Disease/Infection News

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Repurposing cancer drug to prevent organ damage in infectious diseases

Twelve years ago, cancer researchers at University of California San Diego identified a molecule that helps cancer cells survive by shuttling damaging inflammatory cells into tumor tissue.

3 Jul 2024

Monocyte signature predicts dexamethasone response in severe COVID-19 patients

Dexamethasone is one of the most important drugs in the treatment of severe COVID-19, but patients respond very differently to the therapy.

3 Jul 2024

Mapping pathogen spread and evolution using genomic and human mobility data

A new way to map the spread and evolution of pathogens, and their responses to vaccines and antibiotics, will provide key insights to help predict and prevent future outbreaks.

3 Jul 2024

Innovative 3D printer-based test enhances early detection of Chagas disease in newborns

An innovative test that combines a DNA extraction system inspired by a modified 3D printer (PrintrLab) with loop-mediated isothermal molecular amplification (LAMP) could be used to detect T. cruzi infection -responsible for Chagas disease- in newborns.

3 Jul 2024

Key differences in RNA editing found between postmortem and living brain

Researchers examined the adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) nucleoside editing of postmortem and live prefrontal cortical tissues.

3 Jul 2024

New HIV test targets neglected strains in global cure hunt

A multinational team led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators developed a test that will help measure the persistence of HIV in people affected by viral strains found predominantly in Africa - a vital tool in the search for an HIV cure that will benefit patients around the world.

3 Jul 2024

Decoding the significance of subnormal liver enzyme activity

Liver diseases are commonly diagnosed using serum enzyme assays, particularly for aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), and 5'-nucleotidase (5'-NT).

3 Jul 2024

Innovative HIV vaccine approaches yield potential for broad protection against viral strains

A major challenge in developing a vaccine for HIV is that the virus mutates fast - very fast. Although a person initially becomes infected with one or a few HIV strains, the virus replicates and mutates quickly, resulting in a "swarm" of viral strains existing in a single body.

2 Jul 2024

SRI’s novel injectable formulation aims to provide a better option to fight malaria

SRI today announced that researchers are developing a new treatment that aims to provide a better option to fight malaria, particularly for people in low-income and rural regions.

2 Jul 2024

Frequent infections and pathobionts boost children's nasal immunity, study reveals

Dynamic interactions with viruses and bacterial pathobionts significantly enhance nasal innate immunity in children, revealing distinct immunophenotypes driven by microbial load and type.

2 Jul 2024

COVID-19 pandemic linked to increased low birth weight incidence in India

The incidence of low birth weight rose sharply in India amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from the University of Notre Dame.

2 Jul 2024

FDA commercial pasteurization process kills H5N1 bird flu virus in milk

A study by FDA and USDA confirms that commercial milk pasteurization effectively inactivates the Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza virus in cattle milk. This ensures the safety of the U.S. milk supply against this virus.

2 Jul 2024

Recombinhunt: An important tool to combat future pandemics

Combating future pandemics through data analysis of recombinant virus genomes. A study published in the prestigious journal Nature Communication presents the promising results of RecombinHunt, a new data-driven method developed by the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of the Politecnico di Milano and the University of Milan, which can identify, with high accuracy and computational efficiency, recombinant SARS-CoV-2 genomes with one or two breakpoints.

2 Jul 2024

New host factors identified as important for SARS-CoV-2 infection

A research team led by Prof. Guo Yusong, Associate Professor of the Division of Life Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), recently made a novel discovery related to the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19.

2 Jul 2024

Regular booster doses of bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines help neutralize multiple strains

People who have received solid organ transplants and take immunosuppressant medications to prevent rejection are among those most susceptible to the damaging effects of COVID-19, including breakthrough infections, severe illness, hospitalization and death.

2 Jul 2024

Bird flu virus detected in Alaskan polar bear

Researchers reported a natural infection of a highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in a free-ranging juvenile polar bear in Alaska, highlighting the importance of wildlife health surveillance in detecting emerging pathogens.

2 Jul 2024

First global estimates of economic costs of genital herpes infections

Genital herpes infections and their related complications lead to billions of dollars in health care expenditures and productivity losses globally, according to the first ever global estimates of the economic costs of these conditions.

1 Jul 2024

NIH launches Phase 1 trial for innovative nasal COVID-19 vaccine

A Phase 1 trial testing the safety of an experimental nasal vaccine that may provide enhanced breadth of protection against emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is now enrolling healthy adults at three sites in the United States.

1 Jul 2024

Nordic chronic kidney disease diet enhances health-related quality of life

A study in Nutrients shows that the New Nordic Renal Diet (NNRD) improves health-related quality of life for chronic kidney disease patients by reducing pain, enhancing daily activities, and improving overall well-being.

1 Jul 2024

Asia Pacific faces hepatitis crisis: Urgent action needed to meet WHO targets

Countries in Asia Pacific are unlikely to meet their commitment to eliminate hepatitis by 2030 unless they declare a public health emergency, as they did with COVID-19, a disease specialist suggested.

1 Jul 2024