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Leaves of the European chestnut tree contain ingredients with the power to disarm dangerous staph bacteria without boosting its drug resistance, scientists have found. PLOS ONE is publishing the study of a chestnut leaf extract, rich in ursene and oleanene derivatives, that blocks Staphlococcus aureus virulence and pathogenesis without detectable resistance.

Scientists at the University of Bonn, together with colleagues from the U.S. and Japan, have shed light on an important immune mechanism. Their work shows how the body provides the important killer cells with a helper in the case of an infection. The study could point the way to better vaccines in the future. The work has been published in the renowned journal Cell.

The traditional towel-and-bucket method of environmental cleaning is being replaced in many hospitals by ready-to-use disinfectant wipes. These pre-soaked disposable wipes are increasingly used for the disinfection of near-patient surfaces to prevent the spread of microorganisms and the emergence of nosocomial infections. This report explores the benefits of ready-to-use wipes as well as reviews the key factors that impact wipes' efficacy.

Prompt initiation of antibiotics to treat infections has been proven to reduce mortality and save countless lives. But evidence has shown that use of these drugs far exceeds what is clinically necessary, leading to patient harm, excess costs and an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria worldwide.

Tracking mobile phone data is often associated with privacy issues, but these vast datasets could be the key to understanding how infectious diseases are spread seasonally, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Bacteria are pretty wily creatures. Take for example, an organism such as Salmonella, which which are killed by antibiotics in lab tests, but can become highly resistant in the body. It is an example of what UC Santa Barbara biologist Michael Mahan refers to as the Trojan horse strategy. Identified through new research conducted by Mahan and his colleagues, the Trojan horse strategy may explain why antibiotics are ineffective in some patients despite lab tests that predict otherwise. The research findings appear in the journal EBioMedicine.

An H1N1 vaccine developed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center will enter a definitive round of testing this month, and researchers hope to establish its ability to ward off the virus. Made possible by a licensing deal brokered through UNMC's technology transfer office, UNeMed Corporation, the study will evaluate the vaccine on 30 to 40 pigs. If tests yield results as expected, Prommune, Inc. could begin offering an H1N1 vaccine to hog farmers as early as the end of the year, although full approval from the USDA would likely take another three or four years.

A novel synthetic DNA vaccine can, for the first time, induce protective immunity against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus in animal species, reported researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.