One health
Communicable diseases remain one of the major causes of mortality worldwide. There are disparities in the numbers of individuals affected by disease between low-and-middle-income countries and those in developed nations. Microbes will play in important role in drug discovery: producing anticancer drugs and antimicrobials. Applying One Health principles, to understand the interaction of pathogens and the human host, development of diagnostics, treatments, and disease prevention, applied microbiologists can shape global health and wellbeing outcomes.
News
Fever and chills can make respiratory diseases more contagious
A new study reveals that when the difference between body temperature and the ambient temperature is greater, the clouds of particles generated by coughing or sneezing disperse more and maintain a higher concentration.
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NewsResearchers combine bacteria and viruses to demonstrate a new way to fight cancer
Researchers have designed non-toxic Salmonella bacteria to deliver viruses that are safe to humans but potent against liver and pancreatic cancer tumors. Animal models treated with this combination of bacteria and viruses saw almost all their tumors eliminated and lived significantly longer.
NewsNew model could help track deadly viruses back to their source
A new predictive model could help scientists more efficiently identify the reservoirs of emerging zoonotic viruses and dangerous pathogens like Ebola that can spill over from animals into humans. It relies on detailed information collected on suspected reservoir species to identify key windows.
NewsThe road to better health requires a map of the microbes in your mouth
Different parts of your mouth have entirely different bacterial communities, reveals a new microbial map. Researchers believe mapping these microbial niches will provide a census of the good bacteria present in the mouth and help to develop targeted therapies, such as probiotics, to maintain oral health and prevent disease.
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News
Researcher investigates how a bioengineered peptide can break through harmful bacterial ‘fortresses’ and curb severe infections
A researcher is refining a powerful therapy for drug-resistant bacteria that pierces the gooey coating that anchors and protects such germs from the drugs we take to kill them. She has found that an antimicrobial peptide naturally found in cows weakens the biofilm defenses of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria and destroys it.
NewsIron-modified biochar turns soil oxygen into a cleaner for antibiotic pollution
Antibiotic residues in agricultural soils are an emerging environmental concern, with potential impacts on soil health, crop safety, and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. A new study reports on an iron-modified biochar that helps soil use its own oxygen and iron chemistry to break down sulfamethoxazole.
NewsResearchers develop new vaccine adjuvant that could make it easier to eradicate polio
Researchers have now come up with a way to modify the injectable polio vaccine so that it can also promote a mucosal immune response. This vaccine could help to achieve polio eradication while avoiding the risks of the oral polio vaccine.
NewsResearchers discover a new antibiotic — and a new way to kill drug-resistant bacteria
Researchers have discovered a new antibiotic that kills some of the world’s most dangerous and drug-resistant bacteria by targeting a previously unknown vulnerability. Manikomycin has shown early effectiveness against priority pathogens including Salmonella, E. coli, and Klebsiella.
NewsResearcher studying probiotics to fight acid reflux and esophageal cancer
Patients with acid reflux, which occurs when stomach acid pushes up into the esophagus, know the symptoms all too well: heartburn, belching, chest pain and trouble swallowing. Acid reflux also increases the risk of esophageal cancer, but researchers are investigating how a simple probiotic could treat and prevent both conditions.
NewsThe future of phage therapy will be decided by more than science alone
As antimicrobial resistance accelerates worldwide, leading experts gather in Valencia to address the scientific, regulatory, manufacturing and clinical challenges that will determine whether phage therapy becomes a routine healthcare solution.
NewsStudy reveals core values that drive Black and Hispanic parents’ decisions on vaccinating their kids against COVID-19
Persistently low rates of COVID-19 vaccination in Black and Hispanic children suggest that parents in these communities tend to be hesitant about the vaccine for their kids, even when they have received it themselves. A new study sheds light on the factors influencing decisions about vaccination.
NewsAntibiotics for common sore throats have very limited effect on Strep spread
Antibiotics for sore throats have hardly any preventive effect against serious streptococcal infections in the population, according to a study. Instead, healthcare needs to quickly recognize warning signs of a serious infection.
NewsDengue vaccine shows favorable safety profile in travellers from non-endemic regions
A prospective study of more than 1,000 people vaccinated with TAK-003 in Catalonia found no serious adverse events and provides new evidence on the vaccine’s short-term safety in travelers.
News CEPI fast-tracks three Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine candidates
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) will urgently accelerate development of three investigational vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo ebolavirus that has caused a rapidly spreading epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring Uganda.
NewsResearchers discover how to turn one germ’s drug resistance into an Achilles’ heel
As Mycobacterium tuberculosis mutates to protect itself from rifampicin, it also creates new weak points that other therapies could exploit. A new study shows that the most common rifampicin-resistance mutation slows bacterial RNA polymerase, creating vulnerabilities that future combination therapies may be able to target.
NewsThe brain, emotions, and the gut: How culture, stress, and social life shape gut health
A new study indicates that gastrointestinal health is influenced not only by genes, diet, and gut bacteria, but also by culture, social relationships, economic status, and the way individuals function within society.
NewsGladstone launches Center for PhAIge Therapy to harness AI in the fight against drug-resistant infections
Gladstone Institutes has received funding to establish the Center for PhAIge Therapy, a research center that will develop new phage-based treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. The five-year grant makes Gladstone one of three institutions across the country selected to lead this coordinated effort.
NewsT cells may be key to stopping measles virus—and its deadly relatives
Scientists have discovered how T cells target paramyxoviruses, a viral family that includes measles virus and Nipah virus. Instead of vaccinating against one virus at a time, the researchers found that activating “cross-reactive” T cells may protect against the wider paramyxovirus family.
NewsScientists recreate enterovirus infection in a new model of the human intestine
A miniaturized, biomimetic model of the human intestine successfully reproduced long-term enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) infection, report researchers. Using this innovative platform, they shed light on how this virus grows in the intestine without triggering a strong immune response.
NewsPopular GLP-1 drug may slow down biological aging in people with HIV
A new study provides the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical evidence that semaglutide, a widely used GLP-1 drug, slows down the accumulation of biological aging markers in the DNA of adults with HIV.
NewsBiomaterial made from jackfruit latex is a promising treatment for periodontitis
Researchers have developed a biomaterial containing jackfruit latex, pomegranate peel extract, and simvastatin that shows promising efficacy in treating periodontitis. This chronic inflammatory disease of infectious origin leads to the progressive destruction of the tissues supporting the teeth, resulting in bone resorption and loss of attachment.
NewsStudy identifies serious infection risks linked to targeted cancer therapies
A major real-world study has found serious blood-related side effects associated with antibody-drug conjugates, an increasingly important class of targeted cancer therapies. Some ADCs were associated with substantial rates of severe neutropenia – dangerously low levels of infection-fighting white blood cells – and related complications.
NewsPhase 1 clinical trial set to begin on first leishmaniasis vaccine
A phase 1 clinical trial testing the safety of a leishmaniasis vaccine is set to begin in the coming months. The live vaccine, found to be safe in animals, is expected to be tested in humans later this year.