Certain bacteria can override a defence mechanism of the immune system, so-called programmed cell death, through inhibition of death effector molecules by their outer membranes components. Shigella bacteria, which cause diarrhoea, use lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on their surface to block the effector caspases. Lipopolysaccharides are a component of the bacterial outerRead More →
Listeriosis is a rare bacterial infection caused by a family of bacteria called Listeria. Listeria family contains ten different species, being Listeria monocytogenes the main responsible of causing listeriosis. Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium, capable of surviving in the presence or absence of oxygen. Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most virulent food-borneRead More →
The term “hepatitis” refers to an inflammatory condition of the liver and can be due to different possible causes, including toxic substances, such as alcohol or certain drugs and autoimmune diseases. However, hepatitis viruses are the most common cause of hepatitis around the world. If left untreated, the condition can beRead More →
There are two types of human immunodeficiency virus: type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2). HIV–1 is the most widespread type and accounts for 95% of all infections worldwide. HIV is a virus that damages the immune system and, without treatment, a person infected with HIV can develop acquired immunodeficiencyRead More →
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus spread through certain body fluids that attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 T cells. If left untreated, HIV infection eventually progresses until leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), being one of the world’s most serious public health challenges. Since the beginningRead More →
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) damages the cells in the immune system, reducing the number of some of the white blood cells (CD4+ T cells) in the body and weakening the ability to fight everyday infections and disease. If left untreated, HIV infection eventually progresses until the immune system is tooRead More →
Immunoglobulins (Ig) or antibodies serve as key detection molecules in the immune system. Antibodies refers to proteins that are produced in B-lymphocytes by the body’s immune system in response to foreign substances or infections, including bacteria or viruses. There are five major classes (isotypes) of immunoglobulins: IgA (immunoglobin A) IgDRead More →
Ebola disease is a severe disease caused by infection with the Ebola virus and leading to severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever in humans. Ebola virus belongs to the genus Ebolavirus and its genome is a single-stranded RNA approximately 19,000 nucleotides long, encoding seven structural proteins which assemble with the genomic RNA to form one ofRead More →
Mycoplasma is an atypical bacterial genus which main characteristic is that naturally lacks cells walls and are the smallest and simplest self-replicating bacteria. The presence of sterols in the plasma membrane helps in regulation of membrane fluidity and protects from osmotic lysis so they don’t need a wall. Some mycoplasma species are pathogenic inRead More →
