Immunology

Zika Virus, With Potential Underdeveoloped Brains For Babies, Could Spread Rapidly Through The Americas

Imagine a virus so serious the government recommends that women stop getting pregnant. It exists, and it is now in Brazil, which is a big concern as the Olympics approaches. The Zika virus, native to parts of Africa and Asia, has been spreading locally am ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 15 2016 - 7:07am

Earlier Gluten Introduction Age Won't Prevent Celiac Disease, According To Position Paper

A new position statement goes contrary to the consensus and finds that the introduction of gluten into the infant diet, or the practice of introducing gluten during breast-feeding, does not reduce the risk of celiac disease in infants at risk. The stateme ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 19 2016 - 11:32am

A Way To 'Dial Down' Autoimmunity Without Compromising Immune Response

A new study shows how dangerous autoimmune responses, seen in diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis, might be "dialed down" without compromising the immune system's ability to fight viruses and bacteria.  The new study in Proceeding ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 19 2016 - 1:46pm

E-cigarette Vapor Boosts Superbugs And Dampens Immune System

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System report data suggesting that e-cigarettes are toxic to human airway cells, suppress immune defenses and alter inflammation, while at ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 27 2016 - 10:21am

Omega-3 Fatty Acids In Raw Milk Reduces Asthma And Allergies, Says Study

Raw cow's milk has a higher content of Omega-3 fatty acids than does pasteurized, homogenized or low-fat milk, and epidemiologists are saying this explains why children who consume unpasteurized milk are less likely to develop asthma. ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 27 2016 - 4:40pm

Taking Super Bowl Bets- On Getting The Flu

Cover your coughs in the Carolinas and don't double dip in Denver, because when your team is in the Super Bowl, health can wait. A new paper in the American Journal of Health Economics found cities with teams in the Super Bowl see a rise in flu death ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 1 2016 - 7:43pm

Vibratory Urticaria Breakthrough: Genetic Cause Of Rare Allergy To Vibrations

Scientists have identified a genetic mutation responsible for a rare form of inherited hives induced by vibration, also known as vibratory urticaria. Running, hand clapping, towel drying or even taking a bumpy bus ride can cause temporary skin rashes in p ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 4 2016 - 7:50am

Oral Bacteria Streptococcus Mutans Linked To Risk Of Stroke

In a study of patients entering the hospital for acute stroke, researchers have increased their understanding of an association between certain types of stroke and the presence of the oral bacteria (cnm-positive Streptococcus mutans).  Strokes are charact ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 17 2016 - 8:32am

What Ebola Taught Us About Responding To Outbreaks Like Zika Virus

When Ebola hysteria broke out in the United States in 2014, mainstream media got a little crazy. While one person was afflicted, 28,000 people got heart disease with far less fanfare. Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health engaged in political theat ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 18 2016 - 4:46pm

Microbirthing: 'Vaginal Seeding' A Growing Fad, But There's No Evidence Of Benefit

Microbirthing, which involves taking a swab from the mother's vagina and wiping this over the baby's mouth, eyes, face and skin shortly after birth by Cesarean section, is a growing fad, but there is no evidence this 'vaginal seeding' ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 24 2016 - 7:25am