Disease/Infection News

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CAP cells produce high virus titers upon influenza strain infection

CEVEC Pharmaceuticals, the developer of an extremely potent protein expression system based on human CAP cells, announced today that CAP cells produce high virus titers upon infection with influenza strains. The virus titers are as good as or even higher than with MDCK and Vero cells, host cells currently used for influenza vaccine production.

29 Sep 2010

HIV care providers call Senate leaders to support Pennsylvania Legislation on HIV testing

HIV care providers from across the state today called upon key Senate leaders to support pending legislation that would change the current Pennsylvania law on HIV testing by removing the requirement for written informed consent and pre-test counseling.

29 Sep 2010

New topical microbicide gel can prevent HIV transmission

Amyloid protein structures are best known for the troubles they pose in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Now researchers are trying to exploit their presence in a very different place in semen to find a new way to stop HIV.

29 Sep 2010

Teens who experience manic phase of bipolar disorder more likely to engage in high risk sexual behaviors

Although research has shown that teens with mental health disorders are more likely to engage in high risk sexual behaviors, like unprotected sex, a new study from the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center suggests there is an additional risk associated with certain psychiatric diagnoses.

29 Sep 2010

Researchers unveil mechanism of candida infections

More than half of all people are hosts to Candida albicans in their bodies. This species might be located on their skin or mucous membranes or in the intestines frequently without causing any symptoms. However, it can be dangerous to patients whose immunological system has been weakened such as after organ transplants or chemotherapy with cancer. Then, this fungus penetrates into deeper layers of tissue and uses the blood system to spread throughout the body. In Germany alone, several thousand people die from systemic candida infections every year.

29 Sep 2010

People with pet allergies develop ragweed allergy symptoms: Research

Researchers found that people with pet allergies often develop ragweed allergy symptoms more quickly than others. But the study also suggests that once allergy season is in full swing, those symptom differences subside.

29 Sep 2010

Early initiation of ART may prevent immune system damage in HIV patients: Study

HIV-infected individuals who begin antiretroviral therapy (ART) soon after acquiring the virus may have stronger immune responses to other pathogens than HIV-infected individuals who begin ART later, a new study from the National Institutes of Health has found. This finding suggests that early initiation of ART may prevent irreversible immune system damage and adds to the body of evidence showing significant health benefits from early ART.

29 Sep 2010

Tamir's compounds perform better than Ganciclovir for Cytomegalovirus disease: Study

Tamir Biotechnology, Inc. announced today that scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) reported test results confirming two of our lead compounds outperformed market leader Roche's drug Ganciclovir in cell culture and plaque reduction assay (the gold standard) for Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease. Additionally, antiviral activity was also apparent against other human herpesviruses, namely, HSV-1 (cold sores), HSV-2 (genital herpes), and Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) (chicken-pox and shingles).

29 Sep 2010

FDA issues warning letters to three companies for claiming plaque removal by mouth rinse products

The FDA today issued warning letters to three companies that manufacture and market mouth rinse products with claims that they remove plaque above the gum line or promote healthy gums. These claims suggest the products are effective in preventing gum disease when no such benefit has been demonstrated.

29 Sep 2010

RV262 Phase I study launched to evaluate DNA prime/MVA vector boost vaccine regimen for HIV

A Phase I study, called RV262, recently began to evaluate a combination DNA prime/MVA vector boost vaccine regimen that was developed to protect against diverse subtypes of HIV-1 prevalent in North America, Europe, Africa and South America.

29 Sep 2010

Scientists to identify microbial risk predictors for preterm birth

A team of scientists from Mayo Clinic, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the J. Craig Venter Institute are leveraging a long-standing research relationship to apply results from the Human Microbiome Project to help identify microbial risk predictors for preterm birth.

29 Sep 2010

NIH grants Akonni $3M for development of multi-drug resistant/extensively drug-resistant genotyping test

Akonni Biosystems, a molecular diagnostics company that develops, manufactures, and plans to market sophisticated genetic testing devices for complex infectious and human diseases, today announced receipt of a nearly $3 million Challenge Grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a new program made possible under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

29 Sep 2010

PolyMedix begins PMX-30063 Phase 2 clinical trial for bacterial infections

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat acute cardiovascular disorders and infectious diseases, has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial in Canada with its novel defensin-mimetic antibiotic, PMX-30063.

28 Sep 2010

Oncolytics Biotech receives patent for modified reovirus variant

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. today announced that it has been granted U.S. Patent, 7,803,385 entitled Reoviruses Having Modified Sequences. The patent claims cover methods for making and using modified reoviruses, and pharmaceutical compositions that include modified reoviruses.

28 Sep 2010

Portable humidifiers may reduce airborne influenza virus: Study

A new scientific study published in the open access, peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health indicates that the use of portable humidifiers in the home may reduce the survival of airborne influenza virus by controlling humidity indoors.

28 Sep 2010

Cintas’s new white paper offers EVS tips to reduce hospital-acquired infections

Cintas Corporation today announced the availability of a new white paper that offers Environmental Service Directors (EVS) tips to improve the handling of cleaning materials to reduce hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).

28 Sep 2010

Researchers use biological weapon to fight salmon parasite

A few years ago, fish farms in Chile produced enormous numbers of salmon. Now the industry is on its knees as a result of several years of disease and devastation by lice.

28 Sep 2010

Mucosis collaborates with PATH to pursue use of Mimopath technology in diarrhea vaccines

Dutch biotechnology company Mucosis B.V. announced today that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with the global health nonprofit organization PATH to pursue the use of the company's Mimopath technology in oral vaccines to prevent and treat severe diarrhea.

28 Sep 2010

Computer simulations show low prevalence of TB increases MDR-TB risk

While the U.S. has made great progress in the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis, the nation has become more susceptible to potential epidemics of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), according a study led by Johns Hopkins researchers. Computer simulations show that as TB prevalence falls, the risk for more extensive MDR-TB increases.

28 Sep 2010

NPL, Orla receives fund to improve detection methods for TB

Two UK companies have been awarded joint funding for a research project that could see significant advances in the quest to aid detection and eradication of Tuberculosis (TB), across the world.

28 Sep 2010