Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Generic heart disease drugs show promise in patients affected by Ebola virus

Generic medications used frequently in the management of heart disease patients also have the potential to bolster the immune systems of patients with Ebola virus and some other life-threatening illnesses, researchers report this week in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

23 Jun 2015

Purdue University-led study could lead to better treatments for people infected with MERS virus

A Purdue University-led team of researchers studying the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, have found molecules that shut down the activity of an essential enzyme in the virus and could lead the way to better treatments for those infected.

23 Jun 2015

Experimental vaccine candidate can stimulate immune system activity to prevent HIV infection

New research led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and The Rockefeller University shows in mice that an experimental vaccine candidate designed at TSRI can stimulate the immune system activity necessary to stop HIV infection. The findings could provide key information for the development of an effective AIDS vaccine.

22 Jun 2015

Planning for first clinical trial of MERS-CoV vaccine candidate now underway

Researchers from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet in Munich have demonstrated, in a preclinical setting, the protective effect of a candidate vaccine directed against the coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. Planning for the first clinical trial is now underway.

22 Jun 2015

New book examines all aspects of HBV and HDV infections

Despite the availability of an effective vaccine for hepatitis B, hundreds of millions of people worldwide are infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). This virus can cause serious liver damage and cancer in chronically infected patients. Hepatitis delta virus (HDV), a satellite of HBV, can exacerbate the disease.

19 Jun 2015

Sequence of immunizations could be the promising route to HIV vaccine

The secret to preventing HIV infection lies within the human immune system, but the more-than-25-year search has so far failed to yield a vaccine capable of training the body to neutralize the ever-changing virus. New research from The Rockefeller University, and collaborating institutions, suggests no single shot will ever do the trick. Instead, the scientists find, a sequence of immunizations might be the most promising route to an HIV vaccine.

19 Jun 2015

Experimental AIDS vaccine candidate stimulates immune system to block infection in animal model

New research led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and The Rockefeller University shows that an experimental vaccine candidate can stimulate the immune system to block HIV infection in mice.

18 Jun 2015

Scientists create new model to study latent HIV infection in brain cells

Over 35 million people worldwide are currently infected by HIV. Antiviral therapies can keep the virus from multiplying. However, no drug can cure infection so far, because various cell types continue to carry the virus in a latent, i.e. quiescent, state. Scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum München have now established a model for latent HIV infection of brain cells.

18 Jun 2015

Key lessons from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in South Korea

The outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in South Korea is the subject of a fast-tracked editorial in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, written by Dr. Eskild Petersen and colleagues.

18 Jun 2015

Single difference in HIV's genetic code influences progression of disease

In a finding that furthers the understanding of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), researchers from Children's Hospital Los Angeles discovered two locations where a single difference in HIV's genetic code altered the way the virus infected the cell, thereby influencing the progression of the disease.

18 Jun 2015

Public health experts outline strategies for managing MERS-CoV outbreak

The ongoing outbreak in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) is an important reminder that the Middle East respiratory virus (MERS-CoV) requires constant vigilance and could spread to other countries including the United States. However, MERS can be brought under control with effective public health strategies, say two Georgetown University public health experts.

18 Jun 2015

New study launched in Liberia to better understand health consequences of Ebola virus disease

The Liberia-U.S. clinical research partnership known as PREVAIL has launched a study of people in Liberia who have survived Ebola virus disease (EVD) within the past two years. The study investigators hope to better understand the long-term health consequences of EVD, determine if survivors develop immunity that will protect them from future Ebola infection, and assess whether previously EVD-infected individuals can transmit infection to close contacts and sexual partners.

18 Jun 2015

Beckman Coulter brings new thinking to new lab challenges at EuroMedLab 2015

Beckman Coulter Diagnostics supports IFCC-EFLM EuroMedLab 2015 with a showcase of solutions to improve workflow for the diagnostics laboratory. Held from 22-24 June 2015 at the Paris Palais des Congrès France, the company demonstrates its dedication to moving the clinical diagnostic lab forward with its total laboratory solution—from automation, chemistry, immunoassay and haematology to microbiology and its new molecular diagnostics system.

From Beckman Coulter Diagnostics 18 Jun 2015

Earthquake-ravaged Nepal faces 'very high' risk of hepatitis E outbreak

During the coming monsoon season, survivors of the recent earthquake that destroyed parts of Nepal face a "very high" risk of a hepatitis E outbreak that could be especially deadly to pregnant women, according to a consensus statement from a group of infectious disease experts from around the world.

17 Jun 2015

Study finds that Amazon river boats provide first-class ride for dengue mosquitoes

The urban mosquito that carries the dengue fever virus is hitching rides on river boats connecting the Amazonian town of Iquitos, Peru, with rural areas.

17 Jun 2015

Beijing Red Cross Emergency Medical Center selects Falcon 2000LX to expand air ambulance services

Beijing Red Cross Emergency Medical Center (999) has selected Dassault Aviation's Falcon 2000LX to expand the scope of its air ambulance services.

17 Jun 2015

Researchers uncover new mechanism that innate immune system uses to curb viral infections

An innovative mechanism that the innate immune system uses to control viral infections has been uncovered by researchers at the University Medical Centers in Mainz and Freiburg. Central to this is the discovery that two different but related elements of the immune system can act together in concert to fight, for example, rotavirus infections.

16 Jun 2015

Helmholtz Zentrum München scientists identify how Epstein-Barr virus conceals in human cells

Scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum München have now discovered how Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) conceals itself in human cells. A main culprit for its bad visibility by the immune system is the viral protein LMP2A. As published in the scientific journal PLOS Pathogens, the protein helps EBV-infected cells hide from T cells. This camouflage through the LMP2A protein may play a major role in the causation of cancer by EBV.

16 Jun 2015

Better way to predict survival in patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer

According to Sturgis, the incidence of HPV-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma has increased dramatically in recent years. Although patients with HPV-positive disease have a better prognosis than those with HPV-negative disease, researchers are still seeking a better understanding of what group of patients is more likely to respond to treatment.

15 Jun 2015

Keele University academic calls for urgent review of cervical screening programmes

As Cervical Screening Awareness Week begins, a Keele University academic is calling for cervical screening programmes and perceptions of cervical cancer to be reviewed urgently, to encourage more older women to get regularly screened.

15 Jun 2015

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Generic heart disease drugs show promise in patients affected by Ebola virus

Purdue University-led study could lead to better treatments for people infected with MERS virus

Experimental vaccine candidate can stimulate immune system activity to prevent HIV infection

Planning for first clinical trial of MERS-CoV vaccine candidate now underway

New book examines all aspects of HBV and HDV infections

Sequence of immunizations could be the promising route to HIV vaccine

Experimental AIDS vaccine candidate stimulates immune system to block infection in animal model

Scientists create new model to study latent HIV infection in brain cells

Key lessons from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in South Korea

Single difference in HIV's genetic code influences progression of disease

Public health experts outline strategies for managing MERS-CoV outbreak

New study launched in Liberia to better understand health consequences of Ebola virus disease

Beckman Coulter brings new thinking to new lab challenges at EuroMedLab 2015

Earthquake-ravaged Nepal faces 'very high' risk of hepatitis E outbreak

Study finds that Amazon river boats provide first-class ride for dengue mosquitoes

Beijing Red Cross Emergency Medical Center selects Falcon 2000LX to expand air ambulance services

Researchers uncover new mechanism that innate immune system uses to curb viral infections

Helmholtz Zentrum München scientists identify how Epstein-Barr virus conceals in human cells

Better way to predict survival in patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer

Keele University academic calls for urgent review of cervical screening programmes

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