Infected female malaria mosquitoes more attracted to human odour

Unlocking the manipulation of mosquitoes by malaria parasites – Female mosquitoes infected with malaria parasites are significantly more attracted to human odour than uninfected mosquitoes. This was demonstrated in a laboratory setting in which infected female Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto mosquitoes were attracted to human odours three times more than mosquitoes that were not infected with the malaria-causing Plasmodium falciparum parasite.

Spray with living human cells heals chronic venous leg ulcers

Study shows higher healing rate using unique cell-based therapy in chronic venous leg ulcers – Treating chronic venous leg ulcers with a topical spray containing a unique living human cell formula provides a 52 percent greater likelihood of wound closure than treatment with compression bandages only.

Bird flu may be possible from human to human through air

Avian flu viruses which are transmissible between humans could evolve in nature — Research provides insight into feasibility of virus becoming airborne transmissible – It might be possible for human-to-human airborne transmissible avian H5N1 influenza viruses to evolve in nature, new research has found. The findings, from research led by Professor Derek Smith and Dr Colin Russell at the University of Cambridge, were published today, 22 June in the journal Science.

An estimation of adult human biomass on this earth

The weight of nations: An estimation of adult human biomass – The world population is over seven billion and all of these people need feeding. However, the energy requirement of a species depends not only on numbers but on its average mass. New research published in BioMed Central’s open access journal BMC Public Health has estimated the total mass of the human population, defined its distribution by region, and the proportion of this biomass due to the overweight and obesity.

Largest human cancer genome data released in US

World’s largest release of comprehensive human cancer genome data helps speed discoveries — Whole genome data from hundreds of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital patients exceeds volume of all other sources combined – A comprehensive human cancer genome data is released in US for free access by the global scientific community. The amount of information released more than doubles the volume of high-coverage, whole genome data currently available from all human genome sources combined.

Antibody may cure variety of human cancers

Single antibody shrinks variety of human tumors transplanted into mice, Stanford study shows – Human tumors transplanted into laboratory mice disappeared or shrank when scientists treated the animals with a single antibody. This antibody works by masking a protein flag on cancer cells that protects them from macrophages and other cells in the immune system.

Drug resistant MRSA in livestock infects humans

Drug-proof ‘pig MRSA’ makes leap from livestock to humans — Pig-to-Human ‘Superbug’ May Be Due to Animal Antibiotics – A strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria that humans contract from livestock was originally a human strain, but it developed resistance to antibiotics once it was picked up by farm animals. The findings illustrate a very close link between antibiotic use on the farm and potentially lethal human infections.

Health Newstrack