Researchers have managed to synthesize two scorpion venom compounds that are effective against some strains of highly infectious bacteria. The compounds are also unlikely to harm humans, the scientists reassure us. Detail of photograph showing Prof. Richard Zare holding a Diplocentrus melici, a type of scorpion with venom that has healing potential.Image credit: Edson N. […]
La tuberculosis es una enfermedad infecciosa que normalmente afecta a los pulmones. Si la comparamos con otras enfermedades causadas por un único agente infeccioso, es el segundo mayor asesino a nivel mundial. En 2015, 1,8 millones de personas murieron a causa de la enfermedad y 10,4 enfermaron. En los siglos XVIII y XIV, una epidemia […]
New research explores the structure of a natural self-destructive mechanism contained in the bacterium that causes tuberculosis in humans. Exploiting this mechanism using these new findings may soon lead to better treatments. Scientists move closer to the ‘perfect TB drug,’ after zooming in on the bacterium that causes it. In the United States, more than […]
The purified protein derivative test confirms whether someone has had exposure to tuberculosis, a serious infectious disease. A positive test result indicates that the person may have a tuberculosis infection, but it does not necessarily mean that they have active tuberculosis. Tuberculosis, or TB, is a bacterial infection that can affect any part of the […]
New research shows that rats can detect up to 70 percent more cases of tuberculosis in children than standard smear tests. The findings may help to treat a significant number of children who have previously been overlooked. Doctors need better tools to detect TB in children. The World Health Organization (WHO) say that tuberculosis (TB) […]
A new report from the World Health Organization confirms that, worryingly, there are now limited treatment options for some of the most common drug-resistant infections, which highlights the desperate need for new antibiotics. The WHO say that there are not enough new drugs in the pipeline to help combat antimicrobial resistance. But despite this […]
Computer simulations suggest moxifloxacin outperforms two other drugs when doses are missed. Treatment of tuberculosis involves a combination of several drugs, sometimes including drugs from a class known as fluoroquinolones. Using computer simulations, scientists have shown that the fluoroquinolone known as moxifloxacin may be superior to two other commonly used fluoroquinolones, according to a new […]
The number of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) cases is rising globally. But a newly discovered natural antibiotic – produced by bacteria from the lung infection in a cystic fibrosis patient – could help fight these infections. Lab testing reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society shows that the compound is active against multi-drug resistant […]
Tuberculosis is an airborne disease caused by an infection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. A TB skin test is the first method a doctor will use to try to determine if a person has TB. This article explores what happens during a TB skin test, what the results might mean, and what to do once […]
Scientists have a good understanding of how the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, one of world’s leading causes of death, evades the immune system to establish a foothold in the body. However, what has not been clear is the role of the pathogen in undermining the immune system to promote spread of the disease. Now, a […]