Halal meningitis vaccine
Malaysia and Cuba hope to develop a halal form of meningitis vaccine in two years, targeting the thousands of Muslims infected with the disease during the annual Haj pilgrimage to Mecca. Most existing vaccines are made from pig products, which are forbidden under Islamic law, AFP reports. The joint project plans to develop the vaccine from extracts of animals slaughtered according to Islamic tenets.
Appendix action
That supposedly useless appendage, the appendix, may not be so useless after all. Duke University researchers say it appears to perform 'a novel and unique function' in helping beneficial bacteria from the colon survive and repopulate after they become depleted because of infection or drug treatment. Beneficial, or commensal, bacteria help maintain a proper balance in the intestine and may also kill dangerous microbes, Reuters reports.
Infant day care helps stave off asthma
Attending day care from as early as three months may help protect high-risk children from developing some types of asthma and related allergies, based on preliminary University of Arizona studies. Regular day-care attendance for three months was linked to lower levels of immunoglobulin antibodies that trigger inflammatory responses, WebMD reports. Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disorder in developed countries. Apart from allergies, it can be triggered by respiratory infection, second-hand cigarette smoke, exercise and stress.