NEJM Group’s Post

CDC urges improved donor screening after 2nd bone allograft TB outbreak: The CDC is calling for improved donor screening and culture-based testing of donor organs and tissues after the second outbreak of tuberculosis in transplant cases. http://dlvr.it/T10Qcq

Profile antibody responses against 10 different neglected tropical diseases! The PEPperCHIP® Neglected Tropical Diseases Peptide Microarray covers 3,390 different epitopes & can be used for antibody biomarker discovery, patient monitoring, antibody characterization, and high-throughput antibody profiling. Ready to discuss your project about neglected tropical diseases? Talk to one of our scientists: https://buff.ly/3Y7cXea #NeglectedTropicalDiseases #peptidearrays #antibodyprofiling

Ye W, Chew M, Hou J, Lai F, Leopold SJ, Loo HL, Ghose A, Dutta AK, Chen Q, Ooi EE, White NJ, Dondorp AM, Preiser P, Chen J. Microvesicles from Malaria-infected Red Blood Cells Activate Natural Killer Cells via MDA5 Pathway. Plos Pathogen 2018 Oct 4;14(10):e1007298. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007298. eCollection 2018 Oct. Natural killer (NK) cells are activated through MD5 pathway when microvesicles containing large parasite RNAs from infected red blood cells fuse with them. Humanised mouse models provide insights into the pathogenesis of malaria infection and sequel human immune responses. This mouse model may be used as a platform for research and the evaluation of anti-malaria drug candidates. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/dNZEnFtC #infectiousdiseases

The Power of #InfectiousPathology We have identified a novel human hepatitis caused by circovirus, a virus that has so far been described mainly in animals. Our discovery highlights the ever-evolving nature of #infectiousdiseases and the critical role of #pathology in identifying emerging pathogens. https://lnkd.in/dsCXYpEB Thanks to our great collaborators from Institut Pasteur, Universität Zürich | University of Zurich and Department of Biomedicine who supported us and made this possible.

Although there are regions in Africa in which the effect of neglected tropical diseases is comparable to that of malaria and tuberculosis, most funding goes to research on the "big three" infectious diseases HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. The novel PEPperCHIP® Neglected Tropical Diseases Peptide Microarray enables cost-effective research on antibody responses against the corresponding pathogens on the epitope level. https://lnkd.in/e8csmSus

JEM's July issue is out! https://hubs.la/Q02Djn3C0 Regulation of pulmonary plasma cell responses during secondary infection with influenza virus is largely independent of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. The image shows a representative image from thick sections of lungs of BAT mice reinfected with influenza and depleted for CD4+ T cells, showing the positioning of alveoli-associated plasma cells (AlvPC) in rechallenged lungs. The mice were genetically engineered and labeled as follows: AID-tdTomato (red), Blimp-1mVenus (yellow), CFP-Flu (light blue), collagen (SH) (purple). From MacLean et al. (https://hubs.la/Q02DjBMP0).

Examining the role of extracellular vesicles in Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection: in their latest work, Rajalakshmy Ayilam Ramachandran, Andrew Lemoff and Danielle Robertson at UT Southwestern Medical Center examined the composition and capability of EVs released by Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected epithelial cells to modulate innate immune responses in host cells https://lnkd.in/eznTbRk6 They demonstrated that EVs released by Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected corneal and bronchial epithelial cells act as powerful mediators of neutrophil migration, significantly contributing to the intense neutrophil response observed during infection in these tissues. #extracellularvesicles #exosomes #bacterialinfection #neutrophils #Vesiculab

Did you know that viral respiratory diseases still cause approximately 3 million deaths annually, despite decades of therapeutic progress? To address this global health burden, scientists need more human-relevant research models that can accurately model the complexity of viral infection and therapeutic response. In this new Emulate, Inc. case study, we show how the Wyss Institute at Harvard University has utilized #OrganChips to take a more human-relevant approach to viral infectious disease research and drug discovery. With Organ-Chips, the researchers were able to: —Rapidly identify promising treatments for COVID-19 —Investigate how viruses evolve through human-to-human transmission —Study the role of mechanical forces on the innate immune response to viral infection Check out the case study to learn more about how Organ-Chips are helping scientists make significant strides in combatting viral respiratory disease: https://lnkd.in/diTjHbpu

Parasites that Can Lead to Cancer Certain parasitic worms that can live inside the human body can also raise the risk of developing some kinds of cancer. These organisms are not found in the United States, but they can be a concern for people who live in or travel to other parts of the world. Opisthorchis viverrini and Clonorchis sinensis are liver flukes (a type of flatworm) that have been linked to increased risk of developing cancer of the bile ducts. The bile ducts are tubes that connect the liver to the intestines. These infections come from eating raw or undercooked freshwater fish. They occur mostly in East Asia and are rare in other parts of the world. Schistosoma haematobium is a parasite found in the water of some countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Infection with this parasite (an illness called schistosomiasis) has been linked to bladder cancer. Possible links to other types of cancer are now being studied as well.