NIAID Site Search

The ever-changing “head” of an influenza virus protein has an unexpected Achilles heel, report scientists funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the National Institutes of Health. The team discovered and characterized the structure of a naturally occurring human antibody that recognizes and disrupts a portion of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein that the virus uses to enter and infect cells.

Last Reviewed: May 16, 2019

NIAID scientists determined the high-resolution 3D structure of an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) surface protein in complex with its receptor, revealing a key site of vulnerability that could lead to much-needed interventions against this common human pathogen.

Published: March 4, 2025

Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is a little-known yet horrific disease in which people die from lack of sleep. In a new study, NIAID scientists developed a cerebral organoid model to study the exact protein mutation that causes FFI.

Published: January 19, 2023

For decades, scientists have wondered how different strains of prions can propagate when they do not carry their own genes with them as they move from host to host. A new study from NIAID researchers and colleagues reveals how differences in the folding of the primary protein of prions (PrP) can help determine the distinct characteristics of prion strains.

Published: July 13, 2022

As global temperatures rise, it has become more urgent to understand the interactions between climate, mosquitoes, and the pathogens mosquitoes transmit to humans. NIAID Now spoke to Luis Chaves, Ph.D., a 2023 Scholar with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Climate Change and Health Initiative, about his work about the impacts of environmental change on the ecology of insect vectors and the diseases they transmit.

Published: August 18, 2023

Lenette Lu, M.D., Ph.D., of the Massachusetts General Hospital K08 sample application

Last Reviewed: March 31, 2025

Tuan Manh Tran, M.D., Ph.D., of the Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis K08 sample application

Last Reviewed: March 31, 2025

An ongoing NIAID-supported trial is testing whether rapid tests for antibiotic susceptibility can improve patient outcomes.

Published: October 25, 2024

A drug approved to treat certain autoimmune diseases and cancers successfully alleviated symptoms of a rare genetic syndrome called autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS-1). Researchers identified the treatment based on their discovery that the syndrome is linked to elevated levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), a protein involved in immune system responses, providing new insights into

Published: May 30, 2024

Information about NIAID-supported research on asthma risk factors and prevention.

Last Reviewed: April 5, 2018

Sample application from David Al-Adra MD, Ph.D., for NIH standard independent research project grant (K08).

Last Reviewed: September 13, 2024

Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria, creates a significant burden of morbidity and mortality around the world. In pregnant women, P falciparum- infected red blood cells (iRBCs) collect in vascular spaces of the placenta by binding to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA). This sequestration of iRBCs can result in inflammatory responses, which can lead to many adverse pregnancy outcomes

Published: October 29, 2021

Studies of interactions between two lab-generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and an essential Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) protein have uncovered targets that could be exploited in designing treatments and vaccines for this extremely common virus. The research was led by Jeffrey I. Cohen, M.D., and colleagues from NIAID.

Published: March 12, 2024

Immunology Interest Group (IIG) Newsletter November 2024

Last Reviewed: December 4, 2024

Sample application from Nicole Putnam, Ph.D., for National Research Service Award (NRSA) individual fellowship (F31) grants.

Last Reviewed: January 25, 2023

An overview of past research developments about cholera biology and genetics from NIAID.

Last Reviewed: February 7, 2011

National Institutes of Health // Food and Drug Administration // Immunology Interest Group

Last Reviewed: April 16, 2024

Last Reviewed: August 6, 2024

Last Reviewed: August 6, 2024

Lung autopsy and plasma samples from people who died of COVID-19 have provided a clearer picture of how the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads and damages lung tissue.

Published: November 17, 2021

Conditioning the lungs with interferon-gamma, a natural immune system protein best known for fighting bacterial infections, appears to be a strong antiviral for SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19

Published: December 12, 2023

NIAID scientists and colleagues are one step closer to developing a safe and effective therapy against alphaviruses, which are spread by mosquitoes and can cause two types of disease in people: causing severe neurological impairment such as encephalitis (brain swelling) or crippling muscle pain similar to arthritis.

Published: June 9, 2023

Pivotal studies supported by NIAID demonstrated that oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) reduces an individual’s likelihood of acquiring HIV through sex by up to 99% when taken as prescribed. Research has revealed important differences in individual and population-group preferences in oral PrEP use, particularly that cisgender women participating in studies often did not take oral PrEP as prescribed—and the intervention’s effectiveness declined when doses were taken less frequently. Jeanne Marrazzo, M.D., M.P.H. and colleagues conducted a pooled analysis of data from post-marketing demonstration projects to to characterize the relationship between oral PrEP use and its efficacy among cisgender women.

Published: March 1, 2024

Revealing the near-atomic structure of a chronic wasting disease prion from a deer should help scientists explain how CWD prions spread and become infectious.

Published: October 24, 2024

Last Reviewed: November 24, 2023