An organic molecule composed of simple sugars could become a potent weapon in the fight against rising antibiotic resistance, according to EU-funded researchers who have developed a novel, targeted drug-delivery technique to treat deadly tuberculosis and other lethal pathogens.
Peptidomimetics are small molecules that mimic short natural proteins - peptides - and produce the same effects as their natural counterparts. An EU-funded project is developing peptidomimetics that can alternate between biologically active and inactive forms when exposed to light. The technique could lead to new light-controlled drugs which can be turned off and on when needed to treat cancers and other diseases.
Researchers are gaining unprecedented access to mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies and the diseases they carry, thanks to a groundbreaking EU-funded initiative that pools resources, technology and expertise to counter the world's most devastating insect-borne pathogens.
How do vaccination programmes influence child survival in low-income countries? Protection against the targeted illness is not the only aspect to consider, according to an EU-funded project that explored associated outcomes known as 'non-specific effects'. The research focused on public health interventions in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Guinea-Bissau.
An EU- and industry-funded project has built an extensive public-private network to speed up the development of treatments to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause infections in intensive care units, helping address a major issue for hospitals.
As more and more people travel and global warming paves the way for diseases to spread, human health and welfare are no longer the preserve of single countries, regions or even continents. European researchers teamed up with African partners to bridge the gap in biomedical research and biobanking practices between the regions. Its biobank-in-a-box is now ready to be unwrapped.
An EU-funded project developed a simple, affordable and effective vaccine strategy to prevent the incidence of both hepatitis C virus and HIV-1. This could significantly increase the life expectancy of people receiving antiretroviral therapy for HIV-1.
An EU-funded project aims to identify and maximise the potential of novel vaccines to end the global tuberculosis epidemic. These could save lives, stem the spread of infection and shorten treatment for the often deadly, airborne disease.
Hundreds of millions of people each year are infected with Plasmodium vivax, the most widespread form of malaria worldwide. An EU-funded project is tackling the mosquito-borne parasite, leading cutting-edge research efforts to accelerate the development of effective vaccines.
EU-funded researchers are using the latest vaccine technologies and antigen discovery tools to develop a multi-stage, multi-antigen vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the deadliest form of malaria.
