PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

The first food web inside humans suggests potential new treatments for infection

The first food web inside humans suggests potential new treatments for infection
2014-03-12
(Press-News.org) Imagine going to the doctor with an infection and being sent home with a course of drugs. Unknown to your doctor you actually have two infections. If you take the drugs will the other infection go away by itself? What if you take the drugs and the other infection gets worse? This quandary faces those treating patients with multiple infections.

A new study led by former University of Sheffield PhD student Dr Emily Griffiths, in collaboration with the universities of Edinburgh, Liverpool and Zürich, has taken a novel approach to understanding this problem, shedding light on how multiple parasites interact within humans.

The study compiled a list of many of the parasites that infect humans, another list of the parts of the body consumed by each parasite, and also information about how the immune system responds to each parasite. This information was used to construct a large network of multiple infections in humans - a bit like a food web of infections inside the human body.

Building this network revealed some previously unknown patterns, something that could pave the way for new treatment strategies which help tackle multiple infections. For example, groups of parasites often share similar parts of their host, and these groups are prime candidates for coordinated treatment.

Dr Griffiths, who carried out the research during her PhD in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield, said: "After studying the fascinating range of hundreds of different infections that can occur in the same person at the same time, we've shown that we could better treat patients if we know what parasites are eating inside our bodies.

"Our web has revealed the ways hundreds of parasites could live together, which means that we can develop new coordinated treatments that help fight more than one infection.

"The next step will be to work with collaborators to find out why some coinfections pose bigger health risks than others and how strongly the immune system can fight multiple infections."

INFORMATION: Notes to editors:

The University of Sheffield With almost 25,000 of the brightest students from around 120 countries, learning alongside over 1,200 of the best academics from across the globe, the University of Sheffield is one of the world's leading universities. A member of the UK's prestigious Russell Group of leading research-led institutions, Sheffield offers world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines. Unified by the power of discovery and understanding, staff and students at the university are committed to finding new ways to transform the world we live in. In 2011 it was named University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards and in the last decade has won four Queen's Anniversary Prizes in recognition of the outstanding contribution to the United Kingdom's intellectual, economic, cultural and social life. Sheffield has five Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and its alumni go on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world, making significant contributions in their chosen fields. Global research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, AstraZeneca, Glaxo SmithKline and Siemens, as well as many UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations. For further information, please visit http://www.sheffield.ac.uk

For further information please contact: Shemina Davis, Media Relations Manager, on 0114 2225339 or email shemina.davis@sheffield.ac.uk

To read other news releases about the University of Sheffield, visit http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
The first food web inside humans suggests potential new treatments for infection

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Experts urge Chancellor to 'crack down on cheap drink' in next week's budget

2014-03-12
Writing on bmj.com, Katherine Brown, Director at the Institute of Alcohol Studies, says the UK chancellor should resist industry lobbying to scrap the annual rise in alcohol duty because "society simply can't afford for such cheap drink to get cheaper." The duty escalator has been in place since 2008 to ensure that the price of alcohol rises at 2% above inflation. But a campaign by the wine and spirits industry is calling on the Chancellor to "Be Fair George!" and scrap the duty escalator for all alcohol in this year's budget. Last year, following a similar campaign ...

Nicotine patches do not appear to help pregnant smokers to quit

2014-03-12
Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes and may have long lasting effects in offspring. In England, 26% of women smoke in the year before their pregnancy and 12% smoke through to delivery. The rate is similar or even higher in other high income countries. Guidelines suggest adding nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) to behavioural smoking cessation support in pregnant smokers because of their excellent safety profile and proved effectiveness in other groups of smokers. However, there is a lack of good quality evidence on ...

Community action not enough to reduce problem drinking and related harms

2014-03-11
Implementation of community-based interventions alone is unlikely to be effective for reducing most alcohol-related harms and risky alcohol consumption, according to a study by Australian researchers published in this week's PLOS Medicine. Anthony Shakeshaft and colleagues from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at UNSW (University of New South Wales), report that alcohol-related crime, road-traffic crashes, and hospital inpatient admissions did not differ between communities that did and did not implement community-based interventions. The researchers reached ...

Crowdsourced rain samples map Hurricane Sandy's evolution

Crowdsourced rain samples map Hurricane Sandys evolution
2014-03-11
A unique method to collect rain water samples during Hurricane Sandy has revealed the storm's chemical "signature" with a new level of detail. The technique may also lead to weather model advances that will ultimately improve storm prediction, say researchers at the University of Utah whose study was published online today in PLOS ONE. Hurricane Sandy, also known as Superstorm Sandy, was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, according to government sources. Damage estimates exceed $65 billion and nearly 300 people perished ...

Lignin breakthroughs serve as GPS for plant research

Lignin breakthroughs serve as GPS for plant research
2014-03-11
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed the equivalent of GPS directions for future plant scientists to understand how plants adapt to the environment and to improve plants' productivity and biofuel potential. Two articles published March 11 in The Plant Cell offer a step-by-step approach for studying plant traits, drawing on comprehensive, quantitative research on lignin formation in black cottonwood. Lignin, an important and complex polymer responsible for plant growth and development, provides mechanical strength and water transport that enables ...

Antibody could be used to target tumor-causing protein, study shows

2014-03-11
CINCINNATI—Cincinnati Cancer Center (CCC) and University of Cincinnati (UC) Cancer Institute researchers have found in a phase-1 study that patients with advanced melanoma and kidney cancer who were treated with a certain antibody that targets a tumor-enhancing protein was safe, which could lead to more treatment options for patients. The study is published in the March 11 edition of PLOS ONE, a peer-reviewed, open access online publication. Principal Investigator John Morris, MD, clinical co-leader of the Molecular Therapeutics and Diagnosis Program for the CCC, co-leader ...

Examining potential of clinical applications of whole-genome sequencing

2014-03-11
In an exploratory study involving 12 adults, the use of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was associated with incomplete coverage of inherited-disease genes, low reproducibility of detection of genetic variation with the highest potential clinical effects, and uncertainty about clinically reportable findings, although in certain cases WGS will identify genetic variants warranting early medical intervention, according to a study in the March 12 issue of JAMA. As technical barriers to human DNA sequencing decrease and costs approach $1,000, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is ...

Discrepancies between trial results reported on clinical trial registry and in journals

2014-03-11
During a one year period, among clinical trials published in high-impact journals that reported results on a public clinical trial registry (ClinicalTrials.gov), nearly all had at least 1 discrepancy in the study group, intervention, or results reported between the 2 sources, including discrepancies in the designated primary end points for the studies, according to a study in the March 12 issue of JAMA. The 2007 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Amendments Act expanded requirements for ClinicalTrials.gov, mandating results reporting within 12 months of trial completion ...

Study finds comparable outcomes for commonly used surgeries to treat vaginal prolapse

2014-03-11
For women undergoing surgery for vaginal prolapse and stress urinary incontinence, neither of 2 common repair procedures was superior to the other for functional or adverse event outcomes, and behavioral therapy with pelvic muscle training did not improve urinary symptoms or prolapse outcomes after surgery, according to a study in the March 12 issue of JAMA. Pelvic organ prolapse (protrusion) occurs when the uterus descends into the lower vagina or vaginal walls protrude beyond the vaginal opening, and can occur as a result of childbirth. Approximately 300,000 surgeries ...

Study examines development of peer review research in biomedicine

2014-03-11
An analysis of research on peer review finds that studies aimed at improving methods of peer review and reporting of biomedical research are underrepresented and lack dedicated funding, according to a study in the March 12 issue of JAMA. Mario Malicki, M.D., M.A., of the University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia, and colleagues analyzed research presented at the International Congress on Peer Review and Biomedical Publication (PRC) since 1989. The first PRC was organized to "subject the editorial review process to some of the rigorous scrutiny that editors ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Study identifies global upswing in photosynthesis driven by land, offset by oceans

Study reports final clinical trial data for advanced kidney cancer treatment

Antibiotic resistant bacteria found in malnourished children under five years old

Study: Most US homes can save money and affordably weather blackouts with solar plus storage

The human touch of doctors will still be needed in the AI healthcare revolution, technology expert suggests

Helping me, inhibiting you: Analysis of interactions between intestinal microbiota

Hearing loss lowers prospects of employment and higher income for young Americans

Dramatically lower temperature, same high performance!

Trigger warnings fall flat, but safe spaces build trust in the classroom

Searching for a lethal needle in a haystack: synthetic opioid 1000 times more potent than morphine

Smart wound monitor poised to improve chronic infection care

Study reveals spinning could reduce NHS waiting lists for physiotherapy treatments

New AI tool illuminates “dark side” of the human genome

CCNY team discovers potential chemo-induced cognitive changes in cancer survivors

New mRNA-based therapy that shows promise in heart regeneration after heart attack

Extremists use gaming platforms to recruit - study

Nearly 70% of U.S. children in car crashes with a fatality were not using proper child passenger restraints, study finds

Understanding what makes some bladder cancers resistant to chemotherapy

Protecting your beating heart

The key to lowering your water bill may already be at your door

Saliva testing may reveal early signs of diabetes and obesity

4D images show heat shield damage goes below the surface

Hibernator “superpowers” may lie hidden in human DNA

Changes in diet drove physical evolution in early humans

Experts call for science- and evidence-based AI policy

Challenges in governing rapidly emerging marine-climate interventions

Slowdown in protein translation drives aging in the killifish brain

Behavior drives morphological change during primate evolution

Climate interventions to save our oceans need stronger governance, experts warn

Do you want to freeze a cloud? Desert dust might help

[Press-News.org] The first food web inside humans suggests potential new treatments for infection