Tuberculosis News and Research

Latest Tuberculosis News and Research

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

Denmark becomes first European country to support Aeras Foundation's TB vaccine development efforts

Denmark today became the first European country to support the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation's efforts to develop a safe, effective tuberculosis vaccine with announcements of new financial commitments and scientific partnerships.

27 Apr 2005

Promising new West Nile therapy cures disease in mice

West Nile virus alarmed Americans when it made its first U.S. appearance in New York City in 1999. It has since spread from coast to coast, sickened more than 16,000 Americans and killed more than 600.

27 Apr 2005

GenoMed launches free trial against Marburg virus epidemic in Angola

GenoMed announced today that it has launched a free clinical trial to combat the current Marburg virus epidemic in Angola.

26 Apr 2005

How Ebola virus infects cells - discovery

Ebola virus reproduction in laboratory-grown cells is severely hampered by enzyme-inhibiting chemicals, and these chemicals deserve further study as possible treatments for Ebola virus infections in humans, report scientists supported in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

23 Apr 2005

Call for a United States Global Health Service

The federal government should create and fund an umbrella organization called the United States Global Health Service (GHS) to mobilize the nation's best health care professionals and other experts to help combat HIV/AIDS in hard-hit African, Caribbean, and Southeast Asian countries, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

19 Apr 2005

Findings from perinatal HIV prevention study in Uganda are valid

A Ugandan drug trial's findings that the AIDS medication nevirapine is effective and safe in preventing HIV transmission from mother to unborn child during birth were well-supported, according to a new, independent analysis by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

12 Apr 2005

Data which showed that nevirapine effectively prevents many infants from contracting HIV from their infected mothers, are sound and reliable

10 Apr 2005

Millions of mothers and children are dying unnecessarily

The millions of seemingly preventable deaths of women and children each year has prompted the United Nations to devote this year’s World Health Day to highlighting their plight.

7 Apr 2005

Inexpensive treatment stops multi-drug resistant TB in its tracks

A standard and inexpensive tuberculosis treatment regimen cut the overall TB rate in half and lowered the rate of drug-resistant cases even more dramatically in a remote Mexican health district with a high prevalence of the disease.

3 Apr 2005

Stress may enhance the body's ability to fight the flu

Short bouts of intense social stress improved the ability in the mice to recover from the flu. The stress apparently did so by substantially boosting the production of specialized immune cells that fought the virus.

3 Apr 2005

Directly observed therapy effective against drug resistant tuberculosis

Directly observed therapy (DOTS) - the main strategy for tuberculosis control - can rapidly reduce the transmission and incidence of the drug resistant form of the disease, concludes a study published in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

3 Apr 2005

Discovery of missing enzyme for tuberculosis iron scavenging pathway

Scientists have discovered that a protein that was originally believed to be involved in tuberculosis antibiotic resistance is actually a "missing enzyme" from the biosynthetic pathway for an agent used by the bacteria to scavenge iron.

30 Mar 2005

Vaccine prevents deadly pneumonia in African children

Global health leaders today presented new research showing that vaccinating infants against Streptococcus pneumoniae -- a bacterium that causes deadly pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis -- could substantially reduce death and serious illness among children in the developing world. If used widely, a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine could prevent hundreds of thousands of child deaths each year.

28 Mar 2005

New therapy for treating cat allergies looks promising

Andrew Saxon, M.D., and a team of researchers at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have found that a molecule designed to block cat allergies can prevent allergic reactions in laboratory mice and was also successful when tested on human cells in a test tube.

28 Mar 2005

Rejected asylum seekers and illegal immigrants should get HIV treatment free on the National Health Service

MPs on the Commons health select committee say, in a strongly worded report, that rejected asylum seekers and illegal immigrants should get HIV treatment free on the National Health Service (NHS) like everybody else, to avoid the risk of a further spread of Aids; they say the government's withdrawal of free treatment from these groups as a measure against "health tourism" was ill-advised.

23 Mar 2005

African genome research given impetus

Millions of victims in Africa, die each year from preventable diseases like tuberculosis and malaria and researchers say only a relatively small proportion of money is spent on developing vaccines, much more is spent on drugs aimed at tackling diseases more prevalent among rich, Western consumers.

21 Mar 2005

New information on TB available online

A range of new information on TB including top facts and a handy Q&A will be available at the click of a button when it goes live on www.immunisation.nhs.uk tomorrow - ahead of World Stop TB Day.

21 Mar 2005