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In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week.

October 3, 2013 by Kim Lufkin

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week.

The government shutdown is affecting health research and clinical care at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH—the biggest source of funding for medical research in the world—supports researchers and clinicians across the nation, meaning that universities and hospitals across the country are grappling with what the NIH shutdown might do to their work.

Researchers from around the world will convene to discuss the latest advances and obstacles in the search for an HIV and AIDS vaccine next week at the AIDS Vaccine 2013 conference.

In related news, scientists from the University of Cambridge have discovered that a mutant form of an immune protein can block infection and spread of HIV in immune cells. Their findings could lead to new ways of treating HIV by offering a new target for drug developers.

Researchers at McMaster University in Canada have developed a new vaccine that could fight tuberculosis. The vaccine—developed from a genetically modified cold virus—would act as a booster to the currently used vaccine against the disease.

The Washington Post provides a look at how agencies across the federal government —such as the Department of Health and Human Services, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the State Department—are dealing with the shutdown.

About the author

Kim LufkinGHTC

Kim Lufkin is a communications officer at GHTC.