Ebola, malaria, tuberculosis: These are the three best known poverty-related diseases affecting millions of people. They are predominantly encountered in poor countries due to the inadequate medical care there. Another reason is that the development of the corresponding drugs in industrialized countries is far from being economically attractive. New, non-profit types of cooperation for drug development, open innovation processes, and the expansion of clinical centers and regulatory bodies in the regions affected can strengthen research and product development. These options are the result of a study made by the Office of Technology Assessment with the German Bundestag (TAB) operated by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

Replication cycle of HIV/SIV. The virus replicates in the body's own CD4+ T helper cells. In doing so, it introduces its own genetic information into the DNA of the host cell. Next, new viral RNA is synthesized followed by production of viral proteins. Those will then mature into infectious HIV/SIV. Figure: Luzie J. Almenräder

According to the WHO, there are currently more than 36 million people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and a further 2.4 million become infected every year. Despite all the medical treatment success against the virus, an efficacious vaccine is of utmost importance.  Infection researchers from the German Primate Center (DPZ) - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research have in cooperation with international colleagues tested a new vaccination strategy against the HIV-related simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in rhesus monkeys. For this, the researchers used a vaccine that consisted of two components. The monkeys were immunized subcutaneously, orally and intramuscularly with a time delay and in alternating order. The scientists were able to show that the type of booster vaccine, orally and intramuscularly, as well as the order of the vaccine components, influenced the activation of the immune system. These represent vital factors in the long-term prevention of a SIV infection. Since SIV and HIV mainly replicate in the body’s own activated CD4+ T helper cells that are critical for the immune defense, it is crucial that their level remains relatively low even after vaccination. In order to achieve sustained protective immunity against AIDS, a vaccination strategy inducing a balanced immune response without an increase of CD4+ T helper cells must be developed (Journal of Virology).

In occasione della settimana mondiale sull’uso consapevole degli antibiotici, educazione, conoscenza e aderenza al tema per per sensibilizzare tutta la popolazione sulle resistenze dei batteri quale nuova emergenza sanitaria

“Il rischio è che i risultati di ricerche di molti anni svaniscano in pochi mesi” rileva Marco Tinelli, Direzione Nazionale della SIMIT – Società Italiana di Malattie Infettive e Tropicali. “Per affrontare il problema è assolutamente indispensabile fare rete”. Gli specialisti, con l'ISS e il Ministero Salute sono già al lavoro per favorire queste sinergie.

Dal 13 al 19 Novembre è in corso la Settimana Mondiale dell'antimicrobico-resistenza: un’iniziativa per sensibilizzare la popolazione su un problema medico-scientifico che sta coinvolgendo sempre più la popolazione, in Italia e non solo. Ogni anno, infatti, nel mondo circa 700mila decessi sono causati dall’antibiotico-resistenza; l’uso smodato di antibiotici infatti ha vanificato i loro effetti e reso i batteri più resistenti, con trend in continua crescita e costi sempre più elevati. Serve un uso prudente degli antibiotici, che restano uno degli strumenti principali a nostra disposizione per combattere gravi infezioni. Le loro capacità di guarigione hanno sicuramente garantito un miglioramento dell’aspettativa di vita, ma le ampie fasce di popolazione che vivono per lungo tempo con un sistema immunitario non ottimale vedono aumentato il rischio infettivo . 

In mid-September, a large treasure was unearthed during a dig at the Abbey of Cluny, in the French department of Saône-et-Loire: 2,200 silver deniers and oboles, 21 Islamic gold dinars, a signet ring,¹ and other objects made of gold. Never before has such a large cache of silver deniers been discovered. Nor have gold coins from Arab lands, silver deniers, and a signet ring ever been found hoarded together within a single, enclosed complex. Anne Baud, an academic at the Université Lumière Lyon 2, and Anne Flammin, a CNRS engineer—both from the Laboratoire Archéologie et Archéométrie (CNRS / Université Lumière Lyon 2 / Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University)—led the archaeological investigation, in collaboration with a team of 9 students from the Université Lumière Lyon 2 and researchers from the Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée Jean Pouilloux (CNRS / Université Lumière Lyon 2). The excavation campaign, authorized by the Bourgogne–Franche-Comté Regional Department of Cultural Affairs (DRAC), began in mid-September and ended in late October. It is part of a vast research program focused on the Abbey of Cluny. Students in the Master of Archaeology and Archaeological Science program at the Université Lumière Lyon 2 have been participating in archaeological digs at the Abbey of Cluny since 2015. This experience in the field complements their academic training and gives them an insight into professional archaeology.