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Microbial signatures linked to immunotherapy response across cancers

The microbiome can identify those who benefit from combination immunotherapy across multiple different cancers, including rare gynecological cancers, biliary tract cancers and melanoma.

1 Mar 2024

Study offers insights into E. coli contamination on leafy greens

Leafy green vegetables are important sources of dietary fiber and nutrients, but they can harbor harmful pathogens.

29 Feb 2024

Resistant starch diet proves a game changer for weight loss and diabetes control

Supplementation with resistant starch leads to weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity by altering the gut microbiome and increasing secondary bile acids, according to a recent study in Nature Metabolism.

27 Feb 2024

UMass Amherst study targets aplastic anemia with cell retraining approach

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently released a first-of-its-kind study that focuses on the rare autoimmune disorder aplastic anemia to understand how a subset of cells might be trained to correct the overzealous immune response that can lead to fatal autoimmune disorders.

27 Feb 2024

Newborn T cells found to excel in immune defense

Scientists have long believed that a newborn's immune system was an immature version of an adult's, but new research from Cornell University shows that newborns' T cells – white blood cells that protect from disease – outperform those of adults at fighting off numerous infections.

24 Feb 2024

Females' immune system edges out males but at a cost of higher autoimmune risk

A review article highlights how two X chromosomes in females influence immune system composition and function, leading to faster infection clearance and stronger vaccination responses but also a higher risk of autoimmune diseases.

22 Feb 2024

COVID-19's neurological effects linked to immune response, not direct viral attack

Study identifies neurocognitive symptoms in COVID-19 patients as a reaction to systemic infection rather than direct brain infection, highlighting changes in the brain's immune response and synaptic organization.

21 Feb 2024

Digital DNA melting analysis can be a faster and more reliable tool for pathogen detection

A new analysis method can detect pathogens in blood samples faster and more accurately than blood cultures, which are the current state of the art for infection diagnosis.

21 Feb 2024

Mutation in E. coli bacteria linked to severe disease

Queensland researchers have discovered that a mutation allows some E. coli bacteria to cause severe disease in people while other bacteria are harmless, a finding that could help to combat antibiotic resistance.

21 Feb 2024

IκBζ protein holds potential for treating autoimmune conditions

Our immune system is remarkably powerful. It quickly assembles teams of cells to eliminate threats inside our bodies.

21 Feb 2024

Researchers discover protein key to toxoplasmosis pathogen multiplication

Researchers have identified a protein that evolved concurrently with the emergence of cellular compartments crucial for the multiplication of the toxoplasmosis pathogen.

16 Feb 2024

HBO's 'The Last of Us' fungal apocalypse, science fiction, not future reality

Researchers in "Emerging Infectious Diseases" debunk the scenario of a global fungal pandemic as depicted in HBO's 'The Last of Us,' citing slow fungal evolution and current pathologies as barriers to such an event.

15 Feb 2024

Rising mammal infections signal alarm for potential H5N1 pandemic

Comprehensive review highlights the increasing trend of mammal-to-mammal transmissions of H5N1 avian influenza, emphasizing the need for vigilant surveillance to prevent a potential pandemic.

14 Feb 2024

Study attributes West Nile virus expansion in Europe to climate change

West Nile virus is an emerging pathogen in Europe and represents a public health threat in previously non-affected European countries. Occurring in a cycle involving transmission between bird and mosquito species, this virus can be transmitted to humans by mosquitoes and induce West Nile fever.

14 Feb 2024

Study reveals the long-term effects of smoking on immunity

Like other factors such as age, sex and genetics, smoking has a major impact on immune responses. This is the finding recently made by a team of scientists at the Institut Pasteur using the Milieu Intérieur cohort of 1,000 healthy volunteers, established to understand variability in immune responses.

14 Feb 2024

New guideline aims to improve diagnosis and treatment of cryptococcosis

A group of international mycology experts led by Professor Dr Oliver A. Cornely at the University of Cologne has jointly drafted a guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of cryptococcosis, which aims at improving infection management and thus the survival rate of patients.

13 Feb 2024

Hormonal steroids found to boost drug resistance in gonorrhea bacteria

Study uncovers how Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a major sexually transmitted infection pathogen, utilizes host-produced hormonal steroids to enhance its drug resistance and survival, revealing a complex interaction between bacterial resistance mechanisms and human hormonal environment.

13 Feb 2024

CRISPR could be used for faster monkeypox testing

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare viral disease that is spread through physical contact between people.

12 Feb 2024

CDC releases new syphilis testing guidelines to combat rising cases

The CDC's new guidelines in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report outline comprehensive testing protocols for syphilis diagnosis, emphasizing the combined use of nontreponemal and treponemal tests to improve detection and management of the disease in the U.S.

11 Feb 2024

CARB-X awards $1.8 million to Visby Medical to develop a portable rapid PCR test for gonorrhea

Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) will award up to US$1.8 million to biotechnology company, Visby Medical, to develop a portable rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic to detect the presence of the pathogen that causes gonorrhea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and its susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, a former frontline oral antibiotic that can no longer treat resistant NG.

9 Feb 2024