AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY IN A STUDY, BLACK RACE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED COVID-19 INFECTION RISK. view more CREDIT: ATS July 08, 2020 – Results of an analysis published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society found that Black individuals were twice as likely as White individuals to test positive for COVID-19. The average age...
Tag: <span>infection</span>
Smart structures: Structural cells of the body control immune function
by Austrian Academy of Sciences Schematic outline of the study, which used genomic assays (RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, ChIPmentation, flow cytometry) to investigate epigenetic and transcription regulation in structural cells (endothelium, epithelium and fibroblast) from twelve mouse organs. Credit: Thomas Krausgruber / CeMM In a Nature paper, CeMM researchers report on the epigenetic and transcriptional regulation in...
New Scottish drug shows promise in battle against COVID-19
by University of St Andrews A new anti-viral drug developed by Pneumagen, a University of St Andrews spin out company, has had positive results in laboratory tests against COVID-19. Pneumagen Ltd, a company focused on treating infectious disease and developing oncology treatments by targeting the human glycome, today (28 April 2020) announced results from three...
Does the flu shot give you the flu?
By Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA Reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, PhD, MSN, RN, IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT The flu shot will not give a person influenza, or the flu. Instead, it should help prevent the infection, which causes a significant number of visits to the doctor in the United States each year. According to research from...
A near-fatal Valley Fever case opens doors to new treatment method
by Ryan Hatoum, University of California, Los Angeles Of the 8,000 Californians who will contract Valley Fever this year, most will recover without treatment, and those with more serious cases will require an antifungal medication that clears the infection. But a few will experience a life-threatening form of the disease that ravages the body for reasons unknown. Now, an experimental...
Pathogen engineered to self-destruct underlies cancer vaccine platform
by American Society for Microbiology A team of investigators has developed a cancer vaccine technology using live, attenuated pathogens as vectors. A feature of the vaccine causes these bacteria to self-destruct once they’ve done their job, making it safe for use in humans. The research is published in Infection and Immunity, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Unlike “prophylactic” vaccines that protect...
Autoimmunity plays role in development of COPD, study finds
Autoimmunity plays a role in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study led by Georgia State University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center that analyzed human genome information stored in Vanderbilt’s DNA biobank. Micrograph showing emphysema (left – large empty spaces) and lung tissue with relative preservation of the alveoli (right)....
Commonly used yeast could cause drug-resistant infections
A recent genetic study finds that a type of yeast commonly used in the food industry is genetically identical to one that causes severe drug-resistant fungal infections. Scientists call for changes to be made. Candida albicans (depicted here) may be the most well-known species of pathogenic yeast. In the same way that bacteria are now...
New studies demonstrate infection control strategies for measles and mumps outbreaks
The decline in vaccination rates across communities has led to the resurgence of diseases like measles and mumps, and recent outbreaks have demonstrated the importance of an integrated infection prevention response, according to new research presented at the 45th Annual Conference of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). In a 2017 measles...
Do feminine hygiene products actually lead to a higher risk of infection?
The ladies’ personal care aisle in any drugstore is bound to offer a wide array of intimate hygiene products — from gentle washes to wet wipes for your on-the-go needs. We use these products on a regular basis, but are they likely to cause harm? A recent study finds a worrying correlation between the use...