http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. (Medical Xpress)—New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis points to a common species of bacteria as an important contributor to bacterial vaginosis, a condition linked to preterm birth and increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-bacteria-contribute-premature-births-stds.html Medical research Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:22:44 EST news285931355 The human body has the ability to ward off viruses by activating a naturally occurring protein at the cellular level, setting off a chain reaction that disrupts the levels of cholesterol required in cell membranes to enable viruses to enter cells. The findings, discovered by researchers in molecular microbiology and immunology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, hold promise for the development of therapies to fight a variety of viral infections. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-stuyd-reveals-natural-blocks-viruses.html Medical research Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:00:01 EST news285415372 The growing ease of DNA sequencing has led to enormous advancements in the scientific field. Through extensive networked databases, researchers can access genetic information to gain valuable knowledge about causative and preventative factors for disease, and identify new targets for future treatments. But the wider availability of such information also has a significant downside—the risk of revealing personal information. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-privacy-dna-policies-safeguard-identity.html Genetics Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:51:21 EST news279456671 Medical scientists at the University of Southern California (USC) have bred a first-of-its-kind mouse model that possesses an immune response system more like a human's. The discovery makes way for quicker and more cost-effective development of next-generation drugs to treat human diseases like cancer, diabetes and tuberculosis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-mouse-human-like-immune-response.html Immunology Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:00:01 EST news279195839 In research published in the Jan. 24 edition of PLOS Pathogens, Saint Louis University investigators together with collaborators from the University of Missouri and the University of Pittsburgh report a breakthrough in the pursuit of new hepatitis B drugs that could help cure the virus. Researchers were able to measure and then block a previously unstudied enzyme to stop the virus from replicating, taking advantage of known similarities with another major pathogen, HIV. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-finish-aims-knockout-hepatitis.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:05:22 EST news279201914 A collaboration between researchers at the School of Biochemistry and Immunology and the Department of Microbiology at Trinity College Dublin has identified a mechanism by which the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) colonises our nasal passages. The study, recently published in the prestigious journal PLOS Pathogens, shows for the first time that a protein located on the bacterial surface called clumping factor B (ClfB) recognises a protein called loricrin that is a major component of the envelope of cells in the nose and skin. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-bacterium-role-mrsa-colonises-human.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:09:35 EST news278582968 Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have discovered a trigger by which the Hepatitis C virus enters liver cells ─ shedding light on how this serious and potentially deadly virus can begin to damage the liver. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-clue-hepatitis-virus-liver.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:28:38 EST news274526909 Approximately 250,000 people in the United States suffer from muscular dystrophy, which occurs when damaged muscle tissue is replaced with fibrous, bony or fatty tissue and loses function. Three years ago, University of Missouri scientists found a molecular compound that is vital to curing the disease, but they didn't know how to make the compound bind to the muscle cells. In a new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, MU School of Medicine scientists Yi Lai and Dongsheng Duan have discovered the missing pieces to this puzzle that could ultimately lead to a therapy and, potentially, a longer lifespan for patients suffering from the disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-muscular-dystrophy-mystery-mu-scientists.html Medical research Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:04:55 EST news274118671 While your DNA is unique, it also tells the tale of your family line. It carries the genetic history of your ancestors down through the generations. Now, says a Tel Aviv University researcher, it's also possible to use it as a map to your family's past. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-gps-dna-genetics-reveal-geographic.html Genetics Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:10:01 EST news264330340 A naturally occurring protein called TLR1 plays a critical role in protecting the body from illnesses caused by eating undercooked pork or drinking contaminated water, according to new research from the University of Southern California (USC). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-tlr1-protein-immune-response-food-borne.html Medical research Tue, 10 Jul 2012 09:21:10 EST news261130862 Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute have, for the first time, determined the function of a series proteins within the mosquito that transduce a signal that enables the mosquito to fight off infection from the parasite that causes malaria in humans. Together, these proteins are known as immune deficiency (Imd) pathway signal transducing factors, are analogous to an electrical circuit. As each factor is switched on or off it triggers or inhibits the next, finally leading to the launch of an immune response against the malaria parasite. The study was published June 7 in the journal PLoS Pathogens. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-immune-circuitry-malaria-mosquitoes.html Medical research Thu, 07 Jun 2012 17:00:15 EST news258306027 The influenza virus remains a worldwide threat to humans, causing an average of 36,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations each year in the United States alone. As health care professionals prepare for another flu season, a University of Missouri scientist is studying how two enzymes could be used to stop the virus in its tracks. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-mu-scientist-eyeing-enzymes-flu.html Medical research Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:21:38 EST news240747681 An experimental treatment for urinary tract infections has easily passed its first test in animals, alleviating weeks-long infections in mice in as little as six hours. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-experimental-drug-chronic-urinary-infections.html Medical research Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:00:06 EST news240665231 Wolbachia are bacteria that infect many insects, including mosquitoes. However, Wolbachia do not naturally infect Anopheles mosquitoes, which are the type that spreads malaria to humans. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that artificial infection with different Wolbachia strains can significantly reduce levels of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, in the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. The investigators also determined that one of the Wolbachia strains rapidly killed the mosquito after it fed on blood. According to the researchers, Wolbachia could potentially be used as part of a strategy to control malaria if stable infections can be established in Anopheles. Their study is published in the May 19 edition PLoS Pathogens. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-wolbachia-bacteria-parasite-mosquito-malaria.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 19 May 2011 17:31:17 EST news225045046