New research has indicated that people who are exposed to very low levels of sunlight and who also have a history of having a common virus known as mononucleosis, are at greater odds of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) than those without the virus.
Continue reading ‘Low Sunlight Exposure and Common Virus Responsible for Multiple Sclerosis’
Researchers worldwide are hailing a new discovery as being a possible breakthrough in the treatment for AIDS. Scientists have developed a new protein that stops the AIDS the virus from entering cells. This protein has a basic make-up of naturally occurring proteins in the body that protects cells from viruses, except the human-made version does not cause inflammation and other side effects at the dosages needed to inhibit AIDS.
A latest study conducted by Jianchun Xiao and colleagues at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine has found distinct differences in the manipulation of host gene expression among the three clonal lineages of parasites that are found in Europe and North America.
Continue reading ‘Impact of Parasitic Infection on Behavior’
In a recent breakthrough that holds the potential of slowing down the growth of pancreatic cancer, researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have reported that they have shrunk or slowed the growth of notoriously resistant pancreatic tumors in mice, using a drug routinely prescribed for malaria and rheumatoid arthritis.
Continue reading ‘Pancreatic Cancer to be Cured by Malarial Drug?’
While it might seem unbelievable, MIT engineers have announced that they have managed to design a new type of nanoparticles that could effectively and safely deliver vaccines for diseases such as malaria and HIV. HIV is known to be one of the biggest killers in the world and till now no one has been able to successfully create a vaccine for combating this deadly virus.
Continue reading ‘New Nanoparticles from MIT could lead to Vaccines for HIV, Malaria and Others’
Many developing countries are fighting the battle against malaria, with thousands of people dying every year due to malaria. Now, new research from the University of Maryland has indicated that a genetically engineered fungus might actually be able to cure malaria. The research team has proposed that a genetically engineered fungus carrying genes for a human anti-malarial antibody or a scorpion anti-malarial toxin could be an extremely effective, specific and environmentally friendly tool for fighting malaria. This importance of this discovery is increased primarily because it comes at a time when the efficiency of present-day pesticides against malaria mosquitoes is declining.
A new initiative has been launched in the Netherlands against neglected tropical diseases. Called as the European Solutions Enterprise for Neglected Diseases (euSEND), this is a joint initiative of the Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam (AMC), the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD), the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and Top Institute Pharma.
Continue reading ‘Neglected Tropical Diseases in the Spotlight’
Sustained high vaccination coverage is key to preventing deaths from measles. Despite the availability of a vaccine, measles remains an important killer of children worldwide, particularly in less-developed regions where vaccination coverage is limited. A team of researchers, led by scientists at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Colorado, developed and successfully tested a dry powder, live-attenuated measles vaccine that can be inhaled. The novel vaccine was studied in rhesus macaques.
Mosquirix, an experimental malaria vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline, provides African children with long-lasting protection and reduces the risk of infection by the parasite that causes severe malaria by 46 percent over 15 months, according to researchers.
In a rare victory against AIDS, German scientists say that three years after a unique stem cell transplant was tried on a patient, “cure of HIV has been achieved in this” man. This is the first time anyone has been pronounced cured of the disease. But as New Scientist notes, their radical therapy strategy offers no hope for the tens of millions of people around the world with the lethal virus.
Continue reading ‘First HIV “Cure” Comes with a Very Big Catch’
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