Diphtheria News and Research

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Diphtheria is a disease caused by a bacterium, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, that usually affects the tonsils, throat, nose and/or skin. It is passed from person to person by droplet transmission, usually by breathing in diphtheria bacteria after an infected person has coughed or sneezed. Although diphtheria disease is rare in the U.S., it appears that C diphtheriae continues to circulate in areas of the country with previously endemic diphtheria. Diphtheria also occurs in many other parts of the world.

Human Antibodies Offer Hope for Improved Black Widow Antivenom

Sera produced from horses can be used to treat serious illnesses caused by black widow bites. But this approach is not totally secure. To address this, scientists have produced entirely human antibodies that are capable of neutralizing the European black widow's alpha-latrotoxin.

13 Jun 2024

Soil Bacteria Use Umbrella Toxins to Fight Back

Scientists have found that soil bacteria called Streptomyces secrete toxic protein particles in the shape of umbrellas that are meant to suppress competitors, particularly those that belong to their species.

18 Apr 2024

No more needles? Future vaccines could be delivered by a puff of air

In the future, vaccines may be delivered with a puff of air rather than a needle, according to the promising results of new research presented at a meeting of the American Chemistry Society this March.

27 Mar 2023

Research highlights the impacts of biomolecules in plants over stress

Diphthamide is a biomolecule required for the correct synthesis of proteins in cells.

18 Jul 2022

Scientists visualize protein machinery of respiration with unparalleled precision

Oxygen and sugar are the basis of life for animals, plants, fungi and many bacteria. The metabolic process called respiration makes it possible to convert food into energy for the cells.

1 Feb 2022

New nanoparticle adjuvant could lead to more powerful vaccines

A common strategy to make vaccines more powerful is to deliver them along with an adjuvant -; a compound that stimulates the immune system to produce a stronger response.

6 Dec 2021

How do large proteins and drugs cross a cell membrane?

Researchers have been wondering for several decades how molecules like proteins travel through cell walls, also called plasma membranes, without any trace.

22 Oct 2021

Chemists identify effective inhibitors to block the uptake of SARS-CoV-2

The cell membrane is impermeable to viruses: to get inside and infect a cell, they use a range of strategies to exploit the cellular and biochemical properties of the membranes.

23 Nov 2020

Scientists identify antigen valencies that work best in vaccine designs for HIV, SARS-CoV-2

Designing a vaccine starts with finding the right ingredients. Every infectious agent has molecules, called antigens, that the immune system could potentially recognize and attack. So scientists must carefully consider which antigens should go into a vaccine.

28 Aug 2020

Researchers identify antibody cocktail with potential to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 virus

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine evaluated several human antibodies to determine the most potent combination to be mixed in a cocktail and used as a promising anti-viral therapy against the virus that causes COVID-19.

17 Jun 2020