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New research shows that serious life events in childhood can increase type 1 diabetes risk

New research from Sweden published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) shows that serious life events (SLEs) in childhood, such as death or illness in the family, divorce/separation, a new child or adult in the family, and conflicts in the family, can triple the risk of subsequently developing type 1 diabetes (T1D).

23 Apr 2015

International science team pave way for fast and accurate diagnosis of the influenza virus

Statistics indicate that, on average, adults over the age of 30 only contract the influenza virus twice in a decade – but far more frequently (self) misdiagnose a cold virus (commonly rhinovirus or coronavirus) as being the flu...

16 Apr 2015

Researchers identify phenomenon that explains effects of oxidative stress on immune cells

You're up in the mountains, the snow is blindingly white, and the sun is blazing down from the sky: ideal skiing conditions - but any skiers carrying the herpes virus might also have to reckon with the onset of cold sores after their day out.

10 Apr 2015

New review highlights future research initiatives to eradicate polio

April 12th 2015 marks the 60th anniversary of the publication of Jonas Salk's landmark polio vaccine trial results, which confirmed that the first vaccine against polio was safe and effective. A new review, which was published online ahead of print in Future Microbiology, provides a comprehensive overview of current polio vaccines, and highlights new and future research initiatives, such as new vaccine formulations, that could help ensure that polio is eradicated and eradication is maintained.

6 Apr 2015

World-first human clinical trials for Hendra virus to begin this month

An antibody manufactured at The University of Queensland will be used in world-first human Hendra virus clinical trials starting this month.

1 Apr 2015

Study finds link between neurodegenerative disorders and inflammation

Researchers from McMaster University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York have discovered that a protein associated with neurodegenerative diseases like ALS also plays an important role in the body's natural antiviral response.

30 Mar 2015

Rigontec raises €4.8 million in second closing of Series A financing round

Rigontec GmbH, a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing RNA-based immunotherapeutics for the treatment of cancer and viral diseases, today announces it has raised €4.8 million in a second closing of its Series A financing round from Forbion Capital Partners, a Dutch life-sciences venture capital firm, and Sunstone Capital, a Copenhagen based venture capital investor.

24 Mar 2015

New technology developed to determine resistance to rabies virus

Researchers at Texas A&M AgriLife Research have developed a new technology to determine sensitivity or resistance to rabies virus.

20 Mar 2015

Study describes the dual role of microRNA during hepatitis C infection

In the battle between a cell and a virus, either side may resort to subterfuge. Molecular messages, which control the cellular machinery both sides need, are vulnerable to interception or forgery.

13 Mar 2015

WHO releases first-ever guidance for chronic hepatitis B treatment

WHO today issued its first-ever guidance for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B, a viral infection which is spread through blood and body fluids, attacking the liver and resulting in an estimated 650 000 deaths each year - most of them in low- and middle-income countries.

12 Mar 2015

Clinical study launched to evaluate effectiveness of new HCV therapy in Washington, D.C.

Officials from the National Institutes of Health and the city of Washington, D.C., launched a clinical trial to examine whether primary care physicians and other health care providers, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, can use a new antiviral therapy as effectively as specialist physicians to treat people with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

9 Mar 2015

Predicting the development of type 1 diabetes is possible, shows TEDDY study

New research shows that it is possible to predict the development of type 1 diabetes. By measuring the presence of autoantibodies in the blood, it is possible to detect whether the immune system has begun to break down the body's own insulin cells.

26 Feb 2015

Betaretrovirus may infect patients with primary biliary cirrhosis

In a new study published in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, researchers at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry have shown that a betaretrovirus which resembles a mouse mammary tumor virus infects patients with the rare liver disease, primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).

20 Feb 2015

WHO urges affected countries to increase investment in tackling neglected tropical diseases

WHO urges affected countries to scale up their investment in tackling 17 neglected tropical diseases in order to improve the health and well-being of more than 1.5 billion people. This investment would represent as little as 0.1% of current domestic expenditure on health in affected low and middle income countries for the period 2015-2030.

19 Feb 2015

Rutgers patient gets second chance at life following liver transplant

Mati Muñoz is 65 years old - filled with the enthusiastic energy that comes with a second chance at life. A decade ago, says Muñoz, who lives in Woodbridge Township, N.J., her liver was being destroyed by hepatitis C, a viral disease she believes she contracted as a girl in her native Cuba from a poorly sterilized needle used in a medical procedure.

17 Feb 2015

Immune system exploits flu virus' dependence on host's machinery

Viruses are masters of outsourcing, entrusting their fundamental function - reproduction - to the host cells they infect. But it turns out this highly economical approach also creates vulnerability.

13 Feb 2015

Two researchers receive Pioneer Award from Human Gene Therapy

Recognized for their pioneering work in the development of gene transfer technology using retroviral vectors to deliver therapeutic genes into cells, Richard C. Mulligan, PhD, Director of the Harvard Gene Therapy Initiative, Harvard Institutes of Medicine, Boston, MA, and A. Dusty Miller, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, received the Pioneer Award from Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

9 Feb 2015

Researchers assess causes of febrile illnesses in Tanzanian children

Valérie D'Acremont led the research team from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel and the Policlinique Médicale Universitaire in Lausanne, who systematically assessed the causes of febrile illnesses in Tanzanian children. According to the published paper, in most cases a treatment with antimalarials or antibiotics is not required.

9 Feb 2015

Johns Hopkins researchers reveal that e-cigarettes weaken immune system

In a study with mice, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers have found that e-cigarettes compromise the immune system in the lungs and generate some of the same potentially dangerous chemicals found in traditional nicotine cigarettes.

5 Feb 2015

Quest Diagnostics, CDC partner to identify trends in diagnosis and treatment for viral hepatitis

Quest Diagnostics, the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, today announced that it will collaborate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify trends in screening, diagnosis and treatment for four strains of viral hepatitis in the United States, based on insights revealed by analysis of Quest’s national testing database.

From Quest Diagnostics 29 Jan 2015