Malattie infettive

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside have found that Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite infecting up to one-third of the world's population, is more active in the brain than previously thought. Their study shows cysts contain multiple subtypes of the parasite, some primed for reactivation and disease. This discovery could guide new treatments for a lifelong infection that resists current drugs.

26 gennaio 2026 Riportato dall'IA

Scientists have reconstructed the genome of Treponema pallidum from a 5,500-year-old skeleton in Colombia, marking the oldest known instance of this bacterium linked to syphilis and related diseases. The ancient strain diverged early in the pathogen's evolution, suggesting treponemal infections were diversifying in the Americas millennia before European contact. This discovery extends the genetic history of these diseases by over 3,000 years.

Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a rapid PCR test that can diagnose hepatitis C in about 15 minutes using whole blood samples. Adapted from a COVID-19 detection system and built on the DASH rapid PCR platform, the test aims to enable same-day treatment and bolster global efforts to eliminate the virus, with early evaluations showing accuracy comparable to existing commercial platforms.

03 dicembre 2025 Riportato dall'IA

Un vaccino nasale sperimentale ha per la prima volta impedito la colonizzazione del batterio della pertosse negli umani, secondo un trial clinico recentemente pubblicato. Questa svolta potrebbe frenare la diffusione della malattia, in particolare in un anno di casi record in Inghilterra. Il vaccino BPZE1, sviluppato da ILiAD Biotechnologies, ha ridotto la presenza batterica di oltre il 97% rispetto al placebo.

Scientists have developed a promising compound called CMX410 that inhibits a key enzyme in the tuberculosis bacterium, showing effectiveness against drug-resistant strains. The discovery, published in Nature, emerges from collaborative research funded by the Gates Foundation. Early tests suggest it could enable shorter, safer treatments for the world's deadliest infectious disease.

29 ottobre 2025 Riportato dall'IA Verificato

Researchers from the University of Warwick and Monash University report that pre-methylenomycin C lactone—an overlooked biosynthetic intermediate from Streptomyces coelicolor—shows more than a 100-fold increase in activity over methylenomycin A against Gram‑positive pathogens, including those behind MRSA and VRE. The finding adds momentum to efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance, which was directly linked to an estimated 1.27 million deaths in 2019.