Research published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry suggests that a potato virus could hold the key to a successful vaccine against Alzheimer’s disease. Potato virus Y (PVY) produces a protein that bears a striking resemblance to amyloid beta protein, a key molecule implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. In the past, research has shown that antibodies against amyloid beta protein may slow the progression of the disease but clinical trials had to be stopped because of the risk of autoimmune encephalitis. However, antibodies that target a similar but non-human protein may be safer. Researchers have developed antibodies against the PVY protein. When injected into mice, the virus induced the production of antibodies that attach to beta amyloid protein in tissues from Alzheimer’s patients. The potato virus is common, causing necrotic ringspots on the vegetable, but is harmless to humans.
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People who survived the 1918 Spanish ‘flu can still produce antibodies that protect them from infection, according to research published in Nature. Researchers at Vanderbilt University looked at 32 people aged between 91 and 101 who lived through the epidemic, which was caused by the H1N1 strain of influenza virus. They found that the antibodies produced by the survivors could cure mice infected with the virus. The scientists hope similar antibodies could be developed to treat new strains of bird flu.
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60 Koi carp at the Royal Horticultural Garden ponds at Hyde Hall in Essex have died after being infected with Koi herpes virus. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has restricted the movement of fish in the area as a precaution. Koi herpes virus is spread through contact and has an 80% mortality rate.
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Scientists at King’s College London have discovered a new species of bacteria living in the human mouth, which they have named Prevotella histicola. Similar species have been linked to oral diseases. The discovery has been published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.
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The spiciness of chillis may have evolved as a defence mechanism to protect them from fungal attack. Fusarium fungi invade peppers and chillis through holes in their skin made by biting insects, then they destroy the seeds inside before they can be dispersed by birds. Researchers from the University of Washington found that the more spicy capsaicinoids the pepper has, the more resistant it is to fungal attack.
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Scientists have discovered a virophage; a virus that can infect another virus. The tiny virus, called Sputnik, hijacks a giant mamavirus in order to infect cells. In doing this, it reduces the infectivity of the mamavirus. This could affect climate change, as mamaviruses can infect plankton, which are involved in many gas cycles.
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At least 43 women with typhoid were locked up for life at an asylum in Epsom, Surrey between 1907 and its closure in 1992. Some of the women, who were all from London, may have been sane when they were admitted but developed mental problems as a result of their incarceration. The women had recovered from the disease but posed a minor public health risk as they were still excreting bacteria. Between 1944 and 1957, three women with typhoid were admitted to Long Grove Asylum every year. The Department of Health says there is not, and never has been, “a policy of incarcerating” anyone in this context.
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A report published by the House of Lords Intergovernmental Organisations Committee says more needs to be done to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases. The Committee is concerned that arrangements for detecting emerging infectious diseases in animals are “less comprehensive” than for those in humans; three quarters of new human infectious diseases originate in animals. The Committee has called on the World Health Organisation to “iron out the problems” and improve the organisation of the international effort. The report comes as experts warn an influenza pandemic that could kill 50 million people worldwide is “long overdue”.
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According to Professor Willem Takken from Wageningen University in The Netherlands all possible strategies must be united to combat vector-borne diseases including bluetongue virus, chikungunya and malaria. He is particularly concerned that some countries have started to use DDT to control disease vectors. Prof Takken suggests the only way to control vector-borne disease effectively is to combine methods such as the biological control of larvae, genetic modification, the improvement of houses to keep insects out and better management of stagnant surface water.
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The US National Academy of Sciences is due to hold a meeting next week to draw up plans to tackle emerging diseases. A recent paper by scientists at the University of Edinburgh, published by the Royal Society, showed that since 1960 there have been on average 2 – 3 new viruses that infect humans every year. Researchers believe modern ‘gene hunting’ techniques can be used to pinpoint such viruses, which usually originate in other mammals, before they spread through the human population. This ‘predict and prevent’ strategy has been backed by a number of companies, including Google.
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A company called LS9, based in Silicon Valley, has been genetically modifying yeast and E. coli to enable them to produce oil that is “almost pump-ready.” Many microbes already produce hydrocarbons, so only small modifications are required to make them produce longer chains. The microbes are given different types of agricultural waste, including wheat straw and woodchips, as ‘feedstock’. Although the company can produce oil in the lab, scientists are unsure whether they can roll out the process on an industrial scale; to substitute the USA’s weekly oil consumption (143 million barrels), a facility covering 205 square miles would be needed. The researchers estimate that, if they use Brazilian sugar cane as feedstock, a barrel of oil would cost $50. LS9 is planning a demonstration plant by 2010 and a commercial-scale facility by 2011.
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According to the American Social Health Association, more than 50% of people will acquire a sexually transmitted infection at some point; many of these will be asymptomatic, including human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer and the second biggest cause of cancer-related death in women globally. Last year the HPV vaccine Gardasil became part of the immunisation programme in the USA, given to 11 and 12 year old girls. Now researchers are trying to determine whether the vaccine should also be given to boys. According to Dr. Temte, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, there is “no reason to think it would not be effective in boys,” both to prevent the spread of the virus and to cut the incidence of rarer cancers HPV causes in men.
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According to research published in Cell, scientists may soon be able to genetically modify bacteria to glow in the presence of certain pollutants. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered which amino acids are responsible for bacterial signalling that leads to responses to the environment. Bacteria respond to stimuli such as nutrients, antibiotics, temperature and light via an interaction between two proteins: histidine kinase and response regulators. Until now, scientists were not sure how kinase enzymes find the right target response regulator proteins. The MIT researchers looked for co-evolution in the molecules and identified a few amino acids. By mutating these amino acids, they found they could rewrite the signalling pathway. The researchers say bacteria could be engineered in this way to exhibit novel behaviour such as glowing in the presence of certain molecules, including pollutants.
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Preliminary tests in mice have shown that the breast cancer drug tamoxifen might effectively kill the protozoan that causes leishmaniasis. 12 million people in 88 countries are infected with Leishmania, which is transmitted by sand flies, and a further 350 million people are at risk globally. In their study published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, researchers at the University of São Paolo in Brazil show that mice infected with L. amazonensis show less severe symptoms when given tamoxifen. Leishmania thrives in acidic environments; tamoxifen increases the pH inside cells, making them less acidic, which may damage Leishmania. In mice, the cancer drug “significantly out-performed” meglumine antimoniate, the current treatment for leishmaniasis.
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‘Save Lake Superior’, ‘Trout Unlimited’ and ‘Izaak Walton League of Duluth and Minnesota’ have taken out a lawsuit against the US Coastguard, the Department of Agriculture and the health inspectorate as well as other agencies in an attempt to stop the spread of a contagious fish disease. Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (VHS) was first found in the Great lakes in 2003 and has since spread to all but one: Lake Superior. Environmentalists say agencies did not act to halt the spread of VHS, which causes skin lesions, anaemia and haemorrhaging in fish, with 2 – 100% mortality. VHS is spread through the water and by predation. The plaintiffs hope to prevent the transportation of fish and stop cargo ships from discharging their ballast water in the Lakes.
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A student at the Department of Food Science in Sweden has created a vegetarian food called tempe, which increases iron uptake and is a good source of protein. Tempe is produced by fermentation of soy beans using the fungus Rhizopus oligosporus. It is a wholegrain product with a high folic acid content. The dissertation is entitled “Nutritional properties of tempe fermented whole-grain barley and oats”.
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Ships carry trillions of microbial stowaways, which are discharged in different environments when their ballast tanks are emptied, causing concern for public health. Hundreds of trillions of microorganisms enter a single ship's ballast tanks during normal operations; these tanks can hold thousands of tons of water. In the May 2008 issue of Microbiology Today Professor Fred Dobbs from Old Dominion University in Virginia, USA discusses the problem. "Vibrio cholerae, which causes cholera in humans, can be carried in ballast tanks. There have been no known outbreaks of disease associated with ballasting activities, but the water is only sampled very rarely." There is also concern that microbes could enter a new environment and become invasive, although some experts say microbes are ubiquitous. Various techniques are employed to rid ballast water of stowaways, including filtration, biocides, ultrasound, and UV-radiation.
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Scientists at Davidson College in North Carolina, USA have made bacteria behave like computers – “systems that can read input and give readable output”. The researchers harnessed the power of DNA recombination to solve the ‘burnt pancake problem’ in their study, which has been published in the Journal of Biological Engineering. Different sized pancakes (in this case different length fragments of DNA), each with a golden side and a burnt side must be arranged by size, golden side up in the least number of flips possible. Escherichia coli cells were equipped with an enzyme from Salmonella capable of ‘flipping’ DNA fragments. When the bacteria put the DNA into the correct configuration they became resistant to tetracycline; cells that did not find the solution died when the antibiotic was added to the growth medium. Scientists believe that biological computers such as this would be able to work much faster than silicon ones.
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The results of a 10-year study involving post-mortem examination data from 470 babies have revealed a link between bacteria infection and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). There are 250 cases of SIDS in the UK every year and the majority remain unexplained. Research carried out at Great Ormond Street Hospital shows that 19% of babies whose death was unexplained were infected with “potentially harmful” bacteria. This could be a coincidence, the infection could have caused the death, or the bacteria could have been present due to an unrelated factor that increased the risk of cot death. Some scientists say bacterial toxins may affect breathing and nerve signals.
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Neal’s Yard has stopped selling Malaria Officinalis 30c after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said customers were misled into believing it could treat malaria. Neal’s Yard has accepted that there is no clinical proof the treatment works. The MHRA said selling an unauthorised product for such a serious disease is “potentially harmful to public health and misleading.”
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Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) is working with Sultan Qaboos University to develop a method of microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). Using naturally occurring microbes, the firm hopes to increase oil production in the sultanate. Oil prices have increased from $60 to $120 a barrel in the last two years.
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An eastern Chinese province has started a daily reporting system in order to monitor the spread of a virus. Enterovirus 71 (EV71) has been spreading since March. There have been outbreaks before but doctors are concerned because there is a higher mortality rate in the current outbreak. So far, there have been 915 reported cases and 19 fatalities, mostly children under the age of two. As many as 269 children remain in hospital, seven of whom are in critical condition. The virus can cause hand, foot and mouth with symptoms that include high fever, paralysis and swelling of the brain. Infection can lead to complications such as meningitis and heart failure. EV71 is spread through contact with infected blisters or faeces. There is no vaccine or antiviral agent; treatment focuses on managing complications. The World Health Organisation advises parents to keep children away from public places during the outbreak, and to wash their hands regularly. The provincial health department will host workshops to train medical workers to prevent and treat the infection.
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Bakkavor Group, which supplies own-brand products to Tesco and Waitrose, detected Salmonella in one of its houmous products, causing the supermarkets to remove 15 lines from the shelves. The products affected have been recalled and the supermarkets are offering people who purchased them a full refund. The Food Standards Agency issued the alert and has published details of the lines affected on the website, www.food.gov.uk. There have been no reported illnesses linked to the contamination.
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Injecting live bacteria into tumours could be a successful way to treat cancers with a bad prognosis, according to research carried out at the University of Rostock in Germany. Scientists found that live Streptococcus pyogenes mediated “severe injury to pancreatic cancer cells” in vitro. Mice were implanted with human pancreatic cancer tumours, and then the tumours were injected with S. pyogenes. This caused “complete regression or death” of the tumours. According to the researchers, the result is due to the bacteria’s ability to activate the immune system.
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Genes from bacteria that live in cows’ stomachs are being spliced into corn to make it easier to unlock sugars in the leaves and stalks, enabling the production of biofuels at a lower cost. The microbial genes code for enzymes that digest cellulose, which are used by the cow to digest grass. By growing corn with the gene, cellulose can be broken down into simple sugars without the need for expensive chemicals like the ones used in the conversion of cellulose to ethanol. Mariam Sticklen, a scientist from Michigan State University, says “we can convert what was junk before into biofuel.” The modified corn has been named Spartan Corn III.
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Scientists in Louisiana have found peptides in Alligators blood which they believe helps them stave off fatal infections. The blood of American Alligators has been found to destroy 23 strains of bacteria – including some strains which are known to be resistant to antibiotics – as well as a significant amount of HIV. American alligators live in swampy environments – in which bacteria thrive – yet even alligators with scratches and bruises rarely seem to contract fatal infections.
It is hoped that this finding will lead to the development of new drugs to provide humans with the same level of antibiotic protection.
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A new study has found that Greek Feta cheese contains bacteria that could ward off pathogens such as Listeria one of the most dangerous food poisoning bugs.
Panagiotis Chanos, from the University of Lincoln, studied raw sheep milk from around 40 small farms in Macedonia, northern Greece. It is this raw milk that is used in the making of Feta cheese and contains a host of useful bacteria (enterococci), several of which naturally produce bacteriocins – proteins which kill or inhibit the growth of some bacteria. Instead of putting synthetic preservatives in foods, scientists hope to harness the properties of these enterococci to use them against disease-causing bacteria like Listeria.
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Close to half Britains horse chestnut trees may be infected with deadly bacteria, a new study has warned. Bleeding Canker disease attacks the bark of these trees and can kill them or render them in need of being chopped down.
A survey of over 2,600 horse chestnut trees across the whole of the UK found that 49% showed symptoms of the disease – previous estimates were around 5% only.
For decades it was thought that Canker disease was caused by a fungal infection, however it is now know that the disease is caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae.
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Researchers at the University of Leicester and St Georges, University of London have uncovered evidence which suggests that tuberculosis (TB) bacteria survive by shielding themselves in protective fat.
Unlike these bacteria growing in the laboratory, many of the bacteria in sputum – the main route of transmission - were found to be in a non-growing state, surrounded by fat droplets. This may help them survive the adverse conditions of transmission from person to person.
This may also explain why a long course of treatment is required to cure infected patients and stop them from posing a risk to others. These surprising findings may lead to new ways of stopping the spread of this disease and new, more effective treatment.
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