Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Two Ebola vaccine candidates show promise in clinical trial

An immunization regimen using two Ebola vaccine candidates was safe and well-tolerated and induced an immune response in healthy adult volunteers in a Phase 1 clinical trial.

20 Apr 2016

New study suggests re-evaluation of long-held method to predict effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccine

The long-held approach to predicting seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness may need to be revisited, new research suggests. Currently, seasonal flu vaccines are designed to induce high levels of protective antibodies against hemagglutinin (HA), a protein found on the surface of the influenza virus that enables the virus to enter a human cell and initiate infection.

20 Apr 2016

Immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab shrinks tumors in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma

In a clinical trial of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, half of 25 patients with a rare type of virus-linked skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma experienced substantial tumor shrinkage lasting nearly three times as long, on average, than with conventional chemotherapy.

20 Apr 2016

Nivolumab drug shows survival benefit in phase III trial of patients with head and neck cancer

The immunotherapy drug nivolumab has become the first to show a survival benefit in head and neck cancer, after a major international trial found that it was more effective than standard chemotherapy.

20 Apr 2016

Duke-NUS study highlights Zika virus structure and behaviour

An important breakthrough in understanding the Zika virus structure and its behaviour has been highlighted in a study by Duke-NUS Medical School scientists.

20 Apr 2016

Researchers reveal how relatively unknown pathogen led to current Zika outbreak

An analysis comparing the individual differences between over 40 strains of Zika virus (30 isolated from humans, 10 from mosquitoes, and 1 from monkeys) has identified significant changes in both amino acid and nucleotide sequences during the past half-century.

18 Apr 2016

ZIKA virus can be transmitted sexually, confirms Inserm study

A study by researchers from Inserm, the Paris Public Hospitals (Bichat Hospital, AP-HP), Aix-Marseille University, and the National Reference Centre for Arboviruses confirms that the ZIKA virus can be transmitted sexually. Their analyses have shown 100% genetic correlation between the form of the virus present in a man who contracted the virus in Brazil and that of a woman who had never travelled in the epidemic area, but who had sexual relations with him. These results are published in The New England Journal of medicine.

18 Apr 2016

New study to explore outcomes of pregnancy in Brazilian women with Zika virus

An observational study of pregnant women in Brazil to further understand Zika virus and its impact on reproductive health and fetus development have been launched. William Britt, M.D., professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, leads the study, which complements his current research in Brazil on cytomegalovirus infection during pregnancy.

18 Apr 2016

Mouse model can help identify new, more effective melanoma-preventing agents

Application of sun protection factor 30 (SPF30) sunscreen prior to exposure to ultraviolet-B (UVB) light delayed melanoma onset in a mouse model of the disease, according to data from a team at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. This data suggest that the mouse model can be used to identify new, more effective melanoma-preventing agents, according to principal investigator Christin Burd, PhD.

18 Apr 2016

Scientists identify human protein that weakens immune response to HIV, other viruses

Scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have identified a human (host) protein that weakens the immune response to HIV and other viruses. The findings, published today in Cell Host & Microbe, have important implications for improving HIV antiviral therapies, creating effective viral vaccines, and advance a new approach to treat cancer.

16 Apr 2016

Genetic modification of common virus gives extra weapon to kill cancer cells

A common flu virus could be used to overcome patients' resistance to certain cancer drugs -- and improve how those drugs kill cancer cells, according to new research from Queen Mary University of London.

16 Apr 2016

Johns Hopkins study suggests updated universal screening for hepatitis C virus

A review of blood samples for nearly 5,000 patients seen at The Johns Hopkins Hospital Emergency Department suggests that federal guidelines for hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening may be missing up to a quarter of all cases and argues for updated universal screening.

15 Apr 2016

AbbVie's ABT-493 and ABT-530 achieve high SVR rates in GT1 chronic HCV patients who failed previous therapy with DAAs

AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced that 91 percent (n=20/22) of genotype 1 (GT1) chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients who failed previous therapy with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) achieved SVR12 with 12 weeks of ABT-493 and ABT-530 with ribavirin (RBV) in the primary intent-to-treat analysis.

15 Apr 2016

VIEKIRAX and EXVIERA achieve high SVR rates in GT1 and GT4 hepatitis C virus infected patients

AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced new real-world data showing 96 percent of genotype 1 (GT1) patients (n=486/505 assessable for analysis) and 100 percent (n=53/53) of genotype 4 (GT4) patients achieved sustained virologic response at 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12).

15 Apr 2016

Interdisciplinary researchers to explore ethical issues of pregnant women during Zika crisis

The emerging Zika virus epidemic is bringing to light a longstanding ethical challenge in medical research: the inclusion of pregnant women. With new funding from the Wellcome Trust, an interdisciplinary team of scholars will focus on issues of ethics and research in pregnancy and women of reproductive age, beginning with the current Zika context and later expanding to general public health research.

15 Apr 2016

New research in SIV-exposed monkeys provides insights for development of HIV prevention strategies

New research in monkeys exposed to SIV, the monkey equivalent of HIV, suggests that the virus spreads rapidly in the body and triggers early host responses that suppress antiviral immunity, thus promoting viral replication.

15 Apr 2016

Patients with genotype 1 chronic HCV infection achieve high SVR rates with VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA

AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced data showing that patients with genotype 1 (GT1) chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who received the recommended regimen of VIEKIRAX (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir tablets) + EXVIERA (dasabuvir tablets), with or without ribavirin (RBV), achieved high sustained virologic response rates at 48 weeks post-treatment (SVR48), regardless of the presence of baseline resistance-associated variants (RAVs).

15 Apr 2016

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Two Ebola vaccine candidates show promise in clinical trial

New study suggests re-evaluation of long-held method to predict effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccine

Immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab shrinks tumors in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma

Nivolumab drug shows survival benefit in phase III trial of patients with head and neck cancer

Duke-NUS study highlights Zika virus structure and behaviour

Researchers reveal how relatively unknown pathogen led to current Zika outbreak

ZIKA virus can be transmitted sexually, confirms Inserm study

New study to explore outcomes of pregnancy in Brazilian women with Zika virus

Mouse model can help identify new, more effective melanoma-preventing agents

Scientists identify human protein that weakens immune response to HIV, other viruses

Genetic modification of common virus gives extra weapon to kill cancer cells

Johns Hopkins study suggests updated universal screening for hepatitis C virus

AbbVie's ABT-493 and ABT-530 achieve high SVR rates in GT1 chronic HCV patients who failed previous therapy with DAAs

VIEKIRAX and EXVIERA achieve high SVR rates in GT1 and GT4 hepatitis C virus infected patients

Interdisciplinary researchers to explore ethical issues of pregnant women during Zika crisis

New research in SIV-exposed monkeys provides insights for development of HIV prevention strategies

Patients with genotype 1 chronic HCV infection achieve high SVR rates with VIEKIRAX + EXVIERA

TDF, entecavir duo 'highly effective' for difficult-to-treat chronic HBV

Dynamic HBsAg measurements predict HBV inactivity

HLA-C/KIR genotype linked to HBeAg-positive HBV interferon response

Small solutions for big problems in drug discovery and delivery

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production