Hope for new antibiotic that was discovered by accident
Cancer researcher Marit Otterlei made a chance discovery of a brand new antibiotic that has proven effective after several experiments.
Bacteria and viruses
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Combination drug treatments for COVID-19 show promise in cell culture tests
One combination of two drugs was so effective that researchers hope others can begin clinical trials on the drugs now.
How are the busiest among us dealing with COVID-19?
COVID-19 has created an extra workload for people in socially critical professions. How does this added strain affect them and how do they handle it?
Testing larger households can reduce coronavirus infections in Norway
Testing families of four or more people would be an effective way to reduce the spread of the coronavirus infection, according to a data simulation model developed at NTNU. The model has initially been used to determine the best testing strategy for Oslo.
NTNU establishes a factory to produce coronavirus tests
NTNU researchers recently figured out a whole new method for testing people for the coronavirus. The university is now producing tests on a continuous basis, under the auspices of the Norwegian Directorate of Health. Currently 100 000 tests a day are being manufactured, with production soon likely to be scaled up dramatically.
Norway to start broad-based testing by month’s end using NTNU test kits
Norway’s Ministry of Health and Care Services confirmed Friday that it will roll out coronavirus test kits developed by researchers from NTNU and St Olavs Hospital by the last week of April/early May. The kits will more than triple Norway’s testing capacity during the rollout.
Even Prada and Gucci are manufacturing health equipment now
Italy’s budget deficit is skyrocketing. Yet people there are not debating the cost of a human life, or whether the shutdown of the country is worth it.
From thousands of tiny magnetic balls to 150,000 COVID-19 tests per week
Two weeks ago, doctors at St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim were running out of reagents needed to do COVID-19 tests. They asked colleagues at NTNU to develop a backup solution. Now, Norway is gearing up to use the new approach to test 150,000 people a week after Easter.
Fast-moving information on a fast-moving virus
Medical researchers worldwide are racing to find treatments and vaccines to combat the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe. A new website offers up-to-date summaries on available and emerging options against COVID-19.
Five tips to alleviate corona anxiety
Restlessness, insomnia, ruminating and aching muscles. Here are one professor’s tips for anyone who is struggling with anxiety and fear due to the coronavirus.
Existing drugs may offer a first-line treatment for coronavirus outbreak
There’s no effective treatment for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, which was first detected in Wuhan, China. Developing new drugs and vaccines can take years. Existing drugs offer a possible quick response to the potential pandemic.
New mechanism allows the immune system to detect and respond to HIV
Nearly 40 million people were living with HIV in 2017, the UN says, with just over half taking antiretroviral therapy. These drugs have cut AIDS-related deaths by more than half since the 2004 peak, but the disease cannot be cured. A new mechanism uncovered by a Norwegian research group could improve the chances of developing one.
Immune cells sacrifice themselves to protect against invading bacteria
Our immune systems are working overtime this time of year. Knowing that a bunch of dedicated immune cells are willing to explode themselves to inform other cells about the danger may offer a bit of consolation.
Exploring new uses for existing antiviral drugs
Broad-spectrum antiviral drugs work against a range of viral diseases, but developing them can be costly and time consuming. Testing existing anti-viral drugs for their ability to combat multiple viral infections can help.
How hepatitis C wages guerrilla warfare
How hepatitis C converts innocent cells into virus factories.
Obese individuals more prone to blood poisoning
Being overweight, little physical activity and smoking increase our vulnerability for severe bloodstream infections. These factors also increase mortality.
How tuberculosis hides in the body
The tuberculosis vaccine only works for children. BCG (bacille Calmette-Guerin) doesn’t protect you as an adult. Now we know more about how the bacterium avoids being detected.
How plague attacks us – and how we can defend ourselves
The plague that is believed to have caused the Black Death still occasionally ravages populations, albeit to a much smaller extent than before. Now we know more about how the bacteria attack us.
New allergy test promises safer antibiotic use
Allergies to antibiotics are the commonest form of medication allergies and, in the worst cases, can result in anaphylaxis and death. SINTEF is participating in the development of a new allergy test that will make it easier to provide patients with safe and correct treatments.
Using Big Data to understand immune system responses
An enzyme found in many bacteria, including the bacterium that gives us strep throat, has given mankind a cheap and effective tool with which to edit our own genes. This technology, called CRISPR, is also being used to understand how the immune system responds to a viral attack.
Almost half of childcare children had respiratory virus
Forty-three per cent of children at two daycare centres researchers studied had at least one virus in their respiratory tract.
Simple measures cut sepsis deaths nearly in half
Sepsis, commonly called blood poisoning, is a common affliction that can affect people of all ages. A series of simple measures tested at a Norwegian hospital can make a difference in successfully treating sepsis.
Uncovering the secrets of immune system invaders
Some bacteria and viruses take advantage of the way our immune system works to infect us. NTNU researchers are uncovering the mechanisms by which this trickery takes place.