An international team of scientists determines the three-dimensional molecular structure of a promising malaria-vaccine component.

The team hopes to produce a successful vaccine for the disease, which currently infects approximately 400 million people worldwide, killing about 2 million of them each year

Researchers at the University of Texas' Southwestern Medical Center have discovered a protein that is vital to the immune system's ability to fight off viral infections. They say their findings may lead to new therapies aimed at preventing and treating viral diseases such as the flu, hepatitis, West Nile virus, and SARS.

Dr. Zhijian "James" Chen unexpectedly found the protein in the membrane of an organelle called the mitochondrion

Scientists in Australia's tropical north are collecting blood from crocodiles in the hope of developing a powerful antibiotic for humans, after tests showed that the reptile's immune system kills the HIV virus, Reuters reports.

The crocodile's immune system is much more powerful than that of humans, preventing life-threatening infections after savage territorial fights which often leave the animals with gaping wounds and missing limbs

Echinacea does not strengthen the immune system, nor does it help fight the common cold, according to a new study by the University of Virigina School of Medicine.

The herbal remedy turns out to be no more effective than a placebo, said the study, which is published in Thursday's "Journal of Medicine"

Chinese authorities are denying that a mysterious outreak in Sichuan, which has killed at least 17 people, is SARS or bird flu.

According to state media reports, the killer is likely a bacteria, spread among pigs