Research has found fidaxomicin, an antibiotic usually used to treat bowel infections, prevents growth of resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb) in the lab. Published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, the research found that fidaxomicin was more effective than existing tuberculosis (TB) medication at preventing growth of the bacterium that causes TB. Researchers compared […]
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Scientists discover how tuberculosis puts the brakes on immune engines
Scientists from Trinity have discovered both how TB puts the brakes on our immune engines and how we can kick-start those engines back into gear—providing hope that improved treatment options could soon be on the horizon. Although ancient, TB is still the world’s deadliest infectious disease. While it is rampant in Africa, the growing problem […]
New synthesis method opens up possibilities for organic electronics
Semiconducting polymers, very large chain-like molecules made from repeating sub-units, are increasingly drawing the attention of researchers because of their potential applications in organic electronic devices. Like most semiconducting materials, semiconducting polymers can be classified as p-type or n-type according to their conducting properties. Although p-type semiconducting polymers have seen dramatic improvements thanks to recent […]
Mattar named a chair of group aimed at combating antimicrobial resistance
Caline Mattar, MD, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been appointed a chair of the Expert Advisory Group for the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Development Hub. Based in Germany, the organization formed in May 2018 to pool international resources […]
New blood test for human tuberculosis may also identify people at most risk
A new study conducted by researchers in Leicester and Nottingham has shown the potential for a new blood test to not only diagnose human tuberculosis (TB) but also identify those at most risk of developing the disease, according to findings published in medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Despite recent reductions, England still has one of […]
Could better tests help reverse the rise of drug-resistant infections? Modeling study says yes in theory; now comes a reality check
A growing number of infections — such as pneumonia, gonorrhea and tuberculosis — are becoming harder to treat, as bacteria evolve defenses against antibiotics faster than we can develop new drugs to replace them. Duke University game theorist David McAdams says faster, more accurate tests for drug-resistant infections are being developed that could, at least […]
Experts set out targets to eliminate tuberculosis within a generation: Tuberculosis can be treated, prevented and cured, yet it kills 1.6 million people a year, more people than any other infectious disease
A world free of tuberculosis (TB) is possible by 2045 if increased political will and financial resources are directed towards priority areas including providing evidence-based interventions to everyone, especially to high risk groups, and increasing research to develop new ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent TB. Funding this response will require substantial investments, and accountability […]
New tuberculosis drug may shorten treatment time for patients
A new experimental antibiotic for tuberculosis has been shown to be more effective against TB than isoniazid, a decades-old drug which is currently one of the standard treatments. In mouse studies, the new drug showed a much lower tendency to develop resistance, and it remains in the tissues where the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria reside for […]
How fatal biofilms form
By severely curtailing the effects of antibiotics, the formation of organized communities of bacterial cells known as biofilms can be deadly during surgeries and in urinary tract infections. Yale researchers have just come a lot closer to understanding how these biofilms develop, and potentially how to stop them. Biofilms form when bacterial cells gather and […]
Strategic plan to address tuberculosis research
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading infectious cause of death worldwide, killing roughly 1.6 million people in 2017. In the past 200 years, TB claimed the lives of more than one billion people — more deaths than from malaria, influenza, smallpox, HIV/AIDS, cholera and plague combined. Recently, the global health community has strengthened its efforts and […]