Infectious Diseases News and Research

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New LoCKAmp Device Delivers Lab-Quality COVID Test Results in Just 3 Minutes

A virus diagnosis device that gives lab-quality results within just three minutes has been invented by engineers at the University of Bath, who describe it as the 'world's fastest Covid test'.

3 Nov 2023

ISB Researchers Discover Genetic Key to T Cell Development

T cells are soldiers on the front lines of the human immune system. They are responsible for many important roles, including attacking viral- or bacterial-infected cells and certain cancer cells, and immunological memory – remembering the specific pathogens or the cancer signatures that originally trigger T cells.

26 Oct 2023

Scientists Develop Novel Glycoengineering Platform to Revolutionize Vaccine and Therapeutic Production

A novel glycoengineering platform, created by the laboratory of Assistant Professor Chris Lok-To Sham from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), is poised to revolutionize future production of vaccines and therapeutics to fight infectious diseases.

17 Oct 2023

Emerging Tree Diseases Pose a Threat to Global Forests

Diseases play a significant role in causing tree mortality, impacting both forested areas and urban environments.

4 Oct 2023

Leishmania Parasites Found to Infect Non-Immune Cells

The organisms that cause visceral leishmaniasis, a potentially deadly version of the parasitic disease that most often affects the skin to cause disfiguring disease, appear to have a secret weapon, new research suggests: They can infect non-immune cells and persist in those uncommon environments.

4 Oct 2023

High Levels of Exposure to the Virus Causing COVID-19 May Reduce Safety Given by Vaccination

High levels of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 may reduce or overcome the protection that vaccination and prior infection provides, according to a new study by researchers from Yale University, the University of Florida, and the Connecticut Department of Correction.

24 Aug 2023

Using Swabs to Detect Over 50 Species of Animals in Rainforest

An international research team demonstrates that the cotton buds themselves, which became familiar to all during the COVID-19 pandemic, are an important tool for mapping biodiversity.

23 Aug 2023

Supporting Informed Decisions on Malaria Biocontrol Interventions

Following World Mosquito Day, we spoke with Dr. Michael Santos from GeneConvene Global Collaborative about using genetically engineered mosquitoes to help tackle malaria and how the Collaborative supports informed decision-making regarding this potentially game-changing technique.

21 Aug 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

Single Injection of CRISPR Gene-Editing Treatment Safely Removes SIV From Non-Human Primates

A single injection of a novel CRISPR gene-editing treatment safely and efficiently removes SIV – a virus related to the AIDS-causing agent HIV – from the genomes of non-human primates, scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University now report.

17 Aug 2023

AI Tool Speeds Up Vaccine Development

From tackling homework challenges to drafting emails, people are discovering a vast array of applications for natural language processing tools like generative artificial intelligence (AI) engines.

14 Aug 2023

The Peptoid Approach to Antiviral Resistance

Antiviral therapies are difficult to develop because viruses can rapidly mutate to become drug resistant.

3 Aug 2023

New Breakthrough in Generative AI Models and AlphaFold Structures for Drug Discovery

Insilico Medicine ("Insilico"), a clinical-stage end-to-end generative artificial intelligence (AI) drug discovery company, has achieved a significant breakthrough in the application of multiple generative AI models and AlphaFold structures for drug discovery.

3 Aug 2023

New Proof-of-Concept Model for Delivering Gene Editing Tools to Treat Blood Disorders

In a step forward in the development of genetic medicines, researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a proof-of-concept model for delivering gene editing tools to treat blood disorders, allowing for the modification of diseased blood cells directly within the body.

28 Jul 2023

Looking at Protein Function in Preventing Female Obesity

Obesity is on the rise in the US, which is linked to worse health outcomes and a lower quality of life. Over 30% of American individuals are currently considered fat. Obesity is a significant and expanding public health issue since it is a risk factor for several diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and COVID-19.

26 Jul 2023

Analyzing the Possibility to Design Improved Vaccines

A new paper in Biology Methods & Protocols, published by Oxford University Press, shows it may be possible to design vaccines that will induce a stronger immune response to infecting pathogens, such as the virus causing COVID-19.

26 Jul 2023

LION™-Formulated repRNA in Next-Gen repRNA Vaccine Platform Appears Promising

The creation of new vaccination technologies continues to be at the forefront of scientific inquiry as the globe fights numerous infectious illnesses. Recent research on illnesses like COVID-19 has shown promise for mRNA-based vaccines and their use of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for delivery.

25 Jul 2023

Berkeley Lab and Genentech Team Up to Develop Next-Generation Drug Delivery System

Many diseases can be successfully treated in the simple environment of a cell culture dish, but to successfully treat real people, the drug agent has to take a journey through the infinitely more complex environment within our bodies and arrive, intact, inside the affected cells.

18 Jul 2023

Study Provides More Treatment Options for Severe COVID-19

Two anti-inflammatory drugs, abatacept and infliximab, reduced deaths among patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19, according to a national study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

11 Jul 2023

EMBL-EBI Launches Pathogens Portal to Enhance Global Pathogen Surveillance

EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) has launched the Pathogens Portal – an online platform that enables researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to access the most comprehensive collection of biomolecular data about pathogens.

7 Jul 2023