Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

New therapeutic made from tobacco plants shown to arrest West Nile virus infection

A new therapeutic made from tobacco plants has been shown to arrest West Nile virus infection, according to a new study by Arizona State University scientist Qiang Chen and his colleagues.

2 Feb 2010

Study could help in developing therapeutic strategies for Chikungunya virus infection

A study published online on February 1 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (www.jem.org) shows that antiviral proteins called type I interferons (IFNs) are needed to fend off infection with an exotic mosquito-borne virus called Chikungunya virus.

2 Feb 2010

Researchers identify antiviral small molecule that is effective against numerous viruses

Viruses are insidious creatures. They differ from each other in many ways, and they can mutate - at times seemingly at will, as with HIV - to resist a host of weapons fired at them. Complicating matters further is that new viruses are constantly emerging.

2 Feb 2010

More details on Obama's global health strategy expected along with budget release, Wall Street Journal reports

"The Obama administration is expected to propose in its fiscal 2011 budget Monday new funding to combat preventable and tropical diseases, malnutrition and other conditions afflicting the world's poor, as part of a strategy to broaden its approach to global health," the Wall Street Journal reports.

2 Feb 2010

Romark Laboratories commences enrollment in Alinia clinical trial for acute uncomplicated influenza

Romark Laboratories announced that it has initiated enrollment of patients in a clinical trial of Alinia® (nitazoxanide) for treating acute uncomplicated influenza including illness caused by the currently circulating H1N1 strain.

1 Feb 2010

Humana announces consolidated revenues of $7.63 billion for fourth-quarter 2009

Humana Inc. today reported diluted earnings per common share (EPS) for the quarter ended December 31, 2009 (4Q09) of $1.48, as compared to $1.03 per share for the quarter ended December 31, 2008 (4Q08), reflecting lower PDP claim expenses in 4Q09 than in 4Q08.

1 Feb 2010

Breakthrough in HIV research leads to better treatment potential

Researchers have made a breakthrough in HIV research that had eluded scientists for over 20 years, potentially leading to better treatments for HIV, in a study published today in the journal Nature.

31 Jan 2010

Study indicates dogs make excellent models for studying human genetic disorders

In the new Swedish-Finnish study, published in Nature Genetics, the researchers identified five loci that predispose to an SLE-related disease in Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers.

31 Jan 2010

Clinical results of MedImmune's pivotal trial for motavizumab published

MedImmune today announced that clinical results of its pivotal multinational, randomized, double-masked trial for motavizumab have been published in the current issue of the peer-reviewed publication, Pediatrics: Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

30 Jan 2010

Agent-enhanced CT scan plays a supporting role in diagnosing severe cases of H1N1 flu virus

Published reports on the usefulness of CT scans for complicated H1N1 cases have spurred use of these procedures in U.S. hospitals. According to healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information, this opens up a pathway of diagnostics for physicians and overall is a positive sign not only for the technology but also for companies making chemical agents for procedures.

29 Jan 2010

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commits $10 billion for vaccine research and development

Bill and Melinda Gates announced today that their foundation will commit $10 billion over the next 10 years to help research, develop and deliver vaccines for the world's poorest countries.

29 Jan 2010

Blood flowing with force protects against dangerous clogs in blood vessels

It is second nature for most of us that exercise protects against heart attack and stroke, but researchers have spent 30 years unraveling the biochemistry behind the idea. One answer first offered by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center is that athletic hearts push blood through arteries with greater force, which alone triggers reactions that protect against dangerous clogs in blood vessels.

29 Jan 2010

New understanding of CD44 receptor's role in immune cell survival

Investigators at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) have discovered a new way the cell surface protein, CD44, helps specific T helper (Th1) cells develop immunologic memory.

29 Jan 2010

Experimental vaccine protects mice and monkeys against chikungunya virus

An experimental vaccine developed using non-infectious virus-like particles (VLP) has protected macaques and mice against chikungunya virus, a mosquito-borne pathogen that has infected millions of people in Africa and Asia and causes debilitating pain, researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found.

29 Jan 2010

Findings could guide in developing more effective vaccines for HIV/AIDS and cancer

In an acute viral infection, most of the white blood cells known as T cells differentiate into cells that fight the virus and die off in the process. But a few of these "effector" T cells survive and become memory T cells, ensuring that the immune system can respond faster and stronger the next time around.

29 Jan 2010

Nontoxic drug halts and reverses rheumatoid arthritis

A researcher from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine has invented a novel way to halt and even reverse rheumatoid arthritis. He developed an imitation of a suicide molecule that floats undetected into overactive immune cells responsible for the disease.

29 Jan 2010

Labeling update for Tibotec Therapeutics' PREZISTA tablets approved

Tibotec Therapeutics announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a labeling update for PREZISTA® (darunavir) tablets to include 96-week data from the ARTEMIS and TITAN studies.

29 Jan 2010

National contest invites teens and teachers to participate in flu prevention campaign

Former American Idol finalist Danny Gokey and The Clorox Company have teamed up to launch I Don't Want to Miss…, a national contest designed to get teens and their teachers involved in flu prevention.

28 Jan 2010

Blocking action of key protein boosts immune 'memory' to prevent or clear viral infection

Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a potential new way to stimulate the immune system to prevent or clear a viral infection. By blocking the action of a key protein in the mouse immune system, they were able to boost immune "memory" in those mice-work that may one day help doctors increase the effectiveness of human vaccines designed to prevent viral infections.

28 Jan 2010

HIV prevalence continues to rise in Minnesota

According to statistics released today by the Minnesota Department of Health, 368 confirmed new cases of HIV were reported in Minnesota during 2009. The 368 new cases are the highest seen in 17 years.

28 Jan 2010

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

New therapeutic made from tobacco plants shown to arrest West Nile virus infection

Study could help in developing therapeutic strategies for Chikungunya virus infection

Researchers identify antiviral small molecule that is effective against numerous viruses

More details on Obama's global health strategy expected along with budget release, Wall Street Journal reports

Romark Laboratories commences enrollment in Alinia clinical trial for acute uncomplicated influenza

Humana announces consolidated revenues of $7.63 billion for fourth-quarter 2009

Breakthrough in HIV research leads to better treatment potential

Study indicates dogs make excellent models for studying human genetic disorders

Clinical results of MedImmune's pivotal trial for motavizumab published

Agent-enhanced CT scan plays a supporting role in diagnosing severe cases of H1N1 flu virus

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commits $10 billion for vaccine research and development

Blood flowing with force protects against dangerous clogs in blood vessels

New understanding of CD44 receptor's role in immune cell survival

Experimental vaccine protects mice and monkeys against chikungunya virus

Findings could guide in developing more effective vaccines for HIV/AIDS and cancer

Nontoxic drug halts and reverses rheumatoid arthritis

Labeling update for Tibotec Therapeutics' PREZISTA tablets approved

National contest invites teens and teachers to participate in flu prevention campaign

Blocking action of key protein boosts immune 'memory' to prevent or clear viral infection

HIV prevalence continues to rise in Minnesota

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