Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Researchers make new breakthrough in HIV vaccine research

A vaccine study in monkeys designed to identify measurable signs that the animals were protected from infection by SIV, the monkey version of HIV, as well as the mechanism of such protection has yielded numerous insights that may advance HIV vaccine research.

20 Dec 2013

Physician dispels misconceptions about annual flu vaccine

Dr. Jennifer Caudle is an assistant professor of Family Medicine at the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Over the years in her busy medical practice, she's heard just about every possible excuse or misconception about the annual flu vaccine.

20 Dec 2013

Immunologists discover risk factor responsible for infectious mononucleosis in young people

More than 90 percent of all adults are carriers of the oncogenic Epstein-Barr Virus. Primary infection with this herpes virus as a young child is generally not linked to any symptoms, and usually offers life-long protection from its cancer-causing effect. However, for people who do not become infected with the virus until adolescence, the infection often leads to infectious mononucleosis (commonly known as glandular fever). Our immune systems can generally fend off this disease after a period of between one and several months. However, there is an increased risk of developing Hodgkin lymphoma at a later stage, a cancerous tumor of the lymphatic system.

20 Dec 2013

Researchers discover series of compounds possessing anti-HIV activity

University of Minnesota researchers have discovered a first-of-its-kind series of compounds possessing anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activity. The compounds present a new target for potential HIV drug development and future treatment options.

18 Dec 2013

Researchers receive Special Challenge Award to investigate role of high protein levels in prostate tumors

Cleveland Clinic, along with the National Cancer Institute, the University of Chicago and Thomas Jefferson University, are the recipients of a $600,000 Special Challenge Award from the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) to investigate the role of abnormally high protein levels in prostate tumors.

18 Dec 2013

Simple HPV home tests could identify women at risk for cervical cancer

HPV self-testing is as effective as tests done by doctors, according to a Lund University study. Simple HPV home tests could therefore complement existing screening programmes, and identify more women at risk for cervical cancer.

18 Dec 2013

Flu is yet to take hold of the UK, reveals Flusurvey

Preliminary results from the first month of the Flusurvey run by scientists at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine indicate that flu is yet to take hold of the UK, with just 6,000 cases per 100,000 people reported, compared to 12,000 cases per 100,000 people for the same period in 2012.

18 Dec 2013

Researchers produce first definitive evidence that MERS-CoV infects camels

Scientists from the Netherlands and Qatar have produced the first definitive evidence that Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infects camels. The researchers used gene-sequencing techniques to show that three camels from a site where two humans contracted MERS-CoV were infected with the virus.

18 Dec 2013

MTN receives $70M to develop and test products that aim to reduce spread of HIV

With funding of $70 million to support its effort into 2021, the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) will continue to develop and test products that aim to reduce the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, federal officials announced yesterday.

17 Dec 2013

Exposure to dust from homes with dogs may alter immune response to allergens

A new study suggests that exposure to dust from homes with dogs may alter the immune response to allergens and other asthma triggers by affecting the composition of the gut microbiome-the community of microbes that naturally colonize the digestive tract.

17 Dec 2013

HIV self-test screening strategy: an interview with Dr. Nitika Pant Pai, McGill University

Conventional health facility based HIV testing is plagued with poor rates of testing and has been around for the past 15+ years. Further, about 40-60% of individuals tested in facilities are lost to follow up.

17 Dec 2013

Two existing drugs show promise as potential treatments for cervical cancer

Two existing drugs - one the active ingredient in an anti-fungal medication and the other now used to control iron levels in the blood - both show promise as potential treatments for cervical cancer, according to newly published research by scientists at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

17 Dec 2013

Scientists establish a goal of creating vaccine gene chip to speed up vaccine testing

Testing the efficacy of vaccines in clinical trials takes years, even decades. Yet challenging infections like HIV, malaria and dengue are striking today. To speed up vaccine testing, scientists at the Emory Vaccine Center have established a goal of creating a "vaccine gene chip."

17 Dec 2013

WSU researchers discover how Nipah virus employs burglary-ring-like teamwork to infiltrate human cell

A team of scientists from Washington State University has discovered how one of the planet's most deadly known viruses employs burglary-ring-like teamwork to infiltrate the human cell.

17 Dec 2013

Research finds reduced allergy risk among children raised with dogs from birth

Children's risk for developing allergies and asthma is reduced when they are exposed in early infancy to a dog in the household, and now researchers have discovered a reason why.

17 Dec 2013

Data show that HCV genotype-1 infected patients may benefit from faldaprevir

Data show that Boehringer Ingelheim’s second-generation protease inhibitor faldaprevir, when used in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, was effective even with the presence of naturally-occurring mutant variants of the hepatitis C virus, such as the NS3 Q80K polymorphism

16 Dec 2013

New approach for combating seasonal flu

Reducing glucose metabolism dials down influenza viral infection in laboratory cell cultures, providing an entirely new approach for combating seasonal flu, according to research that will be presented on Sunday, Dec. 15, at the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting in New Orleans.

15 Dec 2013

Wolfberries appear to interact with vaccine to offer protection against flu virus in older mice

In a study of older mice, wolfberries appear to interact with the influenza vaccine to offer additional protection against the flu virus. The research, led by scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University, suggests the wolfberry may increase the activity of dendritic cells, which play an important role in the ability of the immune system to defend against viral infections.

12 Dec 2013

Understanding long-term clinical stability in hemophilia patients living with HIV

People with the genetic blood clotting disorder hemophilia who have been infected with HIV for decades have an increased proportion of immune cells in their blood that specifically target HIV. This protective immune response helps chronically infected hemophilia patients survive, even during periods of HIV activity, according to a study published in BioResearch Open Access, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

12 Dec 2013

New drug-resistant strain of bird flu appears to retain ability to cause serious disease in humans

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai reported that a virulent new strain of influenza - the virus that causes the flu - appears to retain its ability to cause serious disease in humans even after it develops resistance to antiviral medications. The finding was included in a study that was published today in the journal Nature Communications.

12 Dec 2013

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Researchers make new breakthrough in HIV vaccine research

Physician dispels misconceptions about annual flu vaccine

Immunologists discover risk factor responsible for infectious mononucleosis in young people

Researchers discover series of compounds possessing anti-HIV activity

Researchers receive Special Challenge Award to investigate role of high protein levels in prostate tumors

Simple HPV home tests could identify women at risk for cervical cancer

Flu is yet to take hold of the UK, reveals Flusurvey

Researchers produce first definitive evidence that MERS-CoV infects camels

MTN receives $70M to develop and test products that aim to reduce spread of HIV

Exposure to dust from homes with dogs may alter immune response to allergens

HIV self-test screening strategy: an interview with Dr. Nitika Pant Pai, McGill University

Two existing drugs show promise as potential treatments for cervical cancer

Scientists establish a goal of creating vaccine gene chip to speed up vaccine testing

WSU researchers discover how Nipah virus employs burglary-ring-like teamwork to infiltrate human cell

Research finds reduced allergy risk among children raised with dogs from birth

Data show that HCV genotype-1 infected patients may benefit from faldaprevir

New approach for combating seasonal flu

Wolfberries appear to interact with vaccine to offer protection against flu virus in older mice

Understanding long-term clinical stability in hemophilia patients living with HIV

New drug-resistant strain of bird flu appears to retain ability to cause serious disease in humans

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