All Boston University articles
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NewsResearchers discover highly potent compound that blocks Ebola virus entry
A research team has discovered a highly potent small molecule that blocks Ebola virus entry by stabilizing the virus’s entry protein and provides strong protection when given orally in a preclinical model. It is more than 100 times more potent than previously reported Ebola entry inhibitors.
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NewsHeat-tolerant corals may be more vulnerable to disease, study finds
Corals that partner with heat-tolerant algae may be better equipped to survive warming oceans but that resilience comes with an unexpected trade-off. Such corals keep their stress response system in a heightened state - and that can backfire.
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NewsStudy finds HIV-1 proviruses may drive chronic systemic inflammation
People living with HIV are at higher risk of developing inflammatory diseases of many tissues, even when receiving antiviral treatments. A new study suggests that persistent hidden HIV contributes to this inflammation.
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NewsAntivaccine legislation is rising rapidly in US states, driven primarily by GOP push
A new study revealed that Republican lawmakers were responsible for 86 per cent of antivaccine bills introduced across state legislatures after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, raising concerns about public health.
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NewsNew study shows near-complete reduction of cervical cancer deaths among HPV-vaccinated adolescents in England
A new study suggests the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine may be responsible for a near-complete protective effect against death from cervical cancer among women under 30 in England who received the vaccine between 12-18 years old.
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NewsUnderstanding and exploiting tuberculosis superspreading
A new perspective piece introduces the idea of “superspreading niches”, specific parts of community contact networks where highly infectious individuals intersect with highly susceptible contacts, as a key framework for understanding TB superspreading and designing new TB control interventions.
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NewsProviding food baskets to people with tuberculosis is cost-effective and could avert over 100,000 deaths annually in India
Undernutrition is the single greatest modifiable risk factor for tuberculosis (TB). Researchers found that providing food baskets to people with TB and their households may save tens of thousands of lives annually in India if implemented at scale.
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NewsNew study suggests reduced newborn hepatitis B vaccination coverage may increase infant infections
Researchers found that lower vaccination coverage among infants born to unscreened mothers was associated with a substantial increase in HBV infections.
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NewsResearchers discover new mosquito-specific viruses
A new study looked at mosquitoes’ immune response to discover many more insect viruses. Researchers hope to someday use the mosquitoes’ own immune system to battle some of the most pervasive and antagonistic human viruses.
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NewsUltrasensitive test reveals evidence of previously undetected tuberculosis in Boston Hospital patients
Researchers have discovered an unexpectedly high prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA (TB DNA) in patients hospitalized in Boston, suggesting that tuberculosis disease may be significantly underdiagnosed in the United States.
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NewsLow-cost preventive measures could mitigate spread of bacteria causing neonatal mortality
A new study found that a multifaceted infection prevention and control intervention could at least temporarily thwart outbreaks of infections from the Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterium.
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NewsResearchers discover how Ebola and Marburg disrupt the gastrointestinal tract
A new study sheds light on the mechanisms behind the damage caused by Ebola (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV) to the gastrointenstinal tract. TIt found that both viruses are capable of infecting and replicating within human gut epithelial cells and that the viruses interfere with the cells’ ability to regulate fluid secretion, mirroring the severe symptoms observed in patients.
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NewsThe essential role of the urban tree microbiome: A key to city health
Researchers studied the difference in microbial communities of street trees and non-urban forest trees. By analyzing fungal and bacterial diversity, tree size, and soil properties, their research shows the impacts of urban environmental stressors upon city tree microbiomes.
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NewsResearchers discover protein necessary for SARS-CoV-2 to evade the body’s defenses
Researchers have identified a protein that plays a key role in helping SARS-CoV-2 hide from the body’s defenses by suppressing the production of viral double-stranded (dsRNA), leading to increased viral replication while limiting the body’s immune response.
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NewsInfectious disease surveillance platform BEACON launches as a new open-source global resource
The Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communications Network (BEACON), an open-source infectious diseases monitoring tool powered by AI and human experts, has been launched.
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NewsMany TB cases may have gone undetected in prisons in Europe and the Americas during COVID-19
A new study found that reported diagnoses for tuberculosis were consistently lower than expected throughout the pandemic, even though incarceration rates remained largely consistent.
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NewsStudy traces Ebola’s route to the skin surface
Researchers have traced a cellular route the Ebola virus uses to traverse the inner and outer layers of skin and emerge onto the skin’s surface. The study identifies new cell types within the skin that are targeted by EBOV during infection.
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NewsParkinson’s drug changes the gut microbiome for the worse due to iron deficiency
Scientists have revealed that the widely prescribed Parkinson’s disease drug entacapone significantly disrupts the human gut microbiome by inducing iron deficiency.
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NewsOptical biosensor rapidly detects monkeypox virus
Researchers have developed an optical biosensor that can rapidly detect monkeypox, the virus that causes mpox. The technology could allow clinicians to diagnose the disease at the point of care rather than wait for lab results.