Flu News and Research

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Breakthrough RNA-Based Vaccine Strategy Offers Universal Protection

Scientists at UC Riverside have demonstrated a new, RNA-based vaccine strategy that is effective against any strain of a virus and can be used safely even by babies or the immunocompromised.

16 Apr 2024

RNA Molecules Govern Battle Between Cholera Bacteria and Phages

Viruses need hosts. Whether it's measles, the flu or coronavirus, viral pathogens cannot multiply or infect other organisms without the assistance of their hosts' cellular infrastructure.

5 Apr 2024

Viruses Pose Unforeseen Threat to Native Desert Ecosystems

Just as many people battle seasonal colds and flu, native plants face their own viral threats. People have long known that plants can succumb to viruses just like humans.

29 Mar 2024

Genomic Study Warns of H5N1 Adaptation to Marine Mammals

The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 has adapted to spread between birds and marine mammals, posing an immediate threat to wildlife conservation, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, and the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in Argentina.

29 Feb 2024

Researchers Isolate Adaptable Leptospirosis Strain in Austrian Cattle

Leptospirosis is a globally distributed infectious disease that affects both animals and humans. While the infection is endemic in tropical regions, its incidence seems to increase in temperate regions.

27 Feb 2024

Scientists Create "Immunologically Silent" DNA Vaccine for Potent Virus Defense

Using a virus-like delivery particle made from DNA, researchers from MIT and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard have created a vaccine that can induce a strong antibody response against SARS-CoV-2.

31 Jan 2024

Glowing COVID-19 Diagnostic Test Prototype Produces Results in One Minute

Cold, flu and COVID-19 season brings that now-familiar ritual: swab, wait, look at the result. But what if, instead of taking 15 minutes or more, a test could quickly determine whether you have COVID-19 with a glowing chemical?

19 Jan 2024

Mucus Thickness Dictates Bacterial Behavior, Affecting Infection Potential

The telltale signs of cold and flu season—sniffles, snorts, and the sound of noses being blown—serve as indicators of increased mucus production.

6 Dec 2023

Gene-Edited Chickens in Fight Against Bird Flu

Scientists have used gene editing techniques to identify and change parts of chicken DNA that could limit the spread of the bird flu virus in the animals.

11 Oct 2023

Study Finds Diverse Set of Immune Cells Linked to Flu Protection

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists, in collaboration with the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) Limited, found that immune cells present in people months before influenza (flu) infection could more accurately predict if an individual would develop symptoms than current methods which primarily rely on antibody levels.

18 Aug 2023

Study Links Adenovirus Infection With a Rare Blood Clotting Disorder

Platelets, or thrombocytes, are specialized cellular fragments that form blood clots when we get scrapes and traumatic injuries. Viral infections, autoimmune disease, and other conditions can cause platelet levels to drop throughout the body, termed thrombocytopenia.

11 Aug 2023

Beneficial Microbe Could be Effective Against Fungal Pathogens Wreaking Havoc on Golf Courses

There's a reason sports leagues from the pros on down use turfgrass. It is a hearty grass that can be mowed to exceedingly short heights and tolerates trampling foot traffic with ease.

4 Aug 2023

Deep Learning Model Accurately Predicts RNA-Targeting CRISPR Activity

According to new research published in Nature Biotechnology, artificial intelligence can predict on- and off-target behavior of CRISPR tools that target RNA rather than DNA.

5 Jul 2023

Influenza A Viruses Use "Tactical Strikes" to Hijack Host Cells

Influenza A is one of two influenza viruses that fuel costly annual flu seasons and is a near constant threat to humans and many other animals. It’s also responsible for occasional pandemics that, like the one in 1918, leave millions dead and wreak havoc on health systems and wider society.

23 Jun 2023

Research Details the Food Safety Profile of Genetically Edited Allergen-Free Eggs

Researchers have developed a chicken egg that may be safe for people with egg white allergies. Chicken egg allergies are one of the most common allergies in children.

18 May 2023

Targeting Respiratory Viral Infections with a New Immunotherapy Treatment

A researcher at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine has created a novel, more effective therapy for acute respiratory viral infections, a significant global cause of illness each year.

16 May 2023

Essential Oil From the Leaves of Labrador Tea Plant Has Antimalarial Properties

Much of what is now considered modern medicine originated as folk remedies or traditional, Indigenous practices. These customs are still alive today, and they could help address a variety of conditions.

12 May 2023

Study Advances Understanding of the Deep Evolutionary History of Viruses

Researchers have proposed a new evolutionary model for the origin of a kingdom of viruses called Bamfordvirae, suggesting a billion-years evolutionary arms race between two groups within this kingdom and their hosts.

3 May 2023

Study Shows Profound Fluctuations in Gut Microbiome Throughout the Day and Across Seasons

The balance of microbes in the human gut varies substantially from morning to night and even more by season -; with profound fluctuations completely transforming the microbiome from summer to winter, according to a study to be presented at Digestive Disease Week 2023.

28 Apr 2023

Yale Study Reveals How Omicron Variants Evade Immune System 'Killers'

Omicron subvariants of SARS-CoV-2 -; the virus behind COVID-19 -; have shown an uncanny knack for evading antibodies produced either by vaccines or exposure to earlier versions of the virus, leading to many breakthrough infections.

19 Apr 2023