Daily pill can prevent HIV infection

The partners of people who have HIV can protect themselves from infection by taking a once-daily pill, two groundbreaking studies in Botswana, Kenya and Uganda have shown. The discovery could bring work to combat Aids close to a “tipping point”, experts say. Attempts to promote condom use to protect against HIV in the hardest-hit parts of the world, and particularly Africa, have hit cultural barriers and had...

Could Starfish Inspire New Cure for Inflammation?

Lurking in the seas of Scotland is an unlikely candidate for a medical breakthrough. But scientists believe the starfish could hold the key to finding a new treatment for inflammatory conditions such as asthma, hay fever and arthritis. The species they are interested in is the spiny starfish (Marthasterias glacialis), and in particular the slimy goo that covers its body. The team says that chemicals in this coating could...

Unique Fungal Collection Could Hold Key To Future ...

Scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London have joined forces with CABI to establish a facility to screen for potential new antibiotics. The aim of the project is to build a highly focused natural products drug discovery operation that will address the urgent need for bringing new antibiotic compounds to market. Since their discovery, antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents have saved millions of lives and...