Article

The Action-Packed Search for Stability: A Breakthrough in the Fight Against RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a major global childhood infectious disease without a vaccine, kills approximately 120,000 infants a year worldwide. It’s the most common reason infants are hospitalized. Additionally, RSV sickens millions of elderly people each year.When most people catch RSV, they get a mild cold and recover quickly. But some — especially infants and the elderly — can get very sick. Infants can develop pneumonia or bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the small airways in their...

Group B Strep: A Dangerous Infection in Infants and Adults

Despite advances in treatment and prevention, Group B strep continues to be the leading cause of dangerous infections in newborns, pregnant mothers and adults.   An estimated 10% – 30% of pregnant women in the U.S. carry Group B streptococcus (GBS), bacteria that live in the intestine, vagina and rectum, and usually show no symptoms. During childbirth, however, the situation can change. Colonized mothers can pass GBS via amniotic or vaginal fluids to their babies causing infections which may...

Smallpox Vanquished

Once one of the world’s deadliest diseases, smallpox’s complete eradication was the result of a worldwide deployment of a vaccine begun 50 years ago. To date it’s still the only human disease ever to disappear from Earth. Considered one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century, alongside the likes of getting a man on the moon, and one of the greatest medical feats in all of human history, smallpox was officially declared eradicated from the planet in 1980. The big push for its...

foundations-science

What a Porcupine Quill Can Teach Us About Making Better Needles

Taking a design cue from the animal world, mimicking a porcupine quill might help make a more effective—and less painful—needle. A porcupine’s quill barbs may be microscopic, but they have mighty staying power. Ask any curious dog who’s run afoul of a porcupine. Some researchers are hoping to translate that natural ability into improved needles. In particular, a team of researchers at Harvard looked at the North American porcupine, which has about 30,000 quills covering their back as a defense...