Infections

Researchers have found that using nanoflakes of black phosphorus on wounds infected with drug-resistant superbugs not only kills the bugs, but accelerates wound healing. They say the innovative antimicrobial can be incorporated into common materials.

Turmeric can stain an amateur chef’s kitchen benches, hands and clothes bright yellow and has been a staple in traditional medicine for 4,000 years. Now, for the first time, a clinical trial suggests it can treat acid reflux as well as common medications.

An existing blood cancer drug has been used to eliminate dormant HIV-infected cells that can cause the infection to reactivate when suppressive antiretroviral treatment is interrupted. The drug could remove the current need for lifelong medication.

When Captain Kirk stepped out with a tricorder in hand in Star Trek in 1966, the data sensing, scanning and analyzing gadget seemed a rather useful but far-in-the-future piece of technology. With the Swift Ray 1, we're a step closer to its reality.

Researchers have discovered that lung-based immune cells can be "trained" to remember a previously encountered pathogen, making them more efficient at clearing out the cellular debris that accumulates during infection and reducing inflammation.

A new study has uncovered the mechanism by which common - and problematic - bacteria can develop resistance to a relatively new antibiotic. Providing a better understanding of bacterial resistance, the findings may inform how the drug is used.

Decades of work has paid off, with scientists developing a potent new synthetic molecule that swiftly knocked out 285 strains of bacteria it was tested on, setting it up as a valuable ally in our fight against a looming superbug infection crisis.

Researchers have developed an inhalable drug that targets the overactive white blood cells that cause lung damage during severe infection. With clinical trials due next year, it may soon be a novel treatment for COVID complications and pneumonia.

In the neverending human-vs-virus battle, scientists often focus on disrupting the protein coating on the bugs. New research shows an alternative: using certain compounds to act as molecular "pins" that pop the membranes holding viruses together.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are on the rise globally. A series of studies have found that testing for STIs in the privacy of your own home is accurate and could remove the stigma associated with maintaining sexual health.

Viruses may get a bad rap, but some of them can be helpful to fight off bacterial infections. ETH Zurich scientists have demonstrated a new way to use them to diagnose which bacteria is causing a UTI, and then launch a stronger attack against them.

A new study has shed light on how gut bacteria, diet, and the immune system interact and how some people remain asymptomatic while infectious. It may have opened the door to a vaccine that prevents diarrheal diseases caused by E. coli.