Infectious Diseases

Champaign, IL — A new study shows that it is possible to use the genetic sequences of a person’s antibodies to predict what pathogens those antibodies will target. Reported in the journal Immunity, the new approach successfully differentiates between antibodies against influenza and those attacking SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. “Our research is in […]

Durham, NC — The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, can directly infect a specialized type of kidney cell. The discovery helps explain why acute kidney injury is one of the main complications observed in patients with severe COVID-19, according to biomedical engineers and virologists at Duke University. The research appeared online April 20 in the […]

Los Angeles, CA — New UCLA research finds that 30% of people treated for COVID-19 developed Post Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), most commonly known as “Long COVID.” People with a history of hospitalization, diabetes, and higher body mass index were most likely to develop the condition, while those covered by Medicaid, as opposed to […]

Beijing, China — When treating acute infections in patients, health care providers must be able to quickly and accurately identify the best antibiotics for fighting the infection. A research team led by researchers from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Peking Union Medical College […]

Jena, Germany — A chip-based infection model developed by researchers in Jena, Germany, enables live microscopic observation of damage to lung tissue caused by the invasive fungal infection aspergillosis. The team developed algorithms to track the spread of fungal hyphae as well as the response of immune cells. The development is based on a “lung-on-chip” […]

Irvine, CA — A new study, led by researchers from the University of California, Irvine, identifies a reason for why older adults are significantly more susceptible to infectious diseases than younger people, a critical societal issue most recently exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Study results also pave the way for new potential therapeutic targets to […]

Bochum, Germany — It is well known that co-infections with hepatitis viruses do exist. “However, the co-infection of hepatitis C and E has not yet been systematically researched,” says Thomas Burkard. “Even though the possibility always looms that a simultaneous infection with two viruses could perhaps be particularly dangerous.” A single protein suppresses infection In […]

Osaka, Japan — Liver disease negatively impacted by lifestyle changes during the first year of the pandemic, according to a new study in the journal Liver International. The retrospective study used health checkup data of 973 participants between 2018 and 2020 from MedCity21, an advanced medical centre for preventive medicine established by Osaka City University […]

Salt Lake City, UT — A new study led by researchers at University of Utah Health details a novel mechanism that infectious bacteria use to quickly adjust to environmental stress. The discovery could help explain why certain types of common infections—such as urinary tract and bloodstream infections like sepsis—are hard to get rid of.  The mechanism, […]

Huddersfield, UK — Huddersfield researchers were among the first to demonstrate how the induction of brain inflammation accounts for neurological damage in COVID19 patients and now, their findings have been published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Molecular Neurobiology. The study, led by the University of Huddersfield’s Dr. Mayo Olajide, describes how the spike protein used […]

Evanston, IL — A small preliminary study from Northwestern Medicine has shown that a blood test may identify risk of stillbirth and placentitis in pregnant individuals who have had COVID-19. The finding builds on another study with similar results and could have implications in how physicians screen for and address high-risk pregnancies. Research has shown […]

Baton Rouge, LA – While no medically recognized treatment exists for Long COVID, exercise may break the vicious cycle of inflammation that can lead to developing diabetes and depression months after a person recovers from the virus. “We know that Long COVID causes depression, and we know that it can increase blood glucose levels to […]