Tuberculosis News and Research

Latest Tuberculosis News and Research

Promising new tuberculosis drug enters clinical trial

A promising new drug candidate that may be effective against both actively dividing and slow-growing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) has begun testing in humans, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, announced this week.

15 Jun 2005

President Bush's cut to AIDS prevention in Africa would be devastating

President Bush claims to have tripled US aid to Africa, yet he has set the Global Fund on a course to disaster. While promising to back the Fund, the cut he has proposed to the US contribution to the Fund could lead to a massive reduction in HIV/AIDS prevention and care for orphans.

14 Jun 2005

Non-profit public-private partnership develops affordable, new drug regimens for tuberculosis

The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), a non-profit public-private partnership developing affordable, new drug regimens for tuberculosis, today announced the start of Phase I clinical trials for the lead TB drug in its pipeline, PA-824. The trials begin this month.

14 Jun 2005

International efforts to build a prosperous Africa are doomed unless malaria is tackled

In advance of the G8 Ministerial meetings, the first report of the All-Party Parliamentary Malaria Group concludes that unless malaria is tackled as a global crisis with increased and sustained resources, UK’s plans for Africa will fail.

9 Jun 2005

Risk factors for tuberculosis in the United States overlap with many of the risk factors associated with persistent homelessness

...including being male or having a history of incarceration or substance abuse, according to a report in the June 8 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on tuberculosis.

8 Jun 2005

Tuberculosis now a worldwide threat

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) says that Tuberculosis (TB) is on the rise throughout the world and new cases among immigrant populations demands increased attention and funding.

7 Jun 2005

Research explains why Shigella and E. coli are rapidly becoming resistant to fluoroquinolones

Scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have discovered a novel strategy by which the bacterium that causes tuberculosis may soon be able to resist the effects of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones.

3 Jun 2005

Ageing and Health publication by the Medical Research Council highlights groundbreaking work on the ageing process

With life expectancy increasing worldwide, a new 'Ageing and Health' (PDF) publication by the Medical Research Council (MRC) highlights groundbreaking work on the ageing process, which could help elderly people not only live longer, but also lead healthier and happier lives.

2 Jun 2005

Flavonols in food, key to healthy eating?

University of Melbourne scientists may have found the secret of the fresh fruit and vegetables centred ‘Mediterranean diet’.

29 May 2005

Leprosy microbes lead scientists to immune discovery

With the unusual opportunity that human leprosy infections provide for study of human immune responses, scientists have discovered how the body's early warning system prompts a rapid immune response by two separate armies of defensive cells.

29 May 2005

Why good medications are sometimes bad for the liver

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of five clinical centers nationwide to receive funds from the National Institutes of Health to study why good medications are sometimes bad for the liver.

29 May 2005

Bill Clinton urges U.S. drug companies to be more flexible on generic drugs

Bill Clinton, the former U.S. president, is urging the United States to be more flexible in allowing money pledged for AIDS prevention to be used for low-cost generic drugs, and he has criticized U.S. drug manufacturers for pressuring the government to restrict use of those funds.

26 May 2005

World Bank and IMF preventing transfer of foreign aid to HIV/AIDS programmes

Multilateral financial organisations that aim to reduce poverty are preventing foreign aid from reaching HIV/AIDS programs in developing countries, states an article in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

19 May 2005

The Gates Foundation approach to the world's health problems has its critics

A recent article in The Lancet criticized the premise that a Grand Challenge to scientific and technological know-how is the best route to combating malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other diseases that kills millions of people each year.

16 May 2005

GlaxoSmithKline to acquire Corixa Corporation

GlaxoSmithKline has announced the execution of a definitive agreement pursuant to which GSK will acquire Corixa Corporation, a developer of innovative products that regulate immunity, based in Seattle, WA (USA).

2 May 2005

Researchers show protein's role in stopping bacterial-induced inflammation

In findings that could have implications for autoimmune disorders and drug-resistant bacterial infections, researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have identified a key protein involved in the appropriate shut-down of inflammation following an immune response to invading pathogens.

28 Apr 2005

International coalition works to develop a cocktail of drugs to combat Malaria

As Africa marks its own Malaria Day in recognition of the fact that it bears 90% of the deadly disease’s burden, an international research coalition is working to develop a cocktail of drugs that overcomes increasing resistance to conventional treatment exhibited by the elusive parasite.

27 Apr 2005