Researchers discover a previously unappreciated role of sensory nerves in detecting pathogens and boosting the immune response required for viral clearance. Continue reading The Cells for Smelling and Tasting Also Sense Influenza
Researchers have discovered a compound that could reduce lung injury caused by severe influenza A virus infection. Continue reading A Potential Drug to Treat Acute Respiratory Distress Caused by Severe Influenza A Virus
Researchers at MIT and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard are working on developing a universal flu vaccine. Continue reading Towards a Universal Flu Vaccine: Targeting the Stem of the Problem
Pregnancy test but for viruses? Mini droplet-based diagnostics tests combined with CRISPR may offer a way forward for fast, mass-testing of not just SARS-CoV-2, but hundreds of other viruses as the same time.
Continue reading CRISPR and Droplets offer a new way forward in viral diagnostics?
Flu shots have an exciting new role in the world of cancer therapy! A recent study shows that flu vaccines could be used to boost the effects of cancer immunotherapy. Continue reading Take your flu shots! Fighting cancer with flu vaccines.
Influenza A is the virus responsible for the Spanish Flu pandemic, which wiped out 3-5% of the human population in the early 20th century. The annual influenza outbreak occurs in the autumn and winter, although it is not normally deadly for healthy adults. There is currently no vaccine providing permanent protection against influenza A because the virus mutates and changes so often, requiring a yearly … Continue reading The Actual Master of Disguise: The Flu
by Catherine Weiner figures by Rebecca Senft Every winter, as we avoid the sneezing stranger on the sidewalk and the coughing coworker in the coffee room, the same thought races through our heads: “I hope it’s not the flu.” This year, the United States has been hit with a devastating flu season. As of March 17th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded … Continue reading Hit Me with the Flu Shot: Why you need the flu shot every year
by Madeleine Jennewein figures by Rebecca Clements Vaccines have dramatically increased life expectancy over the last 100 years, radically reshaping our communities, our economy, and the way we live our lives. As vaccination has become more widespread, the memory of the devastating impacts of infectious disease has faded, and the diseases that vaccines guard against seem less threatening. Misinformation and a lack of understanding about … Continue reading Vaccination: More than just your health