New research uncovers potential reason for ongoing loss of smell following COVID-19 infection

New research, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, may have identified why some individuals suffering from long COVID-19 fail to recover their sense of smell. Anosmia, or loss of smell, is a common symptom for those suffering from COVID-19, but in most cases this sense returns soon after recovery from the infection. However for … Read more

Intravenous delivery of the TB vaccine may dramatically improve protection, research suggests

A vaccination against tuberculosis (TB) could be made more effective by injecting it directly into the bloodstream at a higher dose, new research suggests. TB, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is one of the leading causes of infection globally, killing approximately 1.7 million people and infecting around 10 million annually. So far, the only licensed vaccine … Read more

The Mla pathway – a potential Achilles heel for gram-negative bacteria?

Researchers from the University of California San Diego have identified a potential new target against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections – which could be applied to help treat all gram-negative infections. It was found that by interfering with the Mla pathway in P. aeruginosa, the bacteria became more permeable, and more susceptible to immune components. P. aeruginosa, … Read more

A new, powerful antimicrobial peptide that can give the immune system a helping hand

A modified antimicrobial peptide has been developed which goes the extra mile: as well as showing activity against a wide range of harmful bacteria, it also backs up the immune system, helping it to deal with infection more effectively. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short sequences of amino acids, produced across all kingdoms of life, which … Read more