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.
A new therapy to re-activate silenced genes in patients who suffer from neurodegenerative diseases or stroke is being developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Cornell University.
The G8 leaders promised an increase in investment in programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, but the $60 billion total will still be only one-third of what the UN says is needed over the next five years. Together, these diseases kill about 16,000 people each day.
Dr Margaret Chan, the Director General of the World Health Organization, will visit the European Commission next Tuesday 12 June.
Endemic Burkitt lymphoma is a form of cancer that accounts for up to 74% of malignant disorders in children in equatorial Africa. Malaria and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are known cofactors in its development, but to date, their relative contribution has not been well understood.
Don’t be surprised if a postman knocks at your door (in India) with health kits comprising condoms and contraceptives.
A close cousin of the bacterium that debilitated thousands of World War I soldiers has been isolated at UCSF from a patient who had been on an international vacation. The woman, who has since recovered, suffered from symptoms similar to malaria or typhoid fever, two infections that can occur in returning travelers.
Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center say they are moving closer to understanding why the most lethal form of human malaria has become resistant to drug treatment in the past three decades.
The reality of the threat from vector-borne diseases has been recognized and the problem is prompting research scientists to take a strong interest. Most of these infections, classified as emerging or re-emerging diseases, are linked to ecosystem changes, climatic variations or pressure from human activities.
Small changes in agricultural and sanitation practices may eliminate the spread of a disease that affects some 200 million people living in developing nations around the world.