Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Experimental flu vaccine technique could reduce time needed to develop new shots for humans

"An experimental vaccine based on a molecule related to DNA protects animals against influenza and may one day offer an ultra-rapid way to develop new shots for humans, German scientists reported on Sunday," Reuters reports.

27 Nov 2012

CLCA1 molecule plays a special role in the mucus pathway

Respiratory conditions that restrict breathing such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common killers worldwide. But no effective treatments exist to address the major cause of death in these conditions - excess mucus production.

26 Nov 2012

Procalcitonin levels help distinguish between pneumonia types

Serum procalcitonin is a useful marker for distinguishing between acute exacerbation of interstitial pneumonia and bacterial pneumonia, say researchers.

26 Nov 2012

Chronic suppurative lung disease: an interview with Dr Robyn Marsh

Chronic suppurative lung disease, or CSLD, is used to describe a range of lung diseases characterised by a chronic wet cough and progressive lung damage. We are interested in the non-cystic fibrosis forms of the disease with a focus on bronchiectasis – the severe form of CSLD.

26 Nov 2012

FDA grants Seattle Genetics orphan drug designation for ADCETRIS to treat mycosis fungoides

Seattle Genetics, Inc. announced today that ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of mycosis fungoides (MF). MF is the most common type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

26 Nov 2012

Frankfurt University Hospital implements microwave ablation for treatment of thyroid nodules

The Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Frankfurt University Hospital recently became the first European hospital to use microwaves to ablate thyroid nodules.

26 Nov 2012

Inovio's SynCon DNA vaccine effective at inducing CD8+ T cell responses specific to CMV

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that testing of multiple synthetic vaccine constructs for cytomegalovirus (CMV) induced robust T cells in mice, demonstrating the potential for a SynCon DNA vaccine to treat this virus that causes infant death and congenital abnormalities, is associated with cerebral palsy and brain tumors, and is the most common viral infection in organ transplant recipients. CMV is also associated with numerous inflammatory diseases and cancers, and is implicated in hypertension, a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

26 Nov 2012

Musculoskeletal expert to discuss preparation for winter sports

Whether skiing, snowboarding or even playing ice hockey - winter sports enthusiasts will have the chance to chat to a musculoskeletal expert in AXA PPP healthcare's live web discussion on preparing for winter sports on Wednesday 28 November 2012.

26 Nov 2012

mRNA vaccines offer protection against influenza A virus infections in various animal models

CureVac GmbH, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of therapies and vaccines based on mRNA, and the German Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI), Germany, today announced that mRNA vaccines (RNActive) based on the company's RNA technology platform have the potential to provide effective protection against infectious diseases.

26 Nov 2012

Researchers trace specific paths of chandelier cells during development into the cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex of the human brain has been called "the crowning achievement of evolution." Ironically, it is so complex that even our greatest minds and most sophisticated science are only now beginning to understand how it organizes itself in early development, and how its many cell types function together as circuits.

23 Nov 2012

Major advance in understanding how flu viruses replicate within infected cells

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made a major advance in understanding how flu viruses replicate within infected cells. The researchers used cutting-edge molecular biology and electron-microscopy techniques to "see" one of influenza's essential protein complexes in unprecedented detail. The images generated in the study show flu virus proteins in the act of self-replication, highlighting the virus's vulnerabilities that are sure to be of interest to drug developers.

23 Nov 2012

People worried about catching infections in public transport during flu season

As flu season gets underway, public transport such as buses, trains and subway trains head the list of places where people worry about catching viruses and infections, according to new research by Microban.

23 Nov 2012

Online flu survey launched in the UK

Does “man flu” exist? How effective is the flu vaccine? And do pets keep you healthy? These are just some of the questions scientists from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine want to explore as they launch a nationwide flu survey.

22 Nov 2012

Single dose of Medicago's vaccine could offer cross-protection against flu

Researchers recently found that a single dose of a vaccine being developed by Medicago, Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company, could protect against not only the avian influenza (H5N1) strain it was designed for, but also another H5N1 strain and a strain of a different flu subtype, called H2N2.

22 Nov 2012

Microbiologists discover how the spread of antibiotic resistance works in pneumococcus

Antibiotic resistance results from bacteria's uncanny ability to morph and adapt, outwitting pharmaceuticals that are supposed to kill them. But exactly how the bacteria acquire and spread that resistance inside individuals carrying them is not well-established for most bacterial organisms.

22 Nov 2012

BRFSS survey offers state-level rates of COPD prevalence

The age-adjusted prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) varies considerably within the United States, from less than 4 percent of the population in Washington and Minnesota to more than 9 percent in Alabama and Kentucky.

22 Nov 2012

Dropping of cold chain requirement for meningitis vaccine will improve access, IRIN reports

IRIN examines how the WHO's recent declaration that the MenAfriVac meningitis A vaccine can be transported or stored for up to four days without refrigeration will affect immunization campaigns in Africa's meningitis belt, which runs from Senegal to Ethiopia.

22 Nov 2012

State roundup: Calif. schedules health care special session; Fla. to boost Medicaid payment rates

California's legislative special session on health care won't take place until January, according to officials at the California Health and Human Services agency. ... The session was expected to be convened in December. The special session will be held concurrently with the regular legislative session that begins Jan. 7.

22 Nov 2012

Genetic study: Novel coronavirus most closely related to viruses in bats

The virus that is causing alarm among global public health authorities after it killed a man in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia earlier this year and is now linked to two other cases of disease is a novel type of coronavirus most closely related to viruses found in bats, according to a genetic analysis to be published in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, on November 20.

22 Nov 2012

Global health programs need to address community needs

A "key problem" in reaching the goal of polio elimination "may well be that organizers of the global anti-polio initiative, and of other global health programs, are not listening to the people they want to help -- or to each other," Thomas Abraham, an associate professor in the Journalism and Media Studies Center at the University of Hong Kong, writes in a New York Times opinion piece.

21 Nov 2012

Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Experimental flu vaccine technique could reduce time needed to develop new shots for humans

CLCA1 molecule plays a special role in the mucus pathway

Procalcitonin levels help distinguish between pneumonia types

Chronic suppurative lung disease: an interview with Dr Robyn Marsh

FDA grants Seattle Genetics orphan drug designation for ADCETRIS to treat mycosis fungoides

Frankfurt University Hospital implements microwave ablation for treatment of thyroid nodules

Inovio's SynCon DNA vaccine effective at inducing CD8+ T cell responses specific to CMV

Musculoskeletal expert to discuss preparation for winter sports

mRNA vaccines offer protection against influenza A virus infections in various animal models

Researchers trace specific paths of chandelier cells during development into the cerebral cortex

Major advance in understanding how flu viruses replicate within infected cells

People worried about catching infections in public transport during flu season

Online flu survey launched in the UK

Single dose of Medicago's vaccine could offer cross-protection against flu

Microbiologists discover how the spread of antibiotic resistance works in pneumococcus

BRFSS survey offers state-level rates of COPD prevalence

Dropping of cold chain requirement for meningitis vaccine will improve access, IRIN reports

State roundup: Calif. schedules health care special session; Fla. to boost Medicaid payment rates

Genetic study: Novel coronavirus most closely related to viruses in bats

Global health programs need to address community needs

PhD researcher at LifeArc

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

How GLP‑1 Agonists Are Shaping the Future of Obesity Treatment With Dr Bryony Henderson

Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

PhD researcher at LifeArc

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

How GLP‑1 Agonists Are Shaping the Future of Obesity Treatment With Dr Bryony Henderson

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