Researchers at Harvard University are developing a medical device designed to mimic the human spleen in order to fight a variety of deadly pathogens, including everything from E. coli to Ebola, according to The Washington Post. So far, the device — called the biospleen — has proven effective at filtering at least 90 different ailments out of blood, including bacteria and fungi associated with foodborne illness. It works by filtering infected blood using magnetic nanobeads coated with a human protein that has been genetically engineered to be optimized for fighting pathogens. The cleansed blood then gets returned back to the patient. In rats infected with Staphylococcus aureus or E. coli, the device filtered 90 percent of the bacteria out of their blood, reduced pathogen and immune cell infiltration in multiple organs, and decreased inflammation levels. In fact, 89 percent of rats treated with the device survived, while only 14 percent of rats survived who did not receive the treatment. The biospleen could be a major turning point in the treatment of deadly diseases such as E. coli that can overwhelm the immune system.
The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.
Researchers have explored the first-ever Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak involving the poultry sector in New Zealand.
Salmonella Enteritidis was behind a 2019 outbreak at a restaurant in Auckland. There were 17
The economic burden of Salmonella infection is substantial, with Africa hit the hardest, according to researchers.
A study, published in the journal BMJ Global Health, estimated the economic burden of
A Washington resident has become infected with a new strain of bird flu, showing that the virus can mutate. Health officials are concerned that the mutations could result in a
Following a consumer complaint, Olympia Provisions of Portland, OR, is recalling 1,930 pounds of ready-to-eat holiday kielbasa sausages that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically metal, the USDA’
Maître Saladier Inc. of Quebec, Canada, is recalling 6,000 pounds of Lorraine Quiche products containing pork that were not presented for import reinspection into the United States, the USDA’
James Skinner LLC is recalling of a lot of Publix Maple Walnut Coffee Cake because the wrong ingredient label was applied to the packaging on certain units.
The product may
