Monoclonal antibodies protected aged, diabetic rhesus macaque monkeys from disease due to SARS-CoV-2 and reduced signs of inflammation, including in cerebrospinal fluid, according to a new study. The data show that neutralizing antibodies prevent the adverse inflammatory consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the authors said. The results help explain how antibodies, whether induced by vaccines or…

Infections linked to medical devices such as catheters, dental implants, orthopaedics and wound dressings could be dramatically reduced using a simple technique, according to new research. Scientists at Aston University have found a way to significantly increase the antimicrobial properties of a material used in many medical devices and clinical surfaces: bioactive glass. The Aston…

The new mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variant drastically speeds up the disease progression in a mouse model of GRACILE syndrome. This discovery provides a new tool for studies of mitochondrial diseases. GRACILE syndrome, a member of the Finnish disease heritage, is a severe neonatal metabolic disease caused by a point mutation in the nuclear BCS1L gene.…

A discovery opens the door to the development of new drugs targeting malaria, one of the deadliest infectious diseases on the planet. The researcher teams performed a screen of soil bacteria extracts for antimalarials and identified an extremely potent inhibitor of malaria development. Co-led by Gerry Wright, professor of biochemistry & biomedical sciences, the discovery…

Dozens of mutations in the spike protein of the Omicron variant help it to evade all four of the classes of antibodies that can target SARS-CoV-2, according to a new study. This includes antibodies generated by the immune systems of vaccinated or previously infected people, as well as most of the monoclonal antibody treatments that…

The most severe pandemic in recent history, killing some 50 million people worldwide, the Spanish influenza, may have emerged up to two years earlier than previously believed. And, according to a new and influential study, its early manifestation was ignored at the time as a ‘minor infection.’ It is believed that, if doctors had recognized…

Silencing of retroviruses in the human genome is a crucial step in the production of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from somatic cells. Researchers led by a team from the University of Tsukuba have now identified a protein that controls retrovirus silencing, allowing the production of high quality iPSCs that could be used in applications…

There are striking similarities in the development of two types of specialized sensory cells: the so-called ‘hair cells’ that receive sound vibrations in the inner ear, and the Merkel cells that sense light touch at the surface of the skin. These developmental similarities are a legacy of shared evolutionary history. «There are striking similarities in…

Melanoma patients receiving therapy that helps their immune system kill cancer cells respond to treatment differently depending on the types of microbes in their gut, and new research suggests the microorganisms hindering therapy have more influence than the beneficial ones. Findings by a collaboration that included researchers at Oregon State University, the National Cancer Institute,…

In an animal model for COVID-19 that shares important features of human disease, scientists show that prior infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus provides protection against reinfection, and treatment with convalescent serum limits virus replication in their lungs. Syrian hamsters, commonly found as pets, have served critical roles in understanding human infectious diseases for decades. The…