Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Ribavirin, interferon-alpha 2b inhibit virus replication in cell culture, NIH study finds

National Institutes of Health scientists studying an emerging coronavirus have found that a combination of two licensed antiviral drugs, ribavirin and interferon-alpha 2b, can stop the virus from replicating in laboratory-grown cells.

19 Apr 2013

Longer looks: The timely trauma response in Boston; Problems with aging doctors; Transplants from donors with HIV

The bombs at the Boston Marathon were designed to maim and kill, and they did. Three people died within the first moments of the blast. More than a hundred and seventy people were injured. They had their limbs blown off, vital arteries severed, bones fractured, flesh torn open by shrapnel or scorched by the blasts' heat. Yet it now appears that every one of the wounded alive when rescuers reached them will survive.

19 Apr 2013

New assays are effective in managing patients with influenza virus infection

Over 40,000 people die each year in the United States from influenza-related diseases. In patients whose immune systems are compromised, antiviral therapy may be life-saving, but it needs to be initiated quickly. It is therefore crucial to diagnose and type the influenza rapidly.

18 Apr 2013

Health officials have reason to 'remain hypervigilant' over H7N9

"Just as the world was breathing easier about a deadly bird flu virus that killed 371 people over the past decade before dropping out of sight, a different form of bird flu has emerged in China that is causing concern among health experts," a New York Times editorial writes.

18 Apr 2013

H7N9 virus continues to spread; International research team traveling to China to assist

"Two more people in China have died from a new strain of avian influenza, bringing to 16 the number of deaths from the H7N9 virus, and the government has warned that the number of infections could rise," Reuters reports.

18 Apr 2013

Findings hold promise for development of therapies to fight different viral infections

The human body has the ability to ward off viruses by activating a naturally occurring protein at the cellular level, setting off a chain reaction that disrupts the levels of cholesterol required in cell membranes to enable viruses to enter cells.

18 Apr 2013

IDRI, Medicago announce positive Phase I clinical trial results for avian flu pandemic vaccine

IDRI, a Seattle-based non-profit research organization that is a leading developer of adjuvants used in vaccines combating infectious disease, and Medicago Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing highly effective and competitive vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles, today reported positive interim results from a Phase I clinical trial for an H5N1 Avian Influenza VLP vaccine candidate.

18 Apr 2013

Research findings could lead to novel approaches for eliminating reservoirs of HIV-1

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered how the protein that blocks HIV-1 from multiplying in white blood cells is regulated.

18 Apr 2013

Tacere Therapeutics submits TT-034 clinical trial application to Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee

RNAi-based therapeutics company Benitec Biopharma Limited today announced that the company's wholly owned US subsidiary, Tacere Therapeutics Inc., has submitted an application to the US National Institutes of Health's Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee.

18 Apr 2013

Research shows how climate, environmental changes influence spread of dangerous viruses

How are human and animal diseases in general affected by the climate becoming "wilder, wetter and warmer"? Solveig Jore's doctoral research shows that the tick Ixodes ricinus has spread over larger geographical areas in Norway and that climate and environmental changes, access to host animals and demography affect tick distribution in Norway.

17 Apr 2013

Antiretroviral therapy does not affect resting energy expenditure in HIV-infected women

Studies have shown that about 10 percent of men infected with human immunodeficiency virus have an elevated resting energy expenditure.

17 Apr 2013

Flunisyn Phase 2a trial data shows positive results in elderly population

Following the widely publicised US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report in February that the current season's flu vaccine is only 9% effective in the over-65 population, Immune Targeting Systems Limited, today announces positive data from a Phase 2a trial with the Company's lead pan-strain influenza A T-cell vaccine, Flunisyn, in the elderly population.

17 Apr 2013

Circumcision offers men some protection against HIV, discovers TGen-led study

Male circumcision reduces the abundance of bacteria living on the penis and might help explain why circumcision offers men some protection against HIV, according to a study led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute.

17 Apr 2013

Adult male circumcision reduces bacteria living on penis, study shows

Circumcision drastically alters the microbiome of the penis, changes that could explain why circumcision offers protection against HIV and other viral infections.

17 Apr 2013

Reports of H7N9 cases, deaths continue from across China

"Two more people have died in China from a new strain of bird flu, raising the death toll from the virus to 13, state media reported Sunday," the Associated Press reports.

16 Apr 2013

Lessons learned from India's polio response could help country combat other diseases

"More than 400 signatories to [a scientific declaration urging the world to eradicate polio], hailing from 80 countries, believe polio eradication is achievable in large part because of the great gains India has made against the disease," T. Jacob John, a retired professor of clinical virology at Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, writes in the Wall Street Journal's "India Real Time" blog.

16 Apr 2013

Luminex's MAGPIX instrument gets FDA approval

Luminex Corporation today announced it has received U.S. FDA clearance of its MAGPIX instrument, with its xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel.

From Luminex 16 Apr 2013

Global commitment needed for polio eradication

"I have spent my career seeking to understand and tackling deadly viruses, from ebola to HIV. But polio stands out because, unlike these diseases, we already hold the key to its eradication: effective vaccines," Peter Piot, director and professor of global health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, writes in The Guardian's "Poverty Matters" blog.

15 Apr 2013

New data on T cells' protective role suggests need for new approach to dengue vaccine design

As efforts to create a strong and effective vaccine for the dreaded dengue virus continue to hit snags, a new study from researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology offers surprising evidence that suggests the need for a revamped approach to dengue vaccine design.

15 Apr 2013

Published report describes 3 cases of H7N9; Researchers developing quick test, vaccine

A new report by a team of Chinese researchers describing the cases of three people who died of the H7N9 avian flu strain in China "was published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine along with a commentary from American health officials, who said the disease 'raises many urgent questions and global public health concerns,'" the New York Times reports.

15 Apr 2013

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Ribavirin, interferon-alpha 2b inhibit virus replication in cell culture, NIH study finds

Longer looks: The timely trauma response in Boston; Problems with aging doctors; Transplants from donors with HIV

New assays are effective in managing patients with influenza virus infection

Health officials have reason to 'remain hypervigilant' over H7N9

H7N9 virus continues to spread; International research team traveling to China to assist

Findings hold promise for development of therapies to fight different viral infections

IDRI, Medicago announce positive Phase I clinical trial results for avian flu pandemic vaccine

Research findings could lead to novel approaches for eliminating reservoirs of HIV-1

Tacere Therapeutics submits TT-034 clinical trial application to Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee

Research shows how climate, environmental changes influence spread of dangerous viruses

Antiretroviral therapy does not affect resting energy expenditure in HIV-infected women

Flunisyn Phase 2a trial data shows positive results in elderly population

Circumcision offers men some protection against HIV, discovers TGen-led study

Adult male circumcision reduces bacteria living on penis, study shows

Reports of H7N9 cases, deaths continue from across China

Lessons learned from India's polio response could help country combat other diseases

Luminex's MAGPIX instrument gets FDA approval

Global commitment needed for polio eradication

New data on T cells' protective role suggests need for new approach to dengue vaccine design

Published report describes 3 cases of H7N9; Researchers developing quick test, vaccine

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