Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Study: Ebola transmission from deceased patients may be possible

To determine how long Ebola virus could remain infectious in a body after death, National Institutes of Health scientists sampled deceased Ebola-infected monkeys and discovered the virus remained viable for at least seven days. They also detected non-infectious viral RNA for up to 70 days post-mortem. The study, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, suggests that Ebola transmission from deceased individuals may be possible for an extended period of time following death, underscoring the importance of using safe practices for handling corpses.

15 Feb 2015

UT Southwestern researchers identify common signaling mechanism that controls immune system

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a common signaling mechanism to produce interferon - one of the main proteins used to signal the immune system when the body needs to defend itself against a virus, tumor, or other diseases.

15 Feb 2015

New antibody shows promise in increasing survival for patients suffering from influenza, pneumonia

Scientists from NTU Singapore, the world's No. 1 young university, have developed an antibody which boosts the survival chances for patients suffering from influenza and pneumonia.

14 Feb 2015

Immune system exploits flu virus' dependence on host's machinery

Viruses are masters of outsourcing, entrusting their fundamental function - reproduction - to the host cells they infect. But it turns out this highly economical approach also creates vulnerability.

13 Feb 2015

SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics designated as FAO Reference Centre for bioinformatics

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has appointed SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics as the FAO Reference Centre for bioinformatics.

12 Feb 2015

SRI Biosciences awarded contract to develop novel polymers to neutralize chemical, biological threats

SRI Biosciences, a division of SRI International, has been awarded a $10 million contract under a DARPA program to reimagine how proteins are constructed and to develop novel medicines and diagnostics as countermeasures to chemical and biological threats.

12 Feb 2015

AbbVie submits NDA in Japan for investigational, all-oral treatment of patients with chronic HCV infection

AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) seeking approval for the company's investigational, all-oral, ribavirin (RBV) and interferon (IFN)-free, 12-week, two direct-acting antiviral treatment of ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (OBV/PTV/r), dosed once daily.

12 Feb 2015

Single genomic change can make beneficial bacteria into pathogenic bacteria

We, as most animals, host many different beneficial bacteria. Being beneficial to the host often pays off for the bacteria, as success of the host determines the survival and spread of the microbe. But if bacteria grow too much they may become deadly.

11 Feb 2015

TUSM researchers awarded $7.4 million to study brain impairment in patients infected with HIV

Researchers at Temple University School of Medicine have been awarded a $7.4 million, five-year grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to determine how cocaine and HIV-1 interact to cause brain impairment in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.

11 Feb 2015

Experimental Ebola virus medication shows promise in monkeys

An experimental medication that targets a protein in Ebola virus called VP24 protected 75% of a group of monkeys that were studied from Ebola virus infection, according to new research conducted by the U.S. Army, in collaboration with Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.

10 Feb 2015

GI Society releases video to spread awareness about hepatitis C

As many as 350,000 Canadians could be suffering with hepatitis C, many of whom are unaware that they are infected, thus continuing to spread the virus. Although there is a vaccine to prevent the spread of the hepatitis A and hepatitis B viruses, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C. The good news is that with new treatments, hepatitis C is now a curable disease.

10 Feb 2015

Biocartis to develop Rapid Ebola Virus Triage Test

Biocartis believes its Rapid Ebola Virus Triage Test could provide a sustainable solution for rapid detection of Ebola-infected patients even after the current Ebola outbreak.

From Biocartis 10 Feb 2015

CWRU researcher receives $3.9 million grant for HIV research

A researcher at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has been awarded $3.9 million to determine if the combination of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and drug abuse is a double kick in the gut, leading to organ damage throughout the body.

10 Feb 2015

NMR and inhibiting HIV: an interview with Professor Michael Summers

Michael Summers is the Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In this interview, he tells us about his work investigating the structure of large RNAs using NMR spectroscopy.

From Bruker BioSpin - NMR, EPR and Imaging 9 Feb 2015

Regulus Therapeutics reports top-line results from RG-101 clinical study for HCV treatment

Regulus Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company leading the discovery and development of innovative medicines targeting microRNAs, today announced top-line results from the 4 mg/kg cohort and additional results from the 2 mg/kg cohort in a completed clinical study evaluating RG-101, a wholly-owned, GalNac-conjugated anti-miR targeting microRNA-122 ("miR-122"), for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection ("HCV").

9 Feb 2015

Preclinical testing of anti-Ebola antibodies can lead to universal flu vaccine

Does the blood of Ebola virus disease survivors contain antibodies and immune cells that could help doctors fight Ebola infections in other people?

9 Feb 2015

New AGA guideline provides guidance to prevent HBV reactivation

Long-term immunosuppressive therapy can cause the hepatitis B virus (HBV) to become active, even in patients who are not aware that they are infected with the virus. A new guideline from the American Gastroenterological Association provides guidance to physicians and patients who use immunosuppressive agents for the treatment of a variety of disorders, including gastrointestinal, dermatologic, neurologic and rheumatologic, among others.

9 Feb 2015

Researchers study epidemiology of Ebola Virus Disease to prevent future disease outbreaks

Now, researchers from Arizona State University and Georgia State University are trying to better understand the epidemiology and control of Ebola Virus Disease in order to alleviate suffering and prevent future disease outbreaks from reaching the catastrophic proportions of the current crisis.

9 Feb 2015

HCV more common in West Africa yet lacks equal attention as HIV/AIDS or Ebola

More than 180 million people in the world have hepatitis C, compared with the 34 million with HIV/AIDS and the roughly 30,000 who have had Ebola.

9 Feb 2015

Two researchers receive Pioneer Award from Human Gene Therapy

Recognized for their pioneering work in the development of gene transfer technology using retroviral vectors to deliver therapeutic genes into cells, Richard C. Mulligan, PhD, Director of the Harvard Gene Therapy Initiative, Harvard Institutes of Medicine, Boston, MA, and A. Dusty Miller, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, received the Pioneer Award from Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

9 Feb 2015

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Study: Ebola transmission from deceased patients may be possible

UT Southwestern researchers identify common signaling mechanism that controls immune system

New antibody shows promise in increasing survival for patients suffering from influenza, pneumonia

Immune system exploits flu virus' dependence on host's machinery

SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics designated as FAO Reference Centre for bioinformatics

SRI Biosciences awarded contract to develop novel polymers to neutralize chemical, biological threats

AbbVie submits NDA in Japan for investigational, all-oral treatment of patients with chronic HCV infection

Single genomic change can make beneficial bacteria into pathogenic bacteria

TUSM researchers awarded $7.4 million to study brain impairment in patients infected with HIV

Experimental Ebola virus medication shows promise in monkeys

GI Society releases video to spread awareness about hepatitis C

Biocartis to develop Rapid Ebola Virus Triage Test

CWRU researcher receives $3.9 million grant for HIV research

NMR and inhibiting HIV: an interview with Professor Michael Summers

Regulus Therapeutics reports top-line results from RG-101 clinical study for HCV treatment

Preclinical testing of anti-Ebola antibodies can lead to universal flu vaccine

New AGA guideline provides guidance to prevent HBV reactivation

Researchers study epidemiology of Ebola Virus Disease to prevent future disease outbreaks

HCV more common in West Africa yet lacks equal attention as HIV/AIDS or Ebola

Two researchers receive Pioneer Award from Human Gene Therapy

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