By Paul McClure Researchers have harnessed a bacterial self-defense mechanism to fight infectionRechkoblit et al. A new study has demonstrated that a natural bacterial defense mechanism against invading viruses can be used as a weapon to combat bacterial infection. The finding opens the door to new anti-bacterial therapeutics, particularly important in the face of rising antibiotic...
Tag: <span>infections</span>
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New way to attack fungal infections discovered
Reviewed by Megan Craig, M.Sc. Jul 31 2023 Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science (CSRS) and the University of Toronto have discovered a new way to attack fungal infections. The key is to block fungi from being able to make fatty acids, the major component of fats. Resistance to anti-fungal drugs is...
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Fungal infections an unintended consequence of advanced immunotherapy, research shows
The Desai Lab shows how clinical use of some monoclonal antibodies may cause life-threatening systemic fungal infections HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH IMAGE: DR. JIGARKUMAR DESAI, OF THE HACKENSACK MERIDIAN CDI Major fungal infections have become more common across the globe, and one unexpected phenomenon among the rise of fungi is life-threatening infections as a result of...
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Ask a Doctor: How do I know the state of my immune system?
Catching a few infections every year is perfectly normal. Here’s when to ask your physician for further testing. Advice by Trisha Pasricha, MD, MPHMay 29, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. EDT Chelsea Conrad/The Washington Post; iStock)Listen5 minComment58Add to your saved storiesSaveGift ArticleShare Q: How do I know the state of my immune system? Can I get it...
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Mild fever helps clear infections faster, new study suggests
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA IMAGE: USING A CUSTOM SWIM CHAMBER TO STUDY HOW FISH RESPONDED BEHAVIOURALLY TO FEVER, RESEARCHERS DANIEL BARREDA, AMRO SOLIMAN, FARAH HADDAD AND THEIR TEAM FOUND THAT MILD FEVER HELPED THE FISH CLEAR THEIR BODIES OF INFECTION RAPIDLY, CONTROLLED INFLAMMATION AND REPAIRED TISSUE DAMAGE. CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA It may be better to...
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Hand hygiene is focus of updated advice to prevent healthcare-associated infections
by Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Five medical organizations are recommending updated best practices for hand hygiene to protect patients and staff in healthcare settings. The recommendations emphasize the importance of healthy skin and nails and easy access to alcohol-based hand sanitizers. “Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections through Hand Hygiene: 2022 Update,” one in...
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CDC advises against using EzriCare eye drops as it investigates dozens of infections and one death in 11 states
By Katherine Dillinger, CNN Published 10:07 PM EST, Tue January 31, 2023 EzriCare says that it hasn’t issued a recall but that consumers should stop using the drops. EzriCare CNN — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging health care providers and consumers to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears as it conducts an investigation...
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The importance of infections in patients with cirrhosis
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA IMAGE: INTERACTIONS BETWEEN KUPFFER (RED), STELLATE (GREEN) AND ENDOTHELIAL (BLUE) CELLS IN THE LIVER. KUPFFER CELLS CAN REMOVE BACTERIA AND FUNGI FROM THE BLOOD. CREDIT: IMAGE BY JOHNNY BONNARDEL. HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY-SA/4.0/” In patients with cirrhosis, or liver scarring, infections are associated with poor outcomes and a very high death rate, report researchers...
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Fewer breakthrough infections, lower hospitalization risk in Moderna vaccine recipients compared to Pfizer–BioNTech
JANUARY 20, 2022 by Case Western Reserve University Credit: CC0 Public Domain A new study by researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine finds those who received the Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccine are less likely to experience “breakthrough” COVID-19 cases, compared to recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine. A vaccine breakthrough infection occurs...
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Boosting the body’s response to infections with a bio-inspired peptide
Peptide molecule developed by USC researchers could help meet the critical need for new drugs to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Somewhere along the long and winding road of evolution, our ancestors lost the ability to produce a small but mighty group of molecules called theta-defensins that help fight bacterial infections. More than seven million years later, researchers...