Infection Control Today Magazine

Infections & Pathogens

Another Potential Obstacle to Developing an HIV Vaccine

A clinical trial testing a candidate HIV vaccine known as the STEP study was halted in September 2007 after interim analysis indicated that the vaccine did not work. Moreover, subsequent analyses indicated that the vaccine made some individuals more susceptible to HIV, in ...More
December 29, 2011
Posted in News, Infections & Pathogens
Microbial Communities on Skin Affect Humans' Attractiveness to Mosquitoes

The microbes on your skin determine how attractive you are to mosquitoes, which may have important implications for malaria transmission and prevention, according to a study published Dec. 28 in the online journal PLoS ONE. Without bacteria, human sweat is odorless to the ...More
December 28, 2011
Posted in News, Infections & Pathogens
Research Suggests New Way to Ensure Effectiveness of TB Treatment

A UT Southwestern Medical Center study using a sophisticated “glass mouse” research model has found that multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is more likely caused in patients by speedy drug metabolism rather than inconsistent doses, as is widely believed. If the study ...More
December 28, 2011
Posted in News, Infections & Pathogens
Silk Microneedles Deliver Therapeutics, Prevent Infections

Bioengineers at Tufts University School of Engineering have developed a new silk-based microneedle system able to deliver precise amounts of drugs over time and without need for refrigeration. The tiny needles can be fabricated under normal temperature and pressure and from ...More
December 28, 2011
Posted in News, Infections & Pathogens
2011 Year in Review: Infections and Pathogens

ICT celebrates the end of the year by bringing you a review of the top news items and articles from 2011 related to infections and pathogens. ...More
December 28, 2011
Posted in News, Infections & Pathogens
Targeted Blocking of Cell Death Prevents Septic Shock

Researchers of VIB and UGent have discovered a new approach to preventing septic shock, an often fatal extreme inflammatory reaction of the body. It is the most frequent cause of death at intensive care departments in hospitals. In sepsis, acute inflammation is attended by ...More
December 27, 2011
Posted in News, Infections & Pathogens
Researchers Discover the Existence of Neutrophils in the Spleen Without Presence of Infection

For the first time, it has been discovered that neutrophils exist in the spleen without there being an infection. This important finding made by the research group on the Biology of B Cells of IMIM (Hospital del Mar Research Institute) in collaboration with researchers from ...More
December 27, 2011
Posted in News, Infections & Pathogens
Cell Membrane Proteins Could Provide Targets for Broader Vaccines

Vaccines with broader reach might be made by stimulating specialized immune cells to recognize foreign cell membrane proteins that are shared across bacterial species, say researchers from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of ...More
December 26, 2011
Posted in News, Infections & Pathogens
Researchers Propose New Model to Design Better Flu Shots

The flu shot, typically the first line of defense against seasonal influenza, could better treat the U.S. population, thanks to University of Pittsburgh researchers. New research that focuses on the composition and timing of the shot design was published in the ...More
December 26, 2011
Posted in News, Infections & Pathogens
UNC HIV Prevention Research Named Scientific Breakthrough of the Year

The HIV Prevention Trials Network 052 study, led by Myron S. Cohen, MD of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been named the 2011 Breakthrough of the Year by the journal Science. ...More
December 26, 2011
Posted in News, Infections & Pathogens