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.
According to a new study, tiny nets made of DNA strands can capture the spike protein of the virus that causes COVID-19, illuminating it for a quick yet accurate diagnostic test and preventing it from infecting cells, suggesting a new potential path to antiviral treatment.
The use of attenuated, live viruses as vaccines is a potential method to minimize the effects of viral infectious diseases, such as influenza.
People are realizing now, more than two years into the COVID-19 disease outbreak, that the “new normal” will most likely involve practicing to coexist with SARS-CoV-2.
Two RNA binding proteins have been discovered to be the key to a greater immune reaction to influenza in mice, according to researchers at the Babraham Institute.
A team of scientists has created a powerful new method for generating protein drugs. Using computers, they designed molecules that can target important proteins in the body, such as the insulin receptor, as well as vulnerable proteins on the surface of viruses.
There is a lack of understanding as to why some people suffer from long-lasting symptoms after COVID-19 infection.
OxDX has raised £2.6m in pre-seed funding for its AI powered diagnostic technology that can recognise and identify specific species and strains of viruses.
Although several people think of medicines as purely synthetic compounds, nature is an important element of most of the medications humans depend on.
A viral protein might contain information that could be used to avoid pneumonia due to the body’s overactive response to respiratory viruses, such as COVID-19.
As any parent knows, infants are prone to getting respiratory infections. But a new study shows that the infant immune system is stronger than most people think and beats the adult immune system at fighting off new pathogens.
Endemic in Western African countries, Lassa virus is transmitted to humans through food or household items that are contaminated with the urine or faeces of Mastomys rats.
Over time, the immune system in humans weakens making older adults more prone to infections. This leaves researchers with the puzzling dilemma of retaining health throughout the lifespan.
A common strategy to make vaccines more powerful is to deliver them along with an adjuvant -; a compound that stimulates the immune system to produce a stronger response.
Nanoengineers from the University of California San Diego recently created a new and potentially efficient means to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) into cells.
A new type of CRISPR platform that leverages the benefits of a compact RNA-editing protein could result in enhanced diagnostic tests for COVID-19.
A recent study has identified differences in immune pathway activation to influenza infection between people of European and African genetic ancestry.
Once an infection is under control, the body normally uses a biochemical messenger known as TGFβ to downgrade its immune response.
The mortality rate of COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation is 30-40%, however, the immunological factors associated with death in critically ill COVID-19 patients are poorly understood.
CD8+ T cells, also called “killer” T cells, are the killers of the immune system. Upon being primed, they look for and kill cancerous cells or virus-infected cells.
Beckman researchers paired microscopy with artificial intelligence to develop a COVID-19 test that's fast, accurate, and cost-effective. All we need to do is say "ahh."