Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

UCI-led study results have important implications for HIV vaccine development

Infectious disease researchers have identified a novel mechanism wherein HIV-1 may facilitate its own transmission by usurping the antibody response directed against itself. These results have important implications for HIV vaccine development and for understanding the earliest events in HIV transmission.

4 Dec 2013

Scientists identify enzyme that could lead to better treatment of Alzheimer's disease

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have identified an enzyme that can halt or possibly even reverse the build-up of toxic protein fragments known as plaques in the brains of mice with Alzheimer's disease. The research appeared in a recent edition of the scientific journal Nature Communications.

3 Dec 2013

LabCorp's HCV GenoSure NS3/4 test now available for Q80K polymorphism screening

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings announced today the immediate availability of an enhanced version of its HCV GenoSure NS3/4, a drug resistance test that screens for the Q80K polymorphism. Q80K is a naturally occurring polymorphism that develops in certain strains of HCV, making the virus less susceptible to Janssen Therapeutics' OLYSIO (simeprevir), which was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of certain adult patients diagnosed with genotype 1chronic hepatitis C.

3 Dec 2013

Researchers offer promise of strategy for curing HIV infection

Researchers have used radioimmunotherapy (RIT) to destroy remaining human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected cells in the blood samples of patients treated with antiretroviral therapy, offering the promise of a strategy for curing HIV infection. Results of the study were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

3 Dec 2013

Tel Aviv University researchers discover a protein that kills bacteria

In the arms race between bacteria and modern medicine, bacteria have gained an edge. In recent decades, bacterial resistance to antibiotics has developed faster than the production of new antibiotics, making bacterial infections increasingly difficult to treat. Scientists worry that a particularly virulent and deadly "superbug" could one day join the ranks of existing untreatable bacteria, causing a public health catastrophe comparable with the Black Death.

3 Dec 2013

Viewpoints: Where's Obama's 'Mission Accomplished' banner?; health law critics overlooking those denied affordable care in the past

Great news: The White House says that Healthcare.gov and the 36 federally run insurance exchanges are finally good to go. The only thing missing from Sunday's relentlessly upbeat progress report was President Obama in front of a "Mission Accomplished" banner. Sunday's eight-page report was intended to meet Mr. Obama's deadline for fixing the site after its October 1 debut was a calamity. But the more important goal was political -- namely, claiming enough progress to prevent Democrats on Capitol Hill from joining the GOP demand for delaying the individual mandate to buy insurance or even the entire program (12/1).

3 Dec 2013

Newly identified protein could prove promising new drug target for AIDS

Researchers have identified a protein that causes loss of function in immune cells combatting HIV. The scientists report in a paper appearing online Dec. 2 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation that the protein, Sprouty-2, is a promising target for future HIV drug development, since disabling it could help restore the cells' ability to combat the virus that causes AIDS.

2 Dec 2013

Visterra secures exclusive patent license for promising dengue virus antibodies from MIT

Visterra, Inc., a developer of novel antibody therapeutics to prevent and treat major infectious diseases, today announced that it has secured an exclusive patent license from Massachusetts Institute of Technology to a family of early-stage monoclonal antibodies that target dengue virus. These antibodies were developed by MIT in the laboratory of Dr. Ram Sasisekharan, a founder of Visterra, using novel protein engineering approaches. Visterra will apply its proprietary network analysis technology to develop a human monoclonal antibody product candidate capable of broadly neutralizing all four dengue virus serotypes.

2 Dec 2013

Food safety tips for people with HIV/AIDS

December 1, 2013 is World AIDS Day and while the connection between HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) and food safety may not seem obvious, it's actually crucial.

30 Nov 2013

New methods reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV from 23.9% to 2.4% in Gipuzkoa

Miren Apilánez, researcher in the Department of Paediatrics of the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country, has studied the evolution that took place between 1984 and 2011 in paediatric HIV infection in Gipuzkoa. The development of methods to diagnose the disease coupled with increasingly more effective treatments have made it possible to reduce mother-to-child transmission (vertical transmission) from 23.9% to 2.4%, thus virtually eradicating infection in children.

30 Nov 2013

Government of Canada awards $8.76M in funding to develop cure for HIV

In the push for a cure for HIV, the Government of Canada has announced $8.76 million in funding to Université de Montréal and Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal Professor éric A. Cohen, who will lead an unrivaled group of Canadian investigators and international collaborators with a strong track record of interactive research.

29 Nov 2013

Study brings effective hepatitis C cure closer to reality

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have determined the most detailed picture yet of a crucial part of the hepatitis C virus, which the virus uses to infect liver cells. The new data reveal unexpected structural features of this protein and should greatly speed efforts to make an effective hepatitis C vaccine.

29 Nov 2013

Scientists design small synthetic molecules capable of blocking AIDS virus replication

A multidisciplinary team of scientists from Spanish universities and research centres, among which is the University of Valencia, has managed to design small synthetic molecules capable of joining to the genetic material of the AIDS virus and blocking its replication.

28 Nov 2013

Loyola dermatologist offers skin care tips for holidays

The holidays often bring freezing temperatures, limited sleep, sugary treats and cocktails. This combination can spell trouble for your skin, according to a dermatologist at Loyola University Health System.

28 Nov 2013

HIV test for new inmates may not yield new diagnoses, says study

More than 90 percent of HIV-infected inmates entering prison in North Carolina had previously tested positive for the virus, according to a study published in the November 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

27 Nov 2013

European research project examines toxicity factor to fight AIDS

December 1st is the annual World AIDS Day, a perfect opportunity to look at how medical research is progressing to fight the disease.

27 Nov 2013

WHO releases new treatment guidelines for children suffering severe acute malnutrition

WHO today released new treatment guidelines for the almost 20 million children under-five worldwide who have severe acute malnutrition.

27 Nov 2013

Researchers show how unusual properties of A3G protein help fight HIV infection

A collaborative team led by a Northeastern University professor may have altered the way we look at drug development for HIV by uncovering some unusual properties of a human protein called APOBEC3G.

27 Nov 2013

H1N1 virus killed more people globally than originally believed, confirms study

A research team consisting of more than 60 collaborators in 26 countries has estimated the global death toll from the 2009 outbreak of the H1N1 virus to be 10 times higher than the World Health Organization's count, which was based on laboratory-confirmed cases of this flu. The study, which appears online in PLOS Medicine, suggests that the pandemic virus caused up to 203,000 respiratory deaths around the world.

27 Nov 2013

Participating in photovoice empowers women living with HIV to realize their strengths

Having human immunodeficiency virus, the virus that causes AIDS, can create many challenges for individuals physically, socially and emotionally. A University of Missouri researcher found that participating in photovoice, a process by which individuals document their lives by taking pictures, empowered women living with HIV to realize their strengths in the midst of their struggles.

27 Nov 2013

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

UCI-led study results have important implications for HIV vaccine development

Scientists identify enzyme that could lead to better treatment of Alzheimer's disease

LabCorp's HCV GenoSure NS3/4 test now available for Q80K polymorphism screening

Researchers offer promise of strategy for curing HIV infection

Tel Aviv University researchers discover a protein that kills bacteria

Viewpoints: Where's Obama's 'Mission Accomplished' banner?; health law critics overlooking those denied affordable care in the past

Newly identified protein could prove promising new drug target for AIDS

Visterra secures exclusive patent license for promising dengue virus antibodies from MIT

Food safety tips for people with HIV/AIDS

New methods reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV from 23.9% to 2.4% in Gipuzkoa

Government of Canada awards $8.76M in funding to develop cure for HIV

Study brings effective hepatitis C cure closer to reality

Scientists design small synthetic molecules capable of blocking AIDS virus replication

Loyola dermatologist offers skin care tips for holidays

HIV test for new inmates may not yield new diagnoses, says study

European research project examines toxicity factor to fight AIDS

WHO releases new treatment guidelines for children suffering severe acute malnutrition

Researchers show how unusual properties of A3G protein help fight HIV infection

H1N1 virus killed more people globally than originally believed, confirms study

Participating in photovoice empowers women living with HIV to realize their strengths

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