All influenza A articles
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NewsSARS-CoV-2 uses a “scissor” protein to chop influenza virus’s guts up
A new in silico scan of human respiratory viruses demonstrates that a SARS-CoV-2 protein, 3CLpro, cleaves motifs within influenza NP and PA leading to rapid protein degradation and cytoplasmic mislocalization.
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NewsNo entry: Blocking viruses from entering cells
The Volkswagen Foundation funds a project by UdS, HIPS, and HZI to create an innovative platform for developing viral entry inhibitors—specifically targeting respiratory viruses and other viruses that pose a pandemic risk.
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News‘Accidental’ discovery lays foundation for novel flu treatment strategies
Scientists investigating how influenza viruses replicate within cells “accidentally” discovered that different flu viruses use distinct strategies to infiltrate cells in the first place. They also found that it is possible to target specific molecules to prevent the viruses from entering new cells, thereby stopping their replication.
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NewsFlu signals in wastewater offer an early warning for community outbreaks
A research team has demonstrated that measuring influenza viral RNA in wastewater can be used to estimate community influenza incidence. The approach may help identify outbreak trends about one week earlier than publicly available patient report data.
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NewsScientists use ultrasound to destroy influenza A and COVID-19 viruses without damaging human cells
Researchers have discovered that high-frequency ultrasound waves similar to those used in medical exams can eliminate viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and H1N1 without damaging human cells. Acoustic resonance causes structural changes in viral particles until they rupture and become inactivated.
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NewsScientists uncover link between influenza and heart disease
Researchers have identified a cellular mechanism linking infections from influenza A viruses (IAVs) to cardiovascular disease, providing critical insights on how influenza can damage the heart and increase the risk of a heart attack or other major cardiovascular event.
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NewsGut bacteria protect mice with influenza A from bacterial pneumonia, study finds
Select gut bacteria protect mice against post-influenza virus secondary bacterial pneumonia, according to a study which sought to define whether intestinal bacteria influenced some individuals’ vulnerability to secondary bacterial infections following primary respiratory viral infection.
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NewsNew flu strain underscores urgent need for vigilance, vaccination, and investment in virus science
Virologists have issued a statement on the emergence of a new influenza A (H3N2) variant known as H3N2 subclade K that is spreading rapidly and may contribute to a more intense flu season worldwide. Public health agencies have reported sharp week-over-week increases in cases driven by this subclade.
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NewsFlu vaccine providing important protection despite new subclade
Children and adults across England are receiving strong protection from this year’s flu vaccine, despite the emergence of a new subclade driving an unusually early flu season.
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NewsCould tiny airborne plastics help viruses spread? Scientists warn of a hidden infection risk
While plastics are already recognized as a global environmental threat, a new commentary highlights that their microscopic airborne forms could also play a hidden role in human infection.
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NewsIn pregnant mice with severe flu, harmful molecules can breach fetal barriers
A new study shows, for the first time, that severe flu infection in pregnant mice leads to a breakdown in placental and brain barriers, leading to the accumulation of potentially harmful molecules in the fetal brain. Fibrinogen can pass into developing fetal brains.
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NewsStudy links influenza A viral infection to microbiome, brain gene expression changes
Infection with influenza A is found to be associated with disruptions in newborn piglets’ nasal and gut microbiomes and with potentially detrimental changes in gene activity in the hippocampus, a brain structure that plays a central role in learning and memory.
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NewsCommon drugs can help viruses spread
JAK inhibitors are often prescribed for autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, but scientists have found they also weaken the body’s natural defences against viruses.
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NewsWorld’s largest bat organoid platform paves the way for pandemic preparedness
Researchers have created the world’s most comprehensive bat organoid platform. These ’mini-organs’ are grown from five common bat species found across Asia and Europe and represent four different organs—airway, lungs, kidneys, and small intestine.
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NewsNew vaccine protects against swine, human and bird flu
Annual flu shots could become a thing of the past under a new vaccine strategy. A new study describes a vaccine that protects against H1N1 swine flu and can also protect against influenza in humans and birds.
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NewsScientists engineer antibody against flu with sticky staying power
Scientists have engineered a monoclonal antibody that can protect mice from a lethal dose of influenza A, a new study shows. The new molecule combines the specificity of a mature flu fighter with the broad binding capacity of a more general immune system defender. Source: NIAID Colorized transmission ...
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NewsViruses under the super microscope: How influenza viruses communicate with cells
Scientists have characterized a new model of influenza A infection: binding to MHC class II complexes as an alternative receptor and the associated dynamic reorganization of the cell surface.
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NewsFlu vaccine offers moderate protection against strains dominant in most European countries in 2024/2025
According to interim analysis of influenza vaccine effectiveness for the 2024/2025 season in Europe, the vaccine offered moderate protection against dominant influenza A strains, and strong protection against influenza B.
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NewsInfluenza A viruses adapt shape in response to environmental pressures
Influenza A virus particles strategically adapt their shape—to become either spheres or larger filaments—to favor their ability to infect cells depending on environmental conditions, according to a new study.
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NewsFrom Spanish flu to today: how immune cells keep up with a changing virus
In a breakthrough for influenza research, scientists have discovered immune cells that can recognise influenza (flu) viruses even as they mutate, raising hopes for a longer-lasting vaccine and a universal protection against future flu pandemics.