Immunology

Mad Goat? Scrapie Pathogens Could Breach The Human Species Barrier

Scrapie is a neurodegenerative disease that has been known for centuries and which affects sheep and goats. Similar to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease, scrapie is caused by a transmissible pathogen protein called prion. A new stud ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 24 2014 - 12:31pm

Broccoli Compound Can Moderate Defects In Childhood 'Old Age' Syndrome Progeria

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome is a genetic condition in children that is characterized by dramatic, rapid appearance of aging. Affected children typically look normal at birth and in early infancy but grow more slowly than other children and develo ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 30 2014 - 10:53pm

Binge Drinking Disrupts Immune System In Small Study

Binge drinking in young, healthy adults significantly disrupts the immune system, according to a new epidemiology paper. ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 31 2014 - 9:34pm

Why Do Women Have More Allergic Reactions? Study Shows It May Be Estrogen

Women frequently experience more severe allergic reactions than men but it has been unclear why. Yet that disparity is more reason why gender balance in studies and trials makes sense. Anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction triggered by food, medication or i ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 29 2014 - 1:48pm

SPPL3: This Enzyme Has A Secret Way To Boost The Immune System

The enzyme signal peptide peptidase-like 3 (SPPL3) is known to 'cut' proteins- they cleave the peptide bonds in the polypeptides that make up proteins- but it turns out that it works to activate T-cells, the immune system's foot soldiers- w ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 3 2015 - 3:37pm

The Ebola Epidemic In West Africa- Maybe It Was Bats

The most recent outbreak of the Ebola virus disease occurring in West Africa may have originated from contact between humans and virus-infected bats, according to a new study in EMBO Molecular Medicine, which identifies insectivorous free-tailed bats as p ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 1 2015 - 2:30pm

Cholera Bacterium Is The Mad Max Of DNA

Cholera is characterized by acute watery diarrhea resulting in severe dehydration and occurs  when the bacterium Vibrio cholerae infects the small intestine. How does it happen?  ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 7 2015 - 8:30am

Your Mother Is Right: The Cold Virus Replicates Better In Colder Temperatures

Cold and damp is bad, no matter what you may have heard recently about it making no difference. The common cold virus reproduces itself more efficiently in the cooler temperatures found inside the nose than at core body temperature, confirming the popular- ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 5 2015 - 6:00pm

Keep A Cool House, Risk Your Health: Cold Virus Replicates Better In Cool Temps

Folk wisdom has long held that people are more likely to catch a cold in cool-weather or damp conditions but some recent claims have disputed that and found the virus transmits just as often regardless of temperature.  This has been latched onto by people ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 5 2015 - 7:52pm

Infections Increase ICU Patient Risk Of Death By 35 Percent

Elderly patients admitted to intensive care units are about 35 percent more likely to die within five years of leaving the hospital if they develop an infection during their stay. The upside to this finding is that preventing two of the most common health ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 6 2015 - 11:08am