Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Study: Antibody neutralizes dengue and Zika virus in mice

Brazil and other areas hardest hit by the Zika virus – which can cause babies to be born with abnormally small heads – are also home to dengue virus, which is spread by the same mosquito species.

25 Sep 2017

Novel approach facilitates long-term persistence of AAV vector genomes in proliferating cells

Researchers added a scaffold/matrix attachment region (S/MAR) to a conventional adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector used for gene transfer, and the modified vectors were able to establish colonies and maintain long-term transgene expression in HeLa cells, as reported in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

22 Sep 2017

Researchers use gene therapy to restore hearing and balance in mouse model of Usher syndrome

Hearing loss, sometimes associated with other disorders such as balance defects, is the most common sensory deficit, affecting more than 280 million people worldwide, according to WHO. In France, one child in 700 is born with severe or profound hearing loss, and one in every 1,000 will lose their sense of hearing before adulthood.

22 Sep 2017

New syndrome caused by biallelic mutations predisposes the body to tumors

A new syndrome caused by biallelic mutations - those produced in both gene copies inherited from the mother and father - in the FANCM gene predisposes the body to the appearance of tumours and causes rejection to chemotherapy treatments.

22 Sep 2017

Triple-action antibody to be tested as HIV vaccine

Scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company Sanofi have engineered a three-pronged antibody that protected monkeys from two strains of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) better than the equivalent naturally occurring antibodies.

22 Sep 2017

Time spent outdoors impacts risk for contracting Zika virus

When Zika first buzzed into the continental United States during the 2016 outbreak, Florida was hit first--and hardest--with 1,174 documented cases to date. So, when Marco Ajelli, associate research scientist at Northeastern and an expert in infectious disease modeling, wanted to study how time spent outside might affect the spread of the epidemic, he chose to focus on the state's most stricken county: Miami-Dade.

22 Sep 2017

Novel gene therapy can inhibit, reverse multiple sclerosis in mouse models

Multiple sclerosis can be inhibited or reversed using a novel gene therapy technique that stops the disease's immune response in mouse models, University of Florida Health researchers have found.

21 Sep 2017

Routine and rapid HCV testing improves life expectancy, reduces costs for young adults

Routine and rapid hepatitis C virus testing among young adults who use injection drugs improves life expectancy and may provide a good use of limited resources, according to new research out of Boston Medical Center, in partnership with the Boston Public Health Commission.

21 Sep 2017

Poliovirus therapy triggers longer-lasting immune response against malignant tumors

An investigational therapy using modified poliovirus to attack cancer tumors appears to unleash the body's own capacity to fight malignancies by activating an inflammation process that counter's the ability of cancer cells to evade the immune system.

20 Sep 2017

PET imaging helps scientists to study progression of Zika virus infection in mice

For the first time, scientists have used Positron Emission Tomography imaging to study brain inflammation following Zika virus infection in mice, according to a study recently published online in the journal Molecular Imaging and Biology.

19 Sep 2017

Few tips to remove a tick and prevent future bites

As tick populations grow and spread across the country, their prevalence is increasing the public's risk for some troubling diseases. Of these diseases, say dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Powassan virus and alpha-gal syndrome- a mysterious red meat allergy- are among the most serious.

19 Sep 2017

QMUL professor receives Cancer Research UK Lifetime Achievement Award

Professor Jack Cuzick from Queen Mary University of London has received the Cancer Research UK Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on cancer prevention and detection.

19 Sep 2017

Gene therapy could be novel approach to treat alcoholism, research suggests

Researchers used gene transfer to block the expression of one of the two main enzymes that break down alcohol in the liver, leading to the accumulation in liver cells of acetaldehyde, a metabolic byproduct of ethanol.

19 Sep 2017

Research could lead to improvements in treating diseases caused by mutations in genes

Research carried out by academics at Northumbria University, Newcastle could lead to improvements in treating patients with diseases caused by mutations in genes, such as cancer, cystic fibrosis and potentially up to 6,000 other inherited conditions.

19 Sep 2017

Researchers create chimera virus that allows study of molecules to treat cancers

Researchers from Instituto de Medicina Molecular Lisboa have created a chimera virus that allows the study of molecules to treat cancers caused by human herpesvirus infection in mice models of disease.

18 Sep 2017

Scientists make significant discovery in efforts to develop vaccine against global pathogens

Scientists at the University of Southampton have made a significant discovery in efforts to develop a vaccine against Zika, dengue and Hepatitis C viruses that affect millions of people around the world.

15 Sep 2017

EHR-based prompt in primary care increases HCV screening rates among baby boomers

In a recent study, screening rates for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among baby boomers increased fivefold in the year following implementation of an electronic health record (EHR)-based prompt for primary care physicians.

14 Sep 2017

UF scientists to use $2.7 million NIH grant for preventing influenza viruses in animals and humans

University of Florida researchers will use a $2.7 million National Institutes of Health grant to study whether they can harness an unusual type of immune cell in pigs to treat and prevent influenza viruses in animals and humans.

14 Sep 2017

New discovery by TSRI scientists could speed efforts to develop effective HIV vaccine

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have made a discovery that could speed efforts to develop a successful HIV vaccine.

14 Sep 2017

New shingles vaccine gets FDA panel votes

On the 13th of September 2017, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel has voted 11 to 0 approving a shingles vaccine for its use in adults aged 50 and over. The panel unanimously accepted the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and thus GlaxoSmithKline’s Shingrix is on its way to FDA approval.

14 Sep 2017

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Study: Antibody neutralizes dengue and Zika virus in mice

Novel approach facilitates long-term persistence of AAV vector genomes in proliferating cells

Researchers use gene therapy to restore hearing and balance in mouse model of Usher syndrome

New syndrome caused by biallelic mutations predisposes the body to tumors

Triple-action antibody to be tested as HIV vaccine

Time spent outdoors impacts risk for contracting Zika virus

Novel gene therapy can inhibit, reverse multiple sclerosis in mouse models

Routine and rapid HCV testing improves life expectancy, reduces costs for young adults

Poliovirus therapy triggers longer-lasting immune response against malignant tumors

PET imaging helps scientists to study progression of Zika virus infection in mice

Few tips to remove a tick and prevent future bites

QMUL professor receives Cancer Research UK Lifetime Achievement Award

Gene therapy could be novel approach to treat alcoholism, research suggests

Research could lead to improvements in treating diseases caused by mutations in genes

Researchers create chimera virus that allows study of molecules to treat cancers

Scientists make significant discovery in efforts to develop vaccine against global pathogens

EHR-based prompt in primary care increases HCV screening rates among baby boomers

UF scientists to use $2.7 million NIH grant for preventing influenza viruses in animals and humans

New discovery by TSRI scientists could speed efforts to develop effective HIV vaccine

New shingles vaccine gets FDA panel votes

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