influenced allergic symptom resolution and shaped immune biomarker–microbiota associations. Findings suggest early diet may play a role in immune development, though results are preliminary and exploratory.

31 Aug 2025

Discovery of mitochondrial microprotein opens path to obesity and aging therapies

Like bees breathing life into gardens, providing pollen and making flowers blossom, little cellular machines called mitochondria breathe life into our bodies, buzzing with energy as they produce the fuel that powers each of our cells.

29 Aug 2025

Genetic clustering of swine influenza revealed in Northern Italy

A new scientific article, titled "Swine influenza surveillance in Italy uncovers regional and farm-based genetic clustering", has been published by Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie as part of the Horizon Europe PAIR project.

29 Aug 2025