A large, long-term study led by an Albert Einstein College of Medicine researcher has found that the introduction of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in community settings is highly effective in protecting young women from infections caused by the cervical-cancer-causing virus—including women who didn’t even receive the vaccine. The study was published today in JAMA Pediatrics.

A new molecular switch, created through protein design, may be a potential way to control when drugs are active or inactive in the body. Researchers hope this approach is a starting point for further developments to reduce side effects from cancer drugs or antibody therapies. This type of designed molecular switch has already been shown to increase the speed of a COVID test. The scientists have also created a switchable version of interleukin-2 in a effort to manage the side effects of this potentially powerful cancer drug. 

From influenza and COVID-19 to HIV, viruses continue to pose a serious danger to global health. But just as pressing are threats from other disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria—especially the deadly strains that are becoming resistant to antibiotic medicines. And increasingly, scientists are discovering how viruses and bacteria are closely interconnected, influencing health and disease in ways that we’re only beginning to understand. To reflect these realities, the Gladstone Institute of Virology has taken on a new name: the Gladstone Infectious Disease Institute. 

With $3M in new federal funding over two years, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine molecular virologist Dr. Marc-André Langlois and a multidisciplinary team of collaborators will be a vital part of Canada’s ability to respond effectively to infectious disease threats & future pandemics. With this investment from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the national network of experts led by Dr. Langlois will be able to support large-scale scientific research, protect vulnerable communities, and strengthen the country’s ability to face future health emergencies.