Archive for infectious diseases
Nanobodies from alpacas could steer immune attacks on influenza
While conventional flu vaccines are designed to anticipate the influenza strains projected to dominate in the next flu season, they’re only partially effective. And while antiviral drugs are available to treat active flu cases, the body quickly clears them, requiring high, frequent doses. Coupling one existing flu drug with a special ingredient from alpacas, the ... Read More
Zika study reveals how infection can cause microcephaly
Prenatal exposure to viruses capable of infecting the fetal brain, particularly in the first trimester, can cause a range of developmental defects in the baby. The Zika epidemic in Brazil during 2015-2016 posed an extreme case, causing hundreds of babies to be born with microcephaly, or an abnormally small head. Although cases have waned significantly, ... Read More
Immune biomarkers predicted COVID-19 severity and could help in future pandemics
Why did some people fall critically ill from COVID-19 and others not? In May 2020, as COVID-19 swept the world, Boston Children’s Hospital helped launch a national, NIAID-funded study called IMPACC (IMmunoPhenotyping Assessment in a COVID-19 Cohort). Taking a “systems immunology” approach, the goal was to document the virus’s impact on the immune system in ... Read More
Advancing mother-child health globally: Grace Chan MD, MPH, PhD
First in an ongoing series profiling researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital. Globally, five million children die annually before the age of 5. Forty percent of these deaths are in the first month — and many are preventable. Grace Chan, MD, MPH, PhD, finds these numbers unacceptable. They contrast starkly with U.S. medicine, including at Boston ... Read More
What every family should know about RSV
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been making headlines in recent months due to the increase in pediatric cases — seemingly more than in previous years. To help keep your family safe and informed, we spoke to Dr. Kathleen Conroy, Clinical Chief for Children’s Hospital Primary Care Center (CHPCC), about the symptoms and care options you ... Read More
Tim Springer: Scientist, entrepreneur, and mentor
As an undergraduate in 1966, immunologist, biochemist, and biophysicist Timothy A. Springer, PhD, looked askance at science. The Vietnam War was going on, and he saw science as a means of making Agent Orange and napalm. Questioning his own Ivy League education, he left Yale to spend a year as a VISTA volunteer on a ... Read More
Using germs against themselves: How vaccines work
Germs are all around us. When a germ (in the form of virus or bacteria) enters your body, it tries to make you sick. Some germs cause minor colds, but others can cause serious disease. Fortunately, your immune system is your body’s internal defense system. It protects you by creating immune cells (T cells) and ... Read More
Beyond COVID-19: Why kids need other vaccines, too
As you consider immunizing your child, it’s natural to have questions about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. But the detection of polio in New York illustrates how diseases that were once thought to have been eradicated can reemerge when vaccination efforts lag. While COVID-19 vaccines have understandably drawn attention during recent years, it’s important to remember ... Read More
What to know about Enterovirus D68
By now you’ve seen the news: Several health care providers and hospitals across the United States during August 2022 identified an increase in pediatric hospitalizations due to a virus causing children to develop coughing and breathing problems that are often more severe than the common cold. That virus is Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) and it’s just ... Read More
A new vaccine formulation could finally protect babies against RSV
Though often mild, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection can cause babies to be hospitalized with bronchiolitis or pneumonia. Globally, it is the leading cause of death in children under 5. Several vaccines against RSV are being tested in adults. But there has been no progress on an RSV vaccine for children since 1966 — the ... Read More