An international team of investigators has identified the first human antibodies that can neutralize different strains of virus responsible for outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The researchers used a mouse model and in vitro assays (lab tests) to test the neutralizing activity of the antibodies.
The effort to find preserved samples of the 1918 influenza virus has been a pursuit of both historical and medical importance. The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most devastating single disease outbreak in modern history, and examining the virus that caused it may help prepare for, and possibly prevent, future pandemics.
A vital molecule for resistance to food allergy has been identified and offers a potential target for therapy. There is currently no way to treat food allergy and the only way for sufferers to manage the problem is to avoid certain foods and make sure they have injectable adrenaline at hand.
Researchers in the United Kingdom have found that increased exposure to cat allergen is associated with greater bronchial responsiveness (BR) in people with certain common allergies, even if they are not specifically allergic to cats.
A research team has identified a new biological function for a soccer ball-shaped nanoparticle called a buckyball ? the ability to block allergic response, setting the stage for the development of new therapies for allergy.
A major obstacle in the treatment of infections and other diseases of the brain is the blood-brain barrier, which prevents systemically delivered therapeutic drugs from reaching the brain.
Researchers at the University of Dundee, who last year identified the gene that causes eczema and associated forms of asthma, have now discovered that defects on the same gene can drastically affect the day-to-day management of asthma in millions of children and young adults.
A comparison of three parasite species that cause Leishmaniasis has identified a small number of genes, many new to biology, that will provide a framework to target the search for new treatments. Leishmaniasis is a devastating disease that affects about two million people each year and threatens one-fifth of the world’s population and new treatments are desperately needed.
Children who experience hayfever symptoms while taking their GCSE exams are 40% more likely to drop a grade between their mocks and final exams, according to the findings of a new study conducted by the charity Education for Health, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and Imperial College London.
The Back to Nature Foods Company is recalling 26,472 boxes of Back to Nature Sesame Ginger Rice Thins Crackers with a “Best When Used By” date of 16 May 2007, because a small number of boxes were inadvertently manufactured using a milk ingredient seasoning, and no milk ingredients are declared on the label.