Video

Breast Cancer Report with Dr. Nancy Snyderman

What Kids Wear Could Determine How Much Exercise They Get

Few College Students Have Received the H1N1 Vaccine

Night Lights Could Lead to Depression

Cervarix Has Been Approved by the FDA

The FDA Is Studying the Effects of Lasik Surgery

Painkillers Can Dull the Effects of Childhood Vaccines

Childbirth May Becoming More Complicated

Botox Sponges Might Help Nose Allergies

The FDA Advises on How to Properly Dispose of Medicine

A French Study Shows Cell Phones Do Not Affect Humans

MRIs May Lead to More Back Surgery

Your More Likely to Wash Your Hands If Someone's Watching

Co-Sleeping Is a Leading Cause of SIDS

Night Shifts Don't Have a Major Effect On Surgeons

Progress Made Toward Vaccine for Urinary Infections

Posted on 09/18/2009, 09:00
By -- Robert Preidt

Tests on mice show success against E. coli, a common cause

FRIDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- A vaccine to prevent urinary tract infections shows early promise in tests on mice, according to University of Michigan researchers.

For two decades, researchers have been trying to develop a vaccine to prevent urinary tract infections, which afflict about 53 percent of women and 14 percent of men at least once in their lives, according to background information in a university news release.

The researchers screened more than 5,000 bacterial proteins and identified three strong candidates to use in a vaccine to fight Escherichia coli, the cause of most uncomplicated urinary tract infections.

The new vaccine, administered in the nose, alerts the immune system to iron receptors on the surface of bacteria that play a major role in the spread of urinary tract infection. When tested in mice, the vaccine prevented infection and produced key types of immunity.

The study appears Sept. 18 in the journal PLoS Pathogens.

Each year in the United States, urinary tract infections lead to a large number of lost work days, 6.8 million medical office visits, 1.3 million emergency room visits and 245,000 hospitalizations, resulting in an estimated total annual cost of $2.4 billion, according to information from the university.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more about urinary tract infection.

SOURCE: University of Michigan, news release, Sept. 17, 2009

More news in Kidney Health...

BigHealthTree.com Disclaimer

Bighealthtree.com Does Not Provide Medical Advice. This site, including the above information, is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or health advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified health or medical professional before starting any new treatment, changing existing treatment, or altering your current exercise and/or diet program. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911 (or the emergency services in your area) or your doctor immediately.

Rating: 2.8 / 5 (124 votes)