Media Coverage

A story about severe COVID-19 cases as well as the loss of taste and smell mentions a publication by UB researchers arguing that mucosal immunity should be a focus of more research into the novel coronavirus. The story quotes Michael W. Russell, PhD, professor emeritus of microbiology and immunology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences: “Could it be that this is due to early mucosal immune responses that succeed in containing and eliminating the infection before it becomes serious? We will not know unless these questions are answered.”

A story reporting on a woman arrested at the Peace Bridge for sending a letter containing ricin to President Trump and others includes comments from Terry D. Connell, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology, who called ricin “a dastardly kind of weapon, no different from a gun, a bomb, a grenade, whatever.”

Medical XPress picked up an article about Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ scientists exploring the nature of immunity after vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae, which causes pneumonia in people, have discovered that a specific type of white blood cell called neutrophils plays a more critical role than was previously known. “The idea behind our research is ultimately to make a better pneumonia vaccine,” said Elsa Bou Ghanem, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology.

Emily Blair Ivey, a student in the microbiology and immunology doctoral program, is among the co-authors of an editorial urging New Yorkers to be vigilant and maintain social distancing and other precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic. “[It] is not the time to become complacent or overconfident. With reports of several hundred new cases a day [in other cities], it is only a matter of time before the [New York City] is hit with a new surge, and all the hard work New Yorkers committed to for weeks will be for naught,” the authors write.

A profile of Noel Rose, MD, PhD, professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins University and an alumnus of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, notes that he is considered the “father of autoimmunity.” The story describes Rose’s arrival at UB in 1951 and his work with Ernest Witebsky, MD, resulting in the discovery that the immune cells of rabbits could destroy their own thyroid glands, ultimately leading to the discovery of what causes Hashimoto’s disease in humans.

Articles about research on a parasitic infection that causes seizures and psychiatric illness cites the work of Ira J. Blader, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology, who collaborated with the study. The lead researcher met Blader after he delivered a seminar at Virginia Tech. Blader studied Toxoplasma gondii and wanted to understand how specific strands of the parasite impacted the retina in mouse models.

Several news outlets reported on UB partner company Garwood Medical Devices, which has been granted a “Breakthrough Devices” designation that will expedite review of the company’s BioPrax device by the FDA. BioPrax, developed to treat biofilm infections on prosthetic knee implants, was created using technology licensed from UB. The electrical stimulation method that BioPrax uses was developed through a multidisciplinary collaboration between the labs of Mark Ehrensberger, PhD, associate professor of biomedical engineering, and Anthony A. Campagnari, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of microbiology and immunology.

An article on HowStuffWorks about how often people should wash their coffee cups interviews Terry D. Connell, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology. “Streptococci, staphylococci and any number of resident or transient oral bacteria, which may include potential pathogens, may reside in unwashed cups,” Connell said. “And, of course, if someone else should drink from one’s cup, bacteria from their mouths can be transferred into it.”

Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, and John K. Crane, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, provided their knowledge on the subject after a recent outbreak of foodborne botulism in California.

Anthony A. Campagnari, PhD, senior associate dean for research and graduate education and professor of microbiology, immunology and medicine, is quoted in a report on a new UB study that has developed a model for how the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus can trigger severe, sometimes deadly secondary bacterial pneumonia in some people who are subsequently infected with influenza A virus.

A report on a research study that found the parasite that causes Toxoplasmosis alters neural pathways specifically related to the neurotransmitter gamma-Aminobutyric acid, or GAMA, quotes Ira Blader, associate professor of microbiology and immunology.  “Our work is the first showing that an infection can alter this enzyme’s localization in the brain,” he says.

Research led by Amy Jacobs, PhD, research associate professor of microbiology and immunology, has won a National Science Foundation award to further study the way Ebola viruses enter cells in an effort to develop delivery methods for treatment of the infection.

The bioactive protein interleukin-10 successfully treats chronic, precancerous intestinal inflammation, according to a UB animal study featured on the cover of Cancer Research and led by Allen Y. Chung, a student in the Medical Scientist Training (MD/PhD) Program.

Anders P. Hakansson, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology, is studying a protein-lipid complex from human milk that can re-sensitize bacteria to existing antibiotics.

Stanley A. Schwartz, MD, PhD, distinguished professor of medicine, comments on a plastic device that transfers vibrations to the airways in the lung. The device has helped emphysema patients, and it is now being tested in asthmatics. “When the lungs pick up this vibration, they amplify the vibration, and that’s what helps mobilize the sputum,” says Schwartz.