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Opinions: AIDS vaccine and cure; China's role in the Global Fund; Child marriage prevention act; Gorbachev on safe water

A Globe and Mail editorial discusses the importance of "the quest for an AIDS vaccine and the search for a cure," stating that "it is simply not possible to 'treat' our way out of this disease." The authors write that "for every person who receives treatment - which must continue over their entire lifetime - about three new people become infected."

21 Jul 2010

Preventative measures to avoid Lyme disease

Research on the population of black-legged ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease from host animals to humans, reinforces that it is important to take preventative measures when spending time outdoors.

21 Jul 2010

Natural, needle-free vaccination against malaria

If mice are administered an antibiotic for three days and are simultaneously infected with malaria, no parasites appear in the blood and life-threatening disease is averted. In addition, the animals treated in this manner also develop robust, long-term immunity against subsequent infections. This discovery was made by the team headed by Dr. Steffen Borrmann from the Department of Infectious Diseases at Heidelberg University Hospital in cooperation with Dr. Kai Matuschewski of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin. The scientists think that safe and affordable prophylaxis with antibiotics in residents of areas with high malaria transmission has the potential to be used as a natural "needle-free" vaccination against malaria.

21 Jul 2010

New & improved rotavirus vaccine to be trialed in Melbourne

Now a vaccine is being developed against rotavirus in Melbourne. At present Australian children were given rotavirus vaccine at the age of six to eight weeks since 2007. This new vaccine will be applicable to infants from birth.

20 Jul 2010

HIV – Rising menace

Nevirapine is considered to be an effective drug that can prevent HIV infection in babies born to mothers with HIV. However a new study shows that only about half of babies born to mothers with HIV receive the drug. The study appeared in the July 21 HIV/AIDS themed issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

20 Jul 2010

Nontargeted opt-out screening associated with newly identified HIV-infected patients: Study

The use of routine HIV screening in a hospital emergency department, which patients had the option to decline, was associated with only a modest increase in the number of patients with newly diagnosed HIV infection, compared to physician-directed diagnostic rapid HIV testing, according to a study in the July 21 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS.

20 Jul 2010

WHO announces new approaches to HIV prevention and treatment among children

Efforts worldwide on access to treatment for children with HIV have reached a new milestone, with 355 000 children receiving life-saving HIV treatment at the end of 2009, compared to 276 000 at the end of 2008; but many more lives could be saved if more infants started on medication earlier according to new recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO).

20 Jul 2010

Only 51% of HIV-exposed infants received minimal dose of prevention drug nevirapine: Study

In the ongoing battle to prevent mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), not all weapons are being used: Only about half of HIV-exposed infants in some African countries received a minimal dose of the prevention drug nevirapine, say researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

20 Jul 2010

AVAC applauds CAPRISA 004 microbicide gel trial for preventing sexual transmission of HIV infection

"This is a historic day for HIV prevention research. The CAPRISA 004 results are the first clinical evidence that a microbicide gel can help to prevent sexual transmission of HIV infection," said AVAC Executive Director Mitchell Warren, reacting to the results of the landmark microbicide trial presented today at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna.

20 Jul 2010

Bi-monthly journal on neurovirology from Springer

Starting in January 2011, Springer will publish the Journal of NeuroVirology, a bi-monthly publication closely affiliated with the International Society for NeuroVirology. Previously published by Taylor & Francis/Informa, the five-year contract with Springer runs to 2015.

20 Jul 2010

NanoViricides presents study results of nanoviricides anti-Ebola agents

NanoViricides, Inc. reports that the results of the evaluation of several of its nanoviricides anti-Ebola agents were presented July 17th at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology, July 17-21, at Montana State University, Bozeman, MT. Dr. Corinne Scully delivered the presentation, which was entitled "Polymeric Micelle Nanomaterials as Antiviral Compounds For Ebola Virus Infection."

20 Jul 2010

Study seeks patients with cancer of oropharynx to participate in Phase I clinical trial of SRS

The North Shore-LIJ Health System Department of Radiation Medicine announced today it is seeking patients with cancer of the oropharynx (back of the mouth)) to participate in a Phase I clinical trial.

20 Jul 2010

PSI to release evidence supporting quality scale-up of male circumcision

Following the remarks on male circumcision made today by former President Bill Clinton and philanthropist Bill Gates, PSI will release the results of a groundbreaking study on a new model of efficiency that will allow for quality and cost-effective scale-up of male circumcision.

20 Jul 2010

Scientists develop new way to increase effectiveness of antiviral drugs

Scientists have developed a new way to target viruses which could increase the effectiveness of antiviral drugs.Instead of attacking the virus itself, the method developed at the University of Edinburgh alters the conditions which viruses need to survive and multiply.

20 Jul 2010

Bill Gates calls for renewed focus on reducing new HIV infections

Speaking to the 18th International AIDS Conference today, Bill Gates called on all countries to keep up the fight against HIV/AIDS, saying the world has an historic opportunity to "change the face of AIDS." Mr. Gates said current efforts to treat people with HIV are saving millions of lives, and urged a renewed focus on reducing annual new HIV infections up to 90% by 2031, the year that will mark 50 years of the AIDS epidemic.

20 Jul 2010

DBS signs exclusive license agreement with JLB

Decas Botanical Synergies, LLC. today announced that it has signed an Exclusive License Agreement with a purchase option with JLB, Inc. developer and owner of broad-based patents covering cranberry and other vaccinium species.

20 Jul 2010

Argos' Arcelis immunotherapy reduces viral load in interim analysis of Phase 2 HIV trial

Argos Therapeutics today announced that, in an interim analysis of a Phase 2 trial, its Arcelis immunotherapy targeted at HIV, AGS-004, demonstrated a significant reduction in viral load and a delay in viral rebound kinetics during a 12-week antiretroviral treatment interruption (ARTI) when compared to pre-ART viral loads.

20 Jul 2010

Education campaign positively impacts attitudes, behaviour of young people towards HIV/AIDS

INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE 2010 -- MTV, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and UNICEF today unveiled at INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE 2010, new research on its Staying Alive Ignite Campaign at, which found that creating compelling pro-social entertainment for young people can positively impact attitudes and behaviour towards HIV and AIDS.

20 Jul 2010

NSF awards grants to LSU researchers for oil spill impact study on fragile ecosystems

Several LSU researchers have been awarded Rapid Response Grants from the National Science Foundation, or NSF, to study a variety of pathways in which the oil spill might impact the fragile ecosystems - both wildlife and human - of the Louisiana wetlands and Gulf of Mexico region.

20 Jul 2010

Researchers make scientific breakthrough in fight against HIV, genital herpes with a vaginal gel

Researchers have achieved an important scientific breakthrough in the fight against HIV and genital herpes with a vaginal gel that significantly reduces a woman's risk of being infected with these viruses. The results of the ground-breaking safety and effectiveness study of an antiretroviral microbicide gel study were reported today by the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria.

20 Jul 2010

Disease/Infection News

Opinions: AIDS vaccine and cure; China's role in the Global Fund; Child marriage prevention act; Gorbachev on safe water

Preventative measures to avoid Lyme disease

Natural, needle-free vaccination against malaria

New & improved rotavirus vaccine to be trialed in Melbourne

HIV – Rising menace

Nontargeted opt-out screening associated with newly identified HIV-infected patients: Study

WHO announces new approaches to HIV prevention and treatment among children

Only 51% of HIV-exposed infants received minimal dose of prevention drug nevirapine: Study

AVAC applauds CAPRISA 004 microbicide gel trial for preventing sexual transmission of HIV infection

Bi-monthly journal on neurovirology from Springer

NanoViricides presents study results of nanoviricides anti-Ebola agents

Study seeks patients with cancer of oropharynx to participate in Phase I clinical trial of SRS

PSI to release evidence supporting quality scale-up of male circumcision

Scientists develop new way to increase effectiveness of antiviral drugs

Bill Gates calls for renewed focus on reducing new HIV infections

DBS signs exclusive license agreement with JLB

Argos' Arcelis immunotherapy reduces viral load in interim analysis of Phase 2 HIV trial

Education campaign positively impacts attitudes, behaviour of young people towards HIV/AIDS

NSF awards grants to LSU researchers for oil spill impact study on fragile ecosystems

Researchers make scientific breakthrough in fight against HIV, genital herpes with a vaginal gel

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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