All University of Minnesota 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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NewsHow ‘good’ bacteria from fecal transplants reduce peanut allergy
Researchers found that some participants with peanut allergies experienced a higher tolerance to peanuts months after receiving a fecal transplant from a healthy donor without food allergies.
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NewsLeaky gut might make food allergies worse
A “leaky gut” might increase the severity of food allergies, according to new research conducted in mice and published in The Journal of Immunology. The researchers found that changes to the gut microbiome in mice were linked to increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut), and an increase in food allergy severity. ...
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NewsResearch team receives $10 million NIH grant to study how animals fight infection
Researchers have built a collection of living cells from over 100 animal species to explore innate immune diversity. They have received a 5-year, $10 million grant to utilize this ‘cellular zoo’ to determine how diverse animals recognize and fight virus infections.
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NewsResearch team awarded NIH grant to study congenital CMV transmission during pregnancy
A research team has received a new 5-year, $3.87 million R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate how the immune system protects against congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection.
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NewsMetformin given during acute COVID-19 infection reduced risk of clinician-diagnosed long Covid by 50%
New findings from the ACTIV-6 randomized clinical trial provide important confirmation of prior clinical trial results that metformin, a widely available and inexpensive medication with an established safety record, reduced the risk of clinician-diagnosed long COVID when started during acute COVID-19 infection.
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NewsResearch team awarded NIH grant to study early immune determinants of human tuberculosis infection
A research team was awarded a 5-year, $3.8 million grant to study early immune responses in the lung and how they influence tuberculosis infection outcomes. The program focuses on how lung immune cells called macrophages influence the earliest stages of tuberculosis infection.
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NewsCDI breakthroughs lead to new drug development deal for deadly NTM bacteria
Scientists have developed new compounds against non-tuberculous mycobacteria which are now the subject of a new collaboration and license agreement with the Switzerland-based and publicly listed BioVersys AG.
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NewsNovel treatment protocol targets the deadliest cases of C. difficile infection
A new study demonstrated that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can rapidly reverse systemic inflammation and improve survival in patients with fulminant Clostridioides difficile infection.
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NewsScientists reveal how deadly Marburg virus enters human cells, identify therapeutic vulnerability
Researchers found that the Marburg virus, one of the world’s deadliest pathogens, is unusually efficient at getting inside human cells. They also showed that the virus’s entry protein contains structural features that explain this efficiency and point to a strategy for blocking infection.
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NewsNew study demonstrates universal newborn cCMV screening leads to earlier detection and increased identification of mild hearing loss
A new retrospective cohort study examining the impact of Minnesota’s first-in-the-nation mandated universal newborn screening for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) shows that universal screening significantly decreased the age at first audiology visit and increased identification of mild hearing loss in infants.
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NewsStrategic changes in water treatment could prevent disease outbreaks
A breakthrough new study shows how strategic changes in water treatment effectively treated a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease. For the first time, the study provides evidence of an outbreak being stopped by introducing disinfection to previously untreated groundwater.
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NewsSepsis study IDs simple ways to save lives in Africa
Tuberculosis (TB) is a major unrecognized cause of deadly sepsis among people with HIV in Africa, a new study reveals. It found that more than half of the hundreds of patients enrolled in the study had TB and that immediate treatment increased their chances of survival significantly.
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NewsMetformin shown to prevent Long COVID across risk groups in multiple randomized trials
Multiple randomized clinical trials and electronic health record studies now show that metformin, a widely used and well-established medication, significantly reduces the risk of developing Long COVID when taken during or shortly after acute infection with SARS-CoV-2.
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NewsMicrobes in breast milk help populate infant gut microbiomes
A new study provides one of the most detailed portraits yet of how different combinations of bacteria in human milk contribute to the assembly of infants’ gut microbiomes.
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NewsFrom prey to predator: How carnivores spread beneficial fungi
New research reveals that carnivores play an important role in ecosystem function by providing a largely overlooked mechanism for long-distance dispersal of beneficial mycorrhizal fungi.
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NewsStudy reveals promising gut-targeted therapy for C. difficile infections
Researchers have uncovered how the body’s bile acids bind to block C. diff’s most dangerous toxin. The research has informed the development of a new compound that can protect against C. diff in preclinical models, offering hope for safer, more effective treatments.
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NewsFoxtail barley serves as a host for fungal pathogens attacking barley
Researchers report that foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum), a wild relative of the cultivated crop, can harbor several fungal pathogens and may play a role in the disease epidemiology of barley, potentially serving as reservoirs of inoculum to initiate some diseases.
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NewsResearchers partner on $28M initiative to build a precision phage platform for promoting public health
Researchers have embarked on a five-year initiative that aims to harness the natural predators of bacteria – known as phages – as precision tools to shape the human microbiome and promote health.
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NewsNew study finds dried blood spot test reliably detects congenital CMV at birth
New research confirms that testing for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) at birth using the routinely collected dried blood spot (DBS) is a reliable and effective method to identify newborns at risk for long-term developmental challenges.