Immunology

Disease Transmission And High Testosterone Linked

High levels of testosterone may be a key factor in spreading disease among mice, according to biologists. The findings could help explain why males in a population are often more likely to get infected, and transmit disease. Previous research has linked te ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 8 2008 - 12:39am

Why Some With HIV Never Get AIDS Even Without Treatment

Researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have compelling evidence that some people with HIV who for years and even decades show extremely low levels of the virus in their blood never progress to full-blown AIDS and remain symptom free even without treatment, ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 12 2008 - 9:20am

Meet Clostridium Difficile, The Next MRSA Superbug You Need To Worry About

Dr. Ed Corboy had no idea what was afflicting his 80-year-old mother, Joan Corboy. All he knew for certain was that since being treated for what was a routine diarrheal infection, she seemed to be wasting away and none of her doctors or other health speci ...

Article - News Staff - Sep 15 2008 - 8:55pm

How Friendly Bacteria Avoid Immune Attack To Live Happily In The Gut

For a long time scientists have been puzzled by the fact that the immune system in the gut is capable of fighting toxic bacterial infection while staying, at the same time, tolerant to its resident “friendly” bacteria. But an article now published in the j ...

Article - Catarina Amorim - Sep 24 2008 - 2:48pm

'Scrumpox' Herpes Virus Not Just Rugby- Now Sumo Wrestlers Get It Too

It used to be that being buried under a pile of large, sweaty men was the worst thing that could happen to you playing Rugby- but then it turned out a herpes virus can cause a skin disease called "scrumpox" and it spreads through physical contact ...

Article - News Staff - Sep 28 2008 - 4:33pm

APOBEC-3G: Harnessing Humans Built-In Weapon Against HIV

Humans have a built-in weapon against HIV, but until recently no one knew how to unlock its potential. A study published in Nature reveals the atomic structure of this weapon, an enzyme known as APOBEC-3G, and suggests new directions for drug development. ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 13 2008 - 4:39pm

Discovered- Bacteria That Can Cause Bone Infections

Scientists have discovered that a bone infection is caused by a newly described species of bacteria that is related to the tuberculosis pathogen. The discovery may help improve the diagnosis and treatment of similar infections, according to an article publ ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 12 2008 - 8:19pm

How Mother's Milk Helps A Baby's Immune System

The transportation of antibodies from a mother to her newborn child is vital for the development of that child's nascent immune system. Those antibodies, donated by transfer across the placenta before birth or via breast milk after birth, help shape a ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 13 2008 - 12:05am

Earliest Human Tuberculosis(TB) Found In 9,000 Year-Old Skeletons

The discovery of the earliest known cases of human tuberculosis (TB) in bones found submerged off the coast of Israel shows that the disease is 3000 years older than previously thought. Direct examination of this ancient DNA confirms the latest theory that ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 14 2008 - 8:03pm

Fighting Infections- This 'Protein Compass' May Be The Answer

Amoebas glide toward their prey with the help of a protein switch that controls a molecular compass, biologists at the University of California, San Diego have discovered.    Their finding is important because the same molecular switch is shared by humans ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 23 2008 - 12:48pm