There are some 320,000 unique mammalian viruses, according to estimates by virologists, and likely exponentially more existing on the planet today. Determining an accurate number would require billions more dollars and a great deal more manpower than is currently given to the study of viruses. Though a handful of viruses live in and on our bodies at all times—known as the virome—not all of them make us ill; just as often, they lie dormant. Many virus functions remain mysterious to scientists, such as how they enter a cell or replicate, though existing test advances, like the VirScan blood test, can tell you any infection you’ve ever had.
Anti-inflammatory ‘smart drug’ activates only in high-inflammation areas
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel and the University of Colorado have developed a dynamic anti-inflammatory “smart” drug that can target specific sites in the body and could enhance the body’s natural ability to fight infection while reducing side effects.
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Researchers develop artificial spleen that cleans up blood infections
The ‘biospleen’ uses protein-equipped nanobeads and a magnet to cleanse blood of pathogens.
Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have developed a high-tech method to rid the body of infections — even those caused by unknown pathogens. A device inspired by the spleen can quickly clean blood of everything from Escherichia coli to Ebola, researchers report on 14 September in Nature Medicine.
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Frozen poop pills can help fight life-threatening intestinal infections
The frozen pills take the place of fecal transplants.
A new study has found that just two days of a treatment with poop in pill form can cure a dangerous infection that kills 14,000 Americans per year.
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40% of cancers may be caused by viruses
The research study using DNA analysis has shown that viruses could be implicated as the cause of 40 per cent of the 200 forms of cancer.
Up to forty percent of cancers, including brain tumors and leukemia, may be caused by viruses, scientists claim.
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Men have a weaker immune response than women: study
Men who regularly complain of ‘man-flu’ may not be exaggerating after all.
For centuries women have been labeled as the weaker sex. But when it comes to the battlefield of illness and infections, women are far more robust than their male counterparts.
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Researchers Create Color-changing Bandage to Combat Infections
The new fibers indicate changes in wound temperature
A Melbourne, Australia Ph.D. student has created the ultimate minor medical tool for moms. The student has developed a bandage that monitors the health of a cut and lets you know when it’s infected.
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Genetically Modified Chickens Developed Than Cannot Transmit Bird Flu
Scientists develop GM chickens that do not spread bird flu.
British scientists have developed genetically modified (GM) chickens that cannot transmit bird flu infections — a step that in future could reduce the risk of avian flu spreading and causing deadly epidemics in humans.
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