Artemisinin is currently the most effective malarial treatment available. However, the recent emergence in South-East Asia of artemisinin-resistant parasites strengthens the urgent need to identify a new generation of antimalarial drugs. In this context, scientists have determined the three-dimensional structure of a promising new therapeutic target for malaria: SUB1.

The innate lymphoid cells contribute to immune defense by maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier. ILC are made in the bone marrow but must find their way to the gut mucosa where they perform their function. Scientists have discovered how this migration process is regulated.

Erosive oral lichen planus (OLP) is an auto-immune disease affecting skin and mucous membranes which results in an abnormal immune response against mucocutaneous cells. Today, scientists have proven that the immune cells involved in OLP are the same as those activated during an immune response to human papillomavirus (type HPV-16). This suggests a link between OLP and HPV.

On October 18th, 2014 the Institut Pasteur  in  French Guiana received Mrs. Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, Minister of National Education, Higher Education and Research.

The main cause of death in patients suffering from cystic fibrosis is respiratory infection caused by different bacterial populations, which vary according to the age of the patient. Scientists at the Institut Pasteur and Inserm have identified a novel mechanism used by the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium to hijack the immune system of its host in order to eradicate another bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus ("golden staph"), and take its place in airways.

An international research consortium will assess whether treatment with antibodies in the blood of Ebola survivors could help infected patients to fight off the disease. If proven effective, this straightforward intervention could be scaled up in the short term and provide an urgently needed treatment option for patients in West Africa.

The Institut Pasteur in Shanghai, created jointly in 2004 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Shanghai Municipality and the Institut Pasteur in Paris, celebrated its 10th anniversary and the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and China during the scientific symposium focused on Research on infectious diseases in a globalized world organized in October 17th, 2014.

By sequencing the genomes of several strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, scientists have revealed their genetic profile and pinpointed the genes responsible for their multiple antibiotic resistance and virulence. They have used these results to compile a database for the scientific community, providing high-resolution genetic fingerprints and information on genes of medical importance. This should make it easier to monitor Klebsiella pneumoniae outbreaks.

On Monday, October 20th, 2014 in Beijing, the Chinese First Lady, Madam Peng Liyuan, WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, awarded commemorative medals to thank Christian Bréchot, President of the Institut Pasteur and Prof. Françoise Barre-Sinoussi, 2008 Nobel Prize for their special contribution to HIV/AIDS, during the conference organized by the Chinese Association of STD and AIDS Prevention & Control in Chinese Academy of sciences.

Grâce au séquençage génomique de nombreuses souches de Klebsiella pneumoniae, des chercheurs ont pu définir leur identité génétique et détecter les gènes responsables de leur multi-résistance aux antibiotiques et ceux expliquant la virulence des bactéries. Suite à ces travaux une base de données accessible à la communauté scientifique a pu être constituée. Elle donne accès au décryptage des gènes d’intérêt médical de la bactérie, et devrait permettre un meilleur suivi des épidémies à K. pneumoniae.