News by Subject Biology

The vast majority of measles cases in Europe were reported in unvaccinated patients, and children younger than two years old were at a higher risk of dying from measles than older patients, according to research presented at the 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID).

An international team of researchers led by professor Niklas Arnberg at Umeå University, shows that adenovirus binds to a specific type of carbohydrate that is overexpressed on certain types of cancer cells. The discovery opens up new opportunities for the development of virus-based cancer therapy. The study is published in the latest issue of the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

West Nile virus (WNV), which is transmitted via mosquito bites, reemerged and spread to new territories of Greece in 2017 following a two-year hiatus in reported human cases, according to findings presented at the 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID). Greece provides the appropriate ecological and climatic conditions for WNV circulation. The virus has been established in Greece and disease transmission may continue in the future.

Many European countries lack a comprehensive policy to eliminate viral hepatitis as a major public health threat, according to a patient group-based survey implemented in 25 countries. The Hep-CORE study was coordinated by ISGlobal -- an institution supported by the 'la Caixa' Foundation -- and led by the European Liver Patient's Association.

A group of researchers led by RIKEN and Osaka University have discovered an important mechanism that governs how B cells are chosen to become plasma B cells, which move through the body releasing antibodies, acting as an important component of the body's fight against viral infections and other invaders.