Re-engineering mosquito's immunity to block malaria
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Thu, 12/29/2011 - 09:20
Washington, Dec 29 - Scientists have hit upon a novel way to block the transmission of malaria parasites to humans -- re-engineering Anopheles mosquito's immune system.
"The immune system of the Anopheles mosquito is capable of killing a large proportion but not all of the disease-causing parasites that are ingested when the mosquito feeds on an infected human," study co-author George Dimopoulos said.
Malaria patients at high risk of fatal bacterial infections
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Mon, 12/19/2011 - 08:18
London, Dec 19 : Scientists have for the first time revealed why malaria patients are at high risk of developing fatal bacterial infections, especially salmonella infections.
The finding opens the way to more effective treatments.
Insecticide spray highly effective against malaria
Submitted by mohit on Thu, 10/13/2011 - 05:48
Cape Town, Oct 13 - The insecticide bendiocarb not only dramatically lowers malaria transmission, but also offers hope for minimising spread of the deadly infection.
Scientists with Benin's Entomologic Research Center in Cotonou, Western Africa, evaluated the effects of bendiocarb in homes throughout the country over an eight-month period in 2009.
New modified vaccine could be key in malaria prevention
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 05:43
Washington, Sept 27 (ANI): Scientists have created a new malaria vaccine that combines the use of a disabled cold virus with an immune system-stimulating gene, which may increase the immune response against the deadly parasite that causes Malaria.
How malaria parasites hide from immune defences of pregnant women
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Tue, 07/12/2011 - 08:42
Washington, July 12 : Scientists have discovered how malaria parasites are able to hide from the immune defences of expectant mothers, allowing the parasite to attack the placenta.
Researchers from Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, and the University of Copenhagen, made the discovery while trying to understand this frequently fatal disease and to develop a vaccine.
Researchers envisage 20 new vaccines to fight likes of malaria in next decade
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 09:27
London, June 10: Researchers have suggested in the Lancet that there is high possibility of developing 20 new or improved vaccines in the next decade.
Although they have identified AIDS and malaria vaccines as the most important areas for the research, they also felt that neglected tropical diseases, such as leprosy, should also be investigated.
Scientists envisage vaccines for malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS by 2020
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 06:23
London, May 26 : Scientists have shared insight into rational vaccine development, and envisage that by 2020 there would be vaccines for malaria, TB, and HIV/AIDS.
Seattle BioMed Director Alan Aderem, Ph. D., along with Rino Rappuoli, Ph. D., Global Head of Vaccines Research for Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, discussed recent advances in vaccine development.
New discovery opens up novel strategy for combating malaria
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 10:39
Washington, March 09: A group of researchers has discovered that a class of chemotherapy drugs originally designed to inhibit key signaling pathways in cancer cells also kills the parasite that causes malaria.
Transgenic fungi may help fight malaria: Study
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Fri, 02/25/2011 - 09:15
Washington, Feb 25: A new study has suggested that a genetically engineered fungus carrying genes for a human anti-malarial antibody or a scorpion anti-malarial toxin could be a highly effective, specific and environmentally friendly tool for combating malaria.
Dispersing fungal spores over water kills malaria mosquito larvae
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Mon, 02/21/2011 - 06:00
Washington, Feb 21 : A new research presents a method of dispersing pathogenic fungi as a means of preventing the spread of malaria.
Malaria is spread by mosquitoes which breed in open water and spend much of their larval stage feeding on fungi and microorganisms at the water surface.
Parasites’ struggle for ‘long-term survival’ makes malaria ‘deadly’
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Tue, 02/15/2011 - 07:03
London, Feb 15: Malaria is particularly deadly because the parasites that carry it battle other infections for survival, Edinburgh University scientists have claimed.
They found, when malaria parasites enter the bloodstream, they alter their plan of attack if they face competition from other strains of the infection.
However, it means they have less resources left to spread the disease.
New mosquito type presents challenge in fighting malaria
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Fri, 02/04/2011 - 10:08
London, Feb 4 : Scientists in France have identified a new type of mosquito in Africa and say it could further complicate the fight to control malaria.
It is a subgroup of Anopheles gambiae, the insect species behind most of the malaria transmission in Africa.
Malaria drug may help treat specific form of dementia
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Thu, 02/03/2011 - 07:20
Washington, Feb 3 : A new study has revealed that various drugs already on the market to treat malaria, angina pectoris or heart rhythm disturbances could also be used in treating a specific form of frontotemporal dementia.
Travel websites should inform people about risks of malaria, say docs
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 11:12
London, Jan 19 : Health experts in UK have suggested that travel websites, especially those that offer ''last minute'' deals, should inform people about the risks of malaria and the need to take preventative medication before traveling.
Their warning follows three recent cases of malaria in UK citizens returning from ''winter sun'' holidays to the Gambia, where malaria is highly endemic.
Azad asks ICMR to speed up research in Malaria and Cancer
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Thu, 12/09/2010 - 08:00
New Delhi, Dec 9: Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has urged the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) scientists to put special efforts on transnational programmes so that affordable diagnostic solutions can be made available to people.
Azad specifically asked scientists to speed up research on Malaria and Cancer, "as the country needs these technologies now and cannot wait indefinitely.
Cost-effective, life-saving intervention for severe childhood malaria
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Tue, 11/30/2010 - 09:06
London, Nov 30 : A new study has suggested that giving emergency artesunate suppositories to children with suspected severe malaria before referring them for treatment is a cost-effective intervention.
‘Evolving’ malaria-transmitting mosquito ‘to complicate disease control efforts’
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Fri, 10/22/2010 - 07:18
Washington, Oct 22 : The major malaria-transmitting mosquito species, Anopheles gambiae, is evolving into two separate species with different traits, a development that could both complicate malaria control efforts and potentially require new disease prevention methods, researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have found.
Malaria deaths in India ‘13 times more than WHO estimate’
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 06:51
London, Oct 21 : A new research has found that the number of deaths caused by malaria in India is much more than estimated. The research concludes that more than 200,000 people in country succumb to the disease and the number of deaths is 13 times more than the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates.
However, the WHO said the estimate produced by this study appears too high, reports BBC News.
Virus may act as ‘late-life-acting’ biopesticide against malaria
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Sat, 08/21/2010 - 13:31
Washington, Aug 21 : A naturally occurring virus in mosquitoes could act as a "late-life-acting" insecticide by killing older adult mosquitoes that are responsible for the bulk of malaria transmission, found researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland.
Now, ''needle-free'' natural vaccine against malaria
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Thu, 08/12/2010 - 15:19
Washington, Aug 12 : Preventative treatment antibiotics in people living in areas with intense malaria transmission has the potential to act as a ''needle-free'' natural vaccine against malaria, says a new study.
Underwater creatures may hold key to malaria cure
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Tue, 06/29/2010 - 09:53
Washington, June 29 : A research team, including an Indian-origin boffin, has revealed that sponges, sea worms and other underwater creatures may hold the key to cure for malaria.
University of Central Florida scientist Debopam Chakrabarti is analyzing more than 2,500 samples from marine organisms collected off deep sea near Florida''s coast. Some of them could hold the key to developing drugs to fight malaria.
Malaria accompanied humans moving out of Africa
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Mon, 06/28/2010 - 09:52
Washington, June 28 : Malaria accompanied the modern man as he moved out of Africa some 60,000 years ago, according to a new study.
An international team of researchers used DNA sequencing to reach the conclusion.
The scientists analysed over 500 blood samples taken from people infected with P. falciparum - the most lethal form of malaria - in nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa, southeast Asia, Oceania, and South America.
Modified yellow fever vaccine may help fight malaria
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Sat, 06/12/2010 - 14:47
Washington, June 12 : Researchers at The Rockefeller University have genetically transformed the yellow fever vaccine to prime the immune system to fend off the mosquito borne parasites that cause malaria.
The researchers found that the modified vaccine, along with a booster, provided mice with immunity to the deadly disease.
New malaria vaccine found safe for children
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Sat, 02/06/2010 - 12:35
Washington, Feb 6 : A new vaccine has shown promise in protecting the most vulnerable patients -- young children -- against malaria, says a study.
Researchers found the vaccine stimulated strong and long-lasting immune responses in Mali children.
Meddling in mosquitoes'' sex lives could help prevent spread of malaria
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Tue, 12/22/2009 - 05:40Washington, Dec 22 : Little tweaking in mosquitoes'' ''mating plug'' could prevent mosquitoes from reproducing, and offer a potential new way to combat malaria, says a new study.
Scientists have said that preventing male mosquitoes from sealing their sperm inside females with a ''mating plug'' could stop the spread of malaria.
The new study focuses on the species of mosquito primarily responsible for the transmission of malaria in Africa, known as Anopheles gambiae.
