T-cell responses may help predict protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in individuals with and without cancer: Results may inform future COVID-19 vaccine development
T-cell responses directed against the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were associated with protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection in vaccinated individuals with or without cancer, with lower T-cell responses observed in patients with blood cancers, according to results from a study published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. […]
How Often Do You Need to Get The Meningitis Vaccine?
When to get vaccinations against bacterial causes of meningitis Meningitis is a disease that’s defined by inflammation in membranes — called meninges — near your brain and spinal cord. Data is limited, but current research suggests that the MenACWY vaccine becomes unreliable for protection after five years and the MenB vaccine after only one or […]
How High Is Breakthrough Infection Risk for People With Arthritis, HIV?
Among immunocompromised individuals vaccinated against COVID-19, solid organ transplant recipients as well as those with HIV and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were significantly more likely to experience breakthrough infections versus people without immune dysfunction, a retrospective study found. In a national database analysis involving over 650,000 people who received at least one vaccine dose, the highest […]
Novel immune cell population may trigger inflammation in multiple sclerosis and other brain disorders
A group of immune cells that normally protect against inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract may have the opposite effect in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other brain inflammation-related conditions, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian researchers. The results suggest that countering the activity of these cells could be a new therapeutic […]
Is There a Vaccine for Malaria? Eligibility, Efficacy, Safety
The World Health Organization approved the first vaccine against malaria, called RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S), in 2021 for use in children in sub-Saharan Africa. On October 6, 2021, the World Health Organization approved the first vaccine against malaria called RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) for use in children in sub-Saharan Africa. RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) is not only the first vaccine approved […]
FDA Warns on Needle-Free Injection Devices for Facial Fillers
The FDA issued a safety alert on Friday warning against the use of needle-free injection devices for lip or facial fillers — such as hyaluron pens for injecting hyaluronic acid — as these devices are unapproved and have been linked with serious injuries. Patients “may not be aware of the serious adverse events that have […]
Antibiotic Could Thwart Costly Sarcoma Surgery Complication
BALTIMORE — Including an antibiotic with strong activity against anaerobic bacteria to standard perioperative prophylaxis following soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) resection was associated with lower wound complication rates, a retrospective study suggested. Overall, major wound complication rates dropped from 27.3% to 15.9% when an antibiotic such as metronidazole was incorporated into perioperative prophylaxis, a 42% relative […]
Pennsylvania Doctor Issued Blanket Mask Exemptions for School
As children return to school — many of whom are too young to be vaccinated against COVID-19 — Pennsylvania, among other states, is requiring that masks be worn inside K-12 buildings and other early learning programs. But the public health measure hasn’t been without pushback, including anti-mask action taken by members of the medical community. […]
Distress signal from fat cells prompts heart to shore up defenses against consequences of obesity
A stress signal received by the heart from fat could help protect against cardiac damage induced by obesity, a new study led by UT Southwestern researchers suggests. The finding, published online in Cell Metabolism, could help explain the “obesity paradox,” a phenomenon in which obese individuals have better short- and medium-term cardiovascular disease prognoses compared […]
Can Gargling Protect School Kids From COVID?
As the largest mass vaccination campaign in human history progresses, the landscape of immunity against SARS-CoV-2 within the U.S. is changing. The vaccine strategy that began with focused protection for some and rapidly expanded to protection for all, continues to serve as the crucial step in decoupling COVID-19 deaths from infections. Approximately 50% of our […]