All University of Pennsylvania articles
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NewsHerpes virus fluidizes cell nuclei to multiply faster
A new study finds that herpes simplex virus uses a protein called infected cell protein 4 (ICP4) to make the human nucleus more fluid-like, which in turn makes it easier for the virus to replicate itself. Blocking the ability of ICP4 to fluidize the nuclear compartment caused a drop in viral copy production.
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NewsUS study finds declining perception of safety of COVID-19, flu, and MMR vaccines
A sizable majority of Americans think the three vaccines that combat potentially deadly illnesses flu, Covid-19 and measles are safe to take, although perceptions of the safety of all three vaccines showed a statistically significant drop over the past three years.
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NewsResearchers identify strategies for preventing the most infectious strains of S. aureus in the NICU
A new study has identified which strains of Staphylococcus aureus – commonly known as staph – are commonly transmitted in neonatal intensive care units and which specific strains are most likely to cause invasive and serious infections.
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News‘Nudging’ both patients and providers boosts flu vaccine numbers
Patients were 28 per cent more likely to get a flu shot when they got a text message reminder and their primary care provider already had an order for the shot waiting, new research showed.
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NewsMost would recommend RSV immunizations for older and pregnant people
A US survey found an increase in awareness of immunizations that are available for RSV. The survey of 1,637 U.S. adults also found that about 6 in 10 respondents would recommend the vaccine or antibody injections to the groups recommended by the CDC, an increase from past years.
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NewsResearcher reveals secrets of bacteria that can swim upstream
Rather than washing pathogens away, strong fluid currents act as “guide rails” that align bacteria and accelerate their upstream migration. They discovered that this creates a “two-way invasion” where pioneer cells reach the source within minutes, seeding colonies that spread threefold faster than in still water.
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NewsAs US measles cases rise, views of MMR vaccine safety and effectiveness – and willingness to recommend it – drop
As U.S. measles cases rise, a new nationally representative panel survey finds a small but significant drop in the proportion of the public that would recommend that someone in their household get the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.
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NewsWild birds are driving the current U.S. bird flu outbreak
Researchers traced the introduction and spread of highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses during the first 18 months in North America using genomic sequencing and migratory flyway analysis, discovering that the viruses were spread primarily by wild migrating birds.
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NewsMissing links for rabies in Peru highlights global threats of health inequity
Researchers found that efforts to track dog-related rabies in poorer areas of Peru’s second largest city were lacking even though more dogs were found to have the disease there than in wealthier neighborhoods.
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NewsDespite increase in U.S. cases, worry about West Nile virus remains low
Despite this season’s growing number of cases, relatively few Americans worry about becoming infected by West Nile or by dengue fever, another mosquito-borne illness, according to a survey of nearly 1,700 U.S. adults.
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NewsAI uncovers new antibiotics in ancient microbes
Researchers used artificial intelligence to identify previously unknown compounds in Archaea that could fuel the development of next-generation antibiotics.
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NewsMirror molecules deliver a one-two punch to superbugs to fight infections
Researchers have created mirror-image molecules that both kill pathogens outright and rally the immune system—an advance aimed at the growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance.
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NewsAmericans say benefits of MMR vaccine for children outweigh risks by nearly 5-1
While many Americans know how measles can spread, most cannot accurately estimate the prevalence of complications associated with measles such as hospitalization or the risks it presents during pregnancy, according to a new survey.
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NewsNew AI technique can uncover antiviral compounds using limited data
Artificial intelligence algorithms have been combined with traditional laboratory methods to uncover promising drug leads against human enterovirus 71 (EV71), the pathogen behind most cases of hand, foot and mouth disease.
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NewsScientists develop new natural killer cell strategy to target HIV
Scientists have successfully identified a new approach using natural killer (NK) cells to target and kill the HIV-positive cells that allow the virus to persist. They genetically modified NK cells to express CD64, a protein not normally expressed by NK cells.
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NewsFungal protein yields new ways to modulate cell activity remotely
A new study introduces tools that remotely and non-invasively communicate with and control the activity of engineered cells once they’ve entered the body. It focuses on a fungal protein the team have developed called Melt, which can be toggled by temperature.
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NewsResearchers launch a pioneering project to study the human virome puzzle
The research, which will explore the universe of viruses living in the human body, is fueled by a $20-million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
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NewsCases of whooping cough growing, but knowledge about it is lacking
Many in the public are not familiar with symptoms of whooping cough. Almost a third of respondents (30%) are not sure if pertussis is the same as whooping cough and not sure (30%) whether a vaccine exists to prevent it.
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NewsStudy uncovers first evidence of resistance to standard malaria treatment in African children with severe malaria
Researchers have uncovered evidence of partial resistance to artemisinin derivatives — the primary treatment for malaria — in young children with severe, or ’complicated’ malaria.
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NewsmRNA vaccine created to prevent and treat C. difficile
The vaccine is the first mRNA vaccine against C. difficile and would be the first vaccine in general to successfully ward off the bacterial infection.