Pathogen News and Research

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Researchers discover protein involved in protecting B cells

Whenever a germ gets into the human body, the immune system usually responds immediately to fight off the enemy attacker. One of our defense system's most important strategies involves B lymphocytes, also known as B cells, which produce antibodies that target and neutralize pathogens.

2 Jul 2020

Wild strains of salmonella find a backdoor entry into plants

As the world wrestles with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which arose after the virus jumped from an animal species to the human species, University of Delaware researchers are learning about new ways other pathogens are jumping from plants to people.

1 Jul 2020

UTEP researchers discover new target for tuberculosis drug development

Biology students and faculty members from The University of Texas at El Paso have discovered a new target for tuberculosis drug development.

1 Jul 2020

Study provides roadmap for developing effective vaccine against Staphylococcal infections

Experiments in mice have shown early success in vaccinating them against potentially deadly bacterial infections, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcal aureus, or MRSA, the strain resistant to most drug treatments.

1 Jul 2020

Lab-grown 'mini-brains' can be infected by SARS-CoV-2 virus

A multidisciplinary team from two Johns Hopkins University institutions, including neurotoxicologists and virologists from the Bloomberg School of Public Health and infectious disease specialists from the school of medicine, has found that organoids (tiny tissue cultures made from human cells that simulate whole organs) known as "mini-brains" can be infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

1 Jul 2020

New method to synthesize cancer-fighting phytochemicals

Phytoalexins have attracted a great deal of interest because of their major role in plant health and their health-promoting effects in humans.

26 Jun 2020

Study shows how the innate immune system fights off toxin-producing bacteria

The innate immune system is the main line of defense against infections caused by microorganisms.

24 Jun 2020

New study shows how a protein works as 'master regulator' in the immune system

Scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology have discovered a potential new way to better fight a range of infectious diseases, cancers and even autoimmune diseases.

22 Jun 2020

Study shows MMR vaccine may protect against COVID-19 symptoms

According to a group of experts, the administration of the MMR vaccine could act as a preventive measure to reduce inflammation linked to COVID-19 infection.

22 Jun 2020

Study shows how viruses steal genetic signals from hosts to expand their own genomes

Scientists have demonstrated that a large class of viruses, such as the influenza viruses, expand their genomes by stealing genetic signals from their hosts.

19 Jun 2020

New mechanism that regulates balance between plant growth and defense revealed

Researchers from Kumamoto University, Japan have pinpointed the mechanism that regulates the balance between plant growth and defense.

19 Jun 2020

‘Cultured meat’ will prevent zoonotic diseases such as that which may have caused COVID-19

Meat alternatives that are already at an advanced stage of development could be the solution to the high socioeconomic impact of zoonotic diseases.

From Biotech Foods 19 Jun 2020

Researchers use lead sequencing to determine the structure of RNAs

Scientists from RUB and the University of Münster have created a technique to simultaneously establish the structures of all RNA molecules in a bacterial cell.

18 Jun 2020

Combination drugs for COVID-19 show promise in laboratory tests

Six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 7.4 million people have been infected, and more than 410 000 have died. As yet, there is no treatment or vaccine for the disease.

16 Jun 2020

BCG vaccine elicits trained immunity in humans

A tuberculosis vaccine developed 100 years ago also makes vaccinated persons less susceptible to other infections.

16 Jun 2020

Potent human antibodies protect against SARS-CoV-2 in animal tests

A team led by Scripps Research has discovered antibodies in the blood of recovered COVID-19 patients that provide powerful protection against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease, when tested in animals and human cell cultures.

16 Jun 2020

Interconnected mycobacteria stay alive longer

The tuberculosis pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis can protect itself better when combined and thus stay alive longer in the air.

15 Jun 2020

Parasite infection associated with the overall composition of gastrointestinal microbiome

Parasite infections are a constant presence for many people who live in tropical regions, particularly in less industrialized areas.

15 Jun 2020

Baylor researchers uncover a novel mechanism that triggers cellular immune response

Viruses and other disease-causing microbes influence the type of immune response their hosts will develop against them. In some cases, the predominant response involves antibodies, proteins made by the immune system that specifically recognize parts of the invading microbe and mediate its destruction.

12 Jun 2020

Lungs' immune cells can be activated more easily than previously thought

A significant site of damage during COVID-19 infection is the lungs. Understanding how the lungs' immune cells are responding to viral infections could help scientists develop a vaccine.

12 Jun 2020