A gene mutation associated with a rare neurological disorder and increased susceptibility to viral infections may be treatable with oleic acid

A mutation in a protein regulating natural killer (NK) cells’ function is at the root of immune deficiency in some people with a rare genetic condition characterized by cognitive and developmental delay, seizures, and other manifestations. The findings also have broader implications for immunity and cell therapies.

Physicians urged to consider fungal infections as possible cause for lung inflammation

UC Davis Health infectious diseases expert George Thompson warns of the rising threat and apparent spread of disease-causing fungi outside their traditional hot spots. Fungal lung infections are commonly misdiagnosed, leading to delays in treatment and increase in antimicrobial resistance in the community.

Possible new antivirals against COVID-19, herpes

The immune system fights viruses with peptides. Now, scientists have treated animal models of herpes with synthetic peptide mimics known as peptoids. These molecules could one day cure or prevent many kinds of infections, including COVID-19. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2021.

Immune cell implicated in development of lung disease following viral infection

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have implicated a type of immune cell in the development of chronic lung disease that sometimes is triggered following a respiratory viral infection. The evidence suggests that activation of this immune cell serves as an early switch that, when activated, drives progressive lung diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Am I Losing My Sense of Smell or Is It COVID-19

Do I have COVID-19 or is it something else? Bobby Tajudeen, MD, director of rhinology, sinus surgery and skull base surgery at Rush University Medical Center explains the differences between common smell loss and smell loss as a COVID-19 symptom and when to see a specialist.

Microfluidics helps MTU engineers watch viral infection in real time

Watching a viral infection happen in real time is like a cross between a zombie horror film, paint drying, and a Bollywood epic on repeat. Over a 10-hour span, chemical engineers from Michigan Tech watched viral infections happen with precision inside a microfluidics device and can measure when the infection cycle gets interrupted by an antiviral compound.