In severe COVID-19 cases, neutrophils work around the clock

Scientists were able to track over time what happens in molecular biology from the onset of infection to organ damage

19-Jun-2024 - The course of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infections depends not only on how aggressive the virus is, but also on the immune response of the infected individual. Using single-cell analyses, a group of researchers led by Samantha Praktiknjo of the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), Markus ...

Lung organoids unveil secret: How pathogens infect human lung tissue

New sensor for monitoring bacteria

12-Jun-2024 - How do pathogens invade the lungs? Using human lung microtissues, a team at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel has uncovered the strategy used by a dangerous pathogen. The bacterium targets specific lung cells and has developed a sophisticated strategy to break through the lungs’ line of ...

Pathoblockers, a future alternative to antibiotics?

Researchers “defanging” bacteria, rendering them harmless

21-May-2024 - In most cases, antibiotics are a reliable form of protection against bacterial infections. They have saved billions of human lives since their introduction. This protection, however, is threatened by bacteria’s resistance to classical antibiotics and by their aggressive pathogenicity. Currently, ...

Start-up Lifespin launches therapeutic drug monitoring of anti-infectives

An important step towards integrating precision medicine and antibiotic resistance control

07-Dec-2023 - Lifespin GmbH, an emerging company in the field of precision health information, introduces its Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) of anti-infectives. This Laboratory Development Test (LDT) represents a significant advance in the field of personalized medicine by enabling individualized approaches ...

Inhalable ‘SHIELD’ protects lungs against COVID-19, flu viruses

“It works like an ‘invisible mask’ for people in situations where masking is difficult"

14-Feb-2023 - Researchers have developed an inhalable powder that could protect lungs and airways from viral invasion by reinforcing the body’s own mucosal layer. The powder, called Spherical Hydrogel Inhalation for Enhanced Lung Defense, or SHIELD, reduced infection in both mouse and non-human primate models ...

Machine learning diagnoses pneumonia by listening to coughs

A new algorithm could spot early signs of respiratory diseases in hospitals and at home

09-Dec-2022 - Pneumonia is one of the world's leading causes of death and affects over a million people a year in the United States. The disease disproportionately impacts children, older adults, and hospitalized patients. To give them the greatest chance at recovery, it is crucial to catch and treat it early. ...

New drug candidate fights off more than 300 drug-resistant bacteria

16-Aug-2022 - Urinary tract infections are common, yet are increasingly tough to treat because the bacteria that cause them are becoming resistant to many antibiotics. Now, in ACS Central Science, researchers report a new molecule that inhibits drug-resistant bacteria in lab experiments, as well as in mice ...

Fighting harmful bacteria with nanoparticles

New weapons against antibiotic resistance

26-Apr-2021 - Multi-resistant pathogens are a serious and increasing problem in today's medicine. Where antibiotics are ineffective, these bacteria can cause life-threatening infections. Researchers at Empa and ETH Zurich are currently developing nanoparticles that can be used to detect and kill ...

Putting pathogens on mute

Researchers develop novel strategy for treating hospital germs

23-Mar-2021 - The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is among the most common causes of pneumonia and poses a major challenge to hospitals worldwide. The treatment of infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa is usually challenging because the bacterium forms so-called biofilms, which protect it from drugs. Dr ...

COVID-19: Immune system on the wrong track

"Many indications suggest that the immune system stands in its own way during severe courses of COVID-19"

07-Aug-2020 - Contrary to what has been generally assumed so far, a severe course of COVID-19 does not solely result in a strong immune reaction – rather, the immune response is caught in a continuous loop of activation and inhibition. Experts from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the University of Bonn, ...