Influenza News and Research

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Influenza (the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccination each year. Every year in the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and; about 36,000 people die from flu-related causes. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.

Chemist receives NIH grant to provide new framework for novel flu vaccines

Chemist Mahmoud Moradi has received a $422,579 grant from the National Institutes of Health to advance his work modeling hemagglutinin, the critical protein of the influenza virus.

19 Oct 2020

Researchers identify potential drugs that could be repurposed as pan-coronavirus treatments

A large international consortium of almost 200 researchers from 14 leading institutions in six countries has studied three different coronaviruses - SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV - with the aim of finding vulnerabilities shared by these three pathogens.

16 Oct 2020

Scientists identify molecular mechanisms of IFN responses in COVID-19 disease

SARS-CoV-2 continues to cause an ongoing pandemic as of October 2020, with over 35 million reported cases and over 1 million deaths around the world.

13 Oct 2020

Researchers test the effect of hydroxychloroquine versus favipiravir in SARS-CoV-2−infected hamsters

Virologists at the KU Leuven Rega Institute have been working on two lines of SARS-CoV-2 research: searching for a vaccine to prevent infection, and testing existing drugs to see which one can reduce the amount of virus in infected people.

12 Oct 2020

Study shows SARS-CoV-2 can survive on common surfaces for long periods of time

Researchers at CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, have found that SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, can survive for up to 28 days on common surfaces including banknotes, glass - such as that found on mobile phone screens - and stainless steel.

12 Oct 2020

Newly developed biodegradable microneedles deliver genes into the skin

Gene therapy offers an excellent potential for treating specific types of genetic defects and cancer, immunological diseases, infections, and wounds.

9 Oct 2020

Microneedles For Therapeutic Gene Delivery

There is great potential in gene therapy for treating certain types of cancer and genetic defects, immunological diseases, wounds and infections.

7 Oct 2020

Scientists identify new ingredient that makes vaccine more effective

A number of vaccines contain ingredients known as adjuvants that make them more effective by triggering a more powerful immune response.

5 Oct 2020

Researchers identify specific cellular pathway involved in the regeneration of lung tissue

Scientists have discovered a new cellular pathway that can be targeted with a naturally occurring medication to activate the regeneration of lung tissue.

30 Sep 2020

New antibodies could form the basis of a broad-spectrum flu drug

Researchers have identified two antibodies that protect mice against lethal infections of influenza B virus, report scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

25 Sep 2020

T-cell-based vaccine strategy provides broader protection against influenza

As Americans begin pulling up their sleeves for an annual flu vaccine, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have provided new insights into an alternative vaccine approach that provides broader protection against seasonal influenza.

24 Sep 2020

Protein inhibitors neutralize SARS-CoV-2 infection in cell culture

Using innovative computer-based approaches, researchers have developed protein inhibitors that block the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 virus and human cell receptor ACE2.

10 Sep 2020

Researchers review the role of macrophage activation syndrome in COVID-19

A major percentage of COVID-19 cases have become so severe that hospital admissions have become mandatory for both monitoring and treatment.

10 Sep 2020

Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause severe abnormalities in the fetus

Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause severe abnormalities in the fetus, including malformations such as microcephaly. In a small proportion of cases, the disease may lead to miscarriage and perinatal death.

4 Sep 2020

Study reveals a successful strategy to fight influenza

For a long time, influenza scientists have largely focused their studies on the epithelial cells that line the lungs.

2 Sep 2020

Decisions of small-scale poultry farmers can influence the spread of deadly virus

Small-scale poultry farmers in Vietnam tend to respond to viral outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) by rapidly selling their birds as a way to avoid financial loss, according to a new study by an international team of researchers.

31 Aug 2020

Researchers develop multiplex genetic diagnostic device for early detection, prevention of crop diseases

A research group composed of Professor Takayuki Shibata and his colleagues at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology has applied a microfluidic chip technology to develop a multiplex genetic diagnostic device for the early detection and prevention of crop diseases.

24 Aug 2020