Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Genetic mutations in deadly Ebola virus appear to block antibody-based treatments

Genetic mutations called "escape variants" in the deadly Ebola virus appear to block the ability of antibody-based treatments to ward off infection, according to a team of U.S. Army scientists and collaborators. Their findings, published online this week in the journal Cell Reports, have implications for the continued development of therapeutics to treat Ebola virus disease, which has claimed the lives of over 11,000 people in West Africa since last year.

14 Sep 2015

Inhibition of Tyk2 enzyme promotes anti-cancer activity

Tyrosine kinase 2 (Tyk2) is an enzyme involved in intracellular signalling and has an important role in activating the immune system.

11 Sep 2015

CureVac, IAVI team up to advance development, testing of AIDS vaccines

The non-profit International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and biopharmaceutical company CureVac are partnering to accelerate the development of AIDS vaccines, utilizing novel immunogens developed by IAVI and partners, delivered via CureVac's novel messenger RNA (mRNA) technology.

10 Sep 2015

CureVac announces official launch of U.S. operations in Cambridge, MA

CureVac, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the field of mRNA-based technology, today announced the official launch of its U.S. operations in Cambridge, MA, as the company advances the development of its proprietary mRNA platform technology and multiple, clinical-stage mRNA therapeutics and vaccines.

10 Sep 2015

New systematic review questions effectiveness of MVA85A vaccine on TB

A new systematic review of animal studies testing a vaccine for tuberculosis raises questions about whether the studies provided sufficient evidence to move into trials of children.

10 Sep 2015

Census, household survey data can help reduce vulnerability to Ebola infections in Liberia

A newly published research study by U.S. Forest Service researchers demonstrates that the social vulnerability indices used in climate change and natural hazards research can also be used in other contexts such as disease outbreaks.

10 Sep 2015

New nanozyme test can help curb Ebola spread in western Africa

A new Ebola test that uses magnetic nanoparticles could help curb the spread of the disease in western Africa. Research published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics shows that the new test is 100 times more sensitive than the current test, and easier to use. Because of this, the new test makes it easier and cheaper to diagnose cases, enabling healthcare workers to isolate patients and prevent the spread of Ebola.

10 Sep 2015

NEI experts explore long-term effects of Ebola on the eye

Following the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa that took the lives of more than 11,200 people in the region, the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, has deployed a team of clinicians and technical experts to Monrovia, Liberia to investigate the long-term effects of Ebola on the eye.

9 Sep 2015

University of Bonn researchers find how cells in the body can detect genetic material of retroviruses

Researchers at the University of Bonn have discovered how cells in the body can detect the genetic material of so-called retroviruses. The pathogen of the immunodeficiency disease AIDS, the HI-1 virus, also belongs to this group. At the same time, the HI virus appears to circumvent this important defense mechanism.

8 Sep 2015

Penn researchers identify viral products that trigger immune response against RSV infection

Almost all human beings are exposed to the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, before their second birthdays. For most, the symptoms mimic those of the common cold: runny nose, coughing, sneezing, fever.

4 Sep 2015

Quest Diagnostics receives FDA 510(k) clearance for Simplexa HSV 1 & 2 Direct molecular test

Quest Diagnostics, the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, today announced that its Focus Diagnostics products business has received FDA 510(k) clearance to add the genital swab claim to its Simplexa HSV 1 & 2 Direct molecular test on the Integrated Cycler.

From Quest Diagnostics 4 Sep 2015

HBV DNA levels guide antiviral treatment in chemotherapy setting

Pretreatment levels of hepatitis B virus DNA could inform the withdrawal of pre-emptive antiviral therapy in chronic HBV patients undergoing cytotoxic chemotherapy for cancer, indicate research findings published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences.

3 Sep 2015

Countrywide variations in chronic HBV burden revealed

A systematic review of the worldwide prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus infection finds wide variation between countries.

3 Sep 2015

Risk score predicts ACLF risk in chronic HBV patients

A risk score incorporating routinely collected clinical information can identify patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection at high risk of developing acute-on-chronic liver failure following severe acute exacerbation, research suggests.

3 Sep 2015

New technology may allow mass production of flu vaccines

Vaccines to protect against an avian influenza pandemic as well as seasonal flu may be mass produced more quickly and efficiently using technology described today (Sept. 2) by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the journal Nature Communications.

3 Sep 2015

UC San Diego-led research team awarded $1.89 million to carry out research on leptospirosis

An international research team, headed by Joseph Vinetz, MD, professor of medicine at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and director of the UC San Diego Center for Tropical Medicine and Travelers Health, has been awarded a 5-year, $1.89 million cooperative agreement to carry out translational research studies of leptospirosis, an infectious and sometimes fatal bacterial disease endemic in much of the world.

2 Sep 2015

Volatile anesthetics may combat viral and bacterial infections in the lung

In use for more than a century, inhaled anesthetics like nitrous oxide and halothane have made modern surgery possible. Now, in experiments in mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere have added to evidence that certain so-called "volatile" anesthetics -- commonly used during surgeries -- may also possess powerful effects on the immune system that can combat viral and bacterial infections in the lung, including influenza and pneumonia.

2 Sep 2015

Health leaders to deliver presentations at Health Connect South 2015

Health Connect South, a non-profit organization serving the health community as a sustainable platform for regional health collaborations, will convene top innovators, decision makers and leaders from throughout the Southeast to speak at its second annual health leadership event on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015 at the Georgia Aquarium.

2 Sep 2015

Sleep loss increases chance of catching a cold

A new study led by a UC San Francisco sleep researcher supports what parents have been saying for centuries: to avoid getting sick, be sure to get enough sleep.

1 Sep 2015

$Gene transfer therapy not beneficial for heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction$

Gene transfer therapy not beneficial for heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction

Gene transfer therapy aimed at correcting an enzyme abnormality involved in myocardial contraction and relaxation did not improve outcomes in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction, results of the CUPID 2 study show.

1 Sep 2015

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Genetic mutations in deadly Ebola virus appear to block antibody-based treatments

Inhibition of Tyk2 enzyme promotes anti-cancer activity

CureVac, IAVI team up to advance development, testing of AIDS vaccines

CureVac announces official launch of U.S. operations in Cambridge, MA

New systematic review questions effectiveness of MVA85A vaccine on TB

Census, household survey data can help reduce vulnerability to Ebola infections in Liberia

New nanozyme test can help curb Ebola spread in western Africa

NEI experts explore long-term effects of Ebola on the eye

University of Bonn researchers find how cells in the body can detect genetic material of retroviruses

Penn researchers identify viral products that trigger immune response against RSV infection

Quest Diagnostics receives FDA 510(k) clearance for Simplexa HSV 1 & 2 Direct molecular test

HBV DNA levels guide antiviral treatment in chemotherapy setting

Countrywide variations in chronic HBV burden revealed

Risk score predicts ACLF risk in chronic HBV patients

New technology may allow mass production of flu vaccines

UC San Diego-led research team awarded $1.89 million to carry out research on leptospirosis

Volatile anesthetics may combat viral and bacterial infections in the lung

Health leaders to deliver presentations at Health Connect South 2015

Sleep loss increases chance of catching a cold

Gene transfer therapy not beneficial for heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction

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