Allergies News and Research

Latest Allergies News and Research

Supermarkets should offer free flu shots rather than free antibiotics

As influenza season shifts into high gear, with 24 states now reporting widespread activity, the nation's infectious diseases experts are urging supermarket pharmacies with free-antibiotics promotions to educate their customers on when antibiotics are the right prescription-and when they can do more harm than good.

25 Feb 2009

Discovery of gene that modifies severity of cystic fibrosis lung disease

Researchers have discovered a gene that modifies the severity of lung disease in people with the lethal genetic condition, cystic fibrosis, pointing to possible new targets for treatment, according to a new study in Nature.

25 Feb 2009

Scientists identify lab-made proteins that neutralize a broad range of influenza A viruses

Scientists have identified a small family of lab-made proteins that neutralize a broad range of influenza A viruses, including the H5N1 avian virus, the 1918 pandemic influenza virus and seasonal H1N1 flu viruses.

23 Feb 2009

Babies born in pollen and mold seasons have increased likelihood of wheezing by age two

Newborns whose first few months of life coincide with high pollen and mold seasons are at increased risk of developing early symptoms of asthma, suggests a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

23 Feb 2009

Scientists identify lab-made proteins that neutralize multiple strains of seasonal and pandemic flu

22 Feb 2009

Questions of ethics and quality cloud globalization of clinical trials

Top-tier U.S.-based pharmaceutical companies are moving their clinical trials overseas at warp speed, raising questions about ethics, quality control, and even the scientific value of their findings for people back in the U.S.

20 Feb 2009

Traffic-related air pollution linked to repeated hospital encounters for asthma

Air pollution caused by traffic near the home affects asthma severity in children, resulting in repeated hospital encounters according to a study published this month in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology , the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

17 Feb 2009

First data released on genetic basis of adverse drug events

The first data offering health care professionals a better look into the genetic basis of certain types of adverse drug events was released today by the FDA and the International Serious Adverse Event Consortium (SAEC).

10 Feb 2009

Clinicians override most electronic medication safety alerts

Computer-based systems that allow clinicians to prescribe drugs electronically are designed to automatically warn of potential medication errors, but a new study reveals clinicians often override the alerts and rely instead on their own judgment.

10 Feb 2009

Scientists identify protein key to Lyme disease

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a protein that may help give Lyme disease its bite.

9 Feb 2009

Anti-HIV vaginal gel shows promise

An investigational vaginal gel intended to prevent HIV infection in women has demonstrated encouraging signs of success in a clinical trial conducted in Africa and the United States.

9 Feb 2009

Chemical mediator in blood found to also control breakdown of bone

A new study demonstrates that a chemical mediator in the blood that influences immune cell migration also plays a key role in maintaining the balance between the build-up and breakdown of bones in the body.

8 Feb 2009

Researchers 'tighten' body's protective coating

A net with large holes won't catch small fish. Likewise, the microscopic fibers in the protective mucus coatings of the eyes, lungs, stomach or reproductive system naturally bundle together and allow the tiniest disease-causing bugs, allergens or pollutants to slip by.

8 Feb 2009

Research to explore why lupus therapies work for some, not others

The results should shed light not only on the mechanisms behind the disease, but more broadly on the workings of our immune system, especially how our bodies churn out and "train" key combat-ready immune cells, called B-cells.

8 Feb 2009

Natural aromatic oils may cause allergies

Hypersensitivity to perfumes is the most common contact allergy in adults.

3 Feb 2009

New genetic clues on molecular evolution of Q fever pathogen

Scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Texas A&M Health Center, and the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have uncovered genetic clues about why some strains of the pathogen Coxiella burnetii are more virulent than others.

2 Feb 2009