University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC scientist-surgeons announced today in Cell Reports Medicine that giving plasma that has been separated from other parts of donated blood improves outcomes in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) or shock, whereas giving unseparated or “whole” blood may be best for patients with traumatic bleeding.

Some notoriously difficult to treat infections may not be as resistant to antibiotics as has been thought, according to new research using a microfluidic device that more closely duplicates the fluid flow found in the body than standard cultures. The researchers hope that testing samples under flow conditions can improve antibiotic screening and development.

A new study published in Mycology highlights the alarming evolutionary rate of Sporothrix, the fungus that causes sporotrichosis, a severe and rapidly spreading infection affecting humans and cats in South America. Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo analysed the 3-carboxymuconate cyclase gene (encoding the Gp60-70 antigen), a key component of the fungus's cell wall, in Sporothrix and discovered unprecedented genetic diversity. They propose a link between this rapid adaptation and exposure to harmful aromatic pollutants, potentially explaining the increased virulence, particularly of S. brasiliensis. This research is crucial because cat-transmitted sporotrichosis is far more aggressive than typical fungal infections, representing a major public health crisis in Brazil. These findings provide vital insights for developing targeted diagnostics, vaccines, and antifungal treatments to combat the world's largest sporotrichosis epidemic.