Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

McMaster vaccine offers new hopes for global fight against TB

A tuberculosis vaccine developed at McMaster University offers new hopes for the global fight against tuberculosis.

3 Oct 2013

Researchers launch phase II clinical trial of rectal microbicide to prevent HIV infections

Taking an important step toward the development of a product to prevent HIV infections associated with unprotected anal sex, researchers today announced the launch of a global Phase II clinical trial of a potential rectal microbicide.

3 Oct 2013

UCLA study shows how cocaine makes immune cells susceptible to HIV

In many ways, the spread of HIV has been fueled by substance abuse. Shared needles and drug users' high-risk sexual behaviors are just some of the ways that narcotics such as cocaine have played a key role in the AIDS epidemic in much of the world.

3 Oct 2013

Moderna Therapeutics Scores Up To $25M DARPA Grant

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2 Oct 2013

Research recommends that pediatricians respect parents' rights in making case for immunization

Controversy about the risks of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines has been rumbling in the United States for years -- and now it's Israel's turn. After finding traces of the polio virus in sewage, Israel's Ministry of Health launched a national vaccination campaign that reached more than half a million children. Surprisingly, dissenting voices flooded social media and the mainstream news, calling for a halt to the campaign.

2 Oct 2013

NIH awards 10 new grants to support genomics research in Africa

The National Institutes of Health has awarded 10 new grants totaling up to $17 million over the next four years to support genomics research in Africa, as part of the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) program

2 Oct 2013

Mutant protein blocks HIV infection and transmission, scientists find

A mutant of an immune cell protein called ADAP (adhesion and degranulation-promoting adaptor protein) is able to block infection by HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus 1), new University of Cambridge research reveals. The researchers, who were funded by the Wellcome Trust, believe that their discovery will lead to new ways of combatting HIV.

2 Oct 2013

Maternal smoking during pregnancy associated with twofold increased risk of BD in offspring

A study published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggests an association between smoking during pregnancy and increased risk for developing bipolar disorder in adult children.

2 Oct 2013

Resveratrol worsens MS-like neuropathology and inflammation, study finds

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenol compound produced by the skin of red grapes and peanuts, and found in red wine, has been touted as a beneficial supplement due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

1 Oct 2013

Data from Boehringer Ingelheim's HCV clinical program accepted for presentation at The Liver Meeting

New data from Boehringer Ingelheim's hepatitis C virus clinical development program have been accepted for presentation at the 64th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, also known as The Liver Meeting®, taking place November 1-5 in Washington, D.C.

1 Oct 2013

Merck & Co. Axes 8,500 In R&D Restructuring

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1 Oct 2013

Merck & Co. Axes 8,500 In R&D Restructuring

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1 Oct 2013

Canada should start screening 'Baby Boomers' for hepatitis C virus infection, say liver specialists

Canada should begin screening 'Baby Boomers' for the hepatitis C virus infection, since this age group is likely the largest group to have the illness, and most don't know they have it, say a group of liver specialists in the Toronto Western Hospital Francis Family Liver Clinic. Unlike many other chronic viral infections, early treatment makes hepatitis C curable.

1 Oct 2013

Study to assess voluntary HIV testing, prompt treatment in South Africa, Zambia

A study in South Africa and Zambia will assess whether house-to-house voluntary HIV testing and prompt treatment of HIV infection, along with other proven HIV prevention measures, can substantially reduce the number of new HIV infections across communities.

1 Oct 2013

Use of cocaine may increase one's vulnerability to HIV infection

Cocaine use may increase one's vulnerability to HIV infection, according to a new research report published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. In the report, scientists show that cocaine alters immune cells, called "quiescent CD4 T cells," to render them more susceptible to the virus, and at the same time, to allow for increased proliferation of the virus.

1 Oct 2013

Virginia Tech faculty receives NIH New Innovator Award to research on influenza transmission

Influenza strikes five to 15 percent of the population and is estimated to cost the U.S. economy a hefty $90 million per year. If researchers can improve the understanding of how environmental conditions affect the ability of the influenza virus to survive and infect others while it is airborne, they may be able to help improve prediction and control of its spread.

1 Oct 2013

Diabetes puts you at increased risk of flu-related complications

There are certain groups of people who are at risk of serious flu complications each year, including those with diabetes.

30 Sep 2013

Patients treated by ID physicians less likely to die in hospital

In a first-of-its-kind study to evaluate the impact of a medical specialty on patient outcomes, researchers found that hospitalized patients with severe infections such as meningitis and Clostridium difficile are significantly less likely to die if they receive care from an infectious diseases specialist. The study, which analyzed nearly 130,000 Medicare patient cases, is now available online and will be published in the December 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

30 Sep 2013

New intravaginal ring delivers drug effectively, guards against HIV for 1 month

It's often said that the HIV/AIDS epidemic has a woman's face. The proportion of women infected with HIV has been on the rise for a decade; in sub-Saharan Africa, women constitute 60 percent of people living with disease. While preventative drugs exist, they have often proven ineffective, especially in light of financial and cultural barriers in developing nations.

28 Sep 2013