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Researchers investigate mechanism of immune system to decipher gut-dwelling worms

A billion people living in underdeveloped areas around the world are infected with parasitic helminthes, worms that survive by residing in and feeding on their hosts. These infestations can cause chronic intestinal (and occasionally systemic) illnesses leading to long-term disability. Irah King and Markus Mohrs, biomedical researchers at the Trudeau Institute, are investigating illnesses caused by these gut-dwelling worms in an effort to decipher how immune cells send and receive signals that determine the specific immune response to mount.

12 Oct 2010

Biologists determine three-dimensional structure of molecule involved in HIV, cancer

In a technical tour de force, structural biologists funded by the National Institutes of Health have determined the three-dimensional structure of a molecule involved in HIV infection and in many forms of cancer. The high-resolution structure sheds light on how the molecule functions and could point to ways to control its activity, potentially locking out HIV and stalling cancer's spread.

8 Oct 2010

RDI launches HIV-TRePS system to predict patients’ response to HIV drugs

A ground-breaking system for predicting how individual patients with HIV and AIDS will respond to different drugs is launched today by RDI, a UK-based not-for-profit research group. The experimental system, called the HIV Treatment Response Prediction System (HIV-TRePS), is available free of charge over the Internet and helps physicians select the best treatment for their patients.

6 Oct 2010

Researchers identify new type of cell that protects from immune system attack

Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston have identified a new type of cell in mice that dampens the immune system and protects the animal's own cells from immune system attack.

5 Oct 2010

Celldex Therapeutics presents initial clinical data on CDX-1401 cancer vaccine candidate at iSBTc meeting

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that the Company presented initial clinical data on CDX-1401 at the 25th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Biological Therapy of Cancer (iSBTc) in Washington, DC. CDX-1401 is a novel antibody-based targeted cancer vaccine candidate being evaluated as a treatment for patients with melanoma and other cancers that are known to express the tumor antigen NY-ESO-1.

5 Oct 2010

Research on immune system paves way to combat mother-to-infant HIV transmission

Researchers at Oregon Health &Science University may have uncovered a new weapon for combating HIV as it is passed from mother to newborn child. The research, which was led by researchers at OHSU's Oregon National Primate Research Center, will be published in the October 3rd online edition of the journal Nature Medicine.

4 Oct 2010

Discovery suggest a new direction for designing vaccines for rare HIV infection

New discoveries about the immune defenses of rare HIV patients who produce antibodies that prevent infection suggest a novel direction for designing new vaccines. Researchers at Rockefeller University and colleagues have now made two fundamental discoveries about the so called broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies, which effectively keep the virus at bay.

30 Sep 2010

HIV infection mystery revealed

In a new discovery, Melbourne researchers have found a mechanism by which the HIV virus can affect people. According to co-head of the Burnet Institute's Centre for Virology, Sharon Lewin, scientists have found out how HIV entered a group of cells in which the virus tends to persist in spite of antiviral treatment that reduces the virus to undetectable levels.

22 Sep 2010

Cytheris commences enrollment in CYT107 recombinant human Interleukin-7 clinical trial for HIV

Cytheris SA, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on research and development of new therapies for immune modulation, today announced that it has begun enrolling patients in INSPIRE 3, a Phase II clinical program evaluating the effect of repeated cycles of the company's investigative immune-modulator, recombinant human Interleukin-7 (CYT107), in the treatment of chronically HIV-1 infected patients classified as Immunological Non-Responders (INR) after at least 24 months of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART).

21 Sep 2010

Annals of Internal Medicine publishes GRACE study data on HIV therapy

Data from the GRACE study will be published in the September 21st issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. GRACE is the largest-ever study of treatment experienced adult women with HIV-1 to examine gender differences in response to HIV therapy. Sponsored by Tibotec Therapeutics Clinical Affairs, a division of Centocor Ortho Biotech Services, LLC, the GRACE study enrolled 67 percent women, demonstrating that it is possible to recruit large numbers of women into U.S.-based HIV treatment studies.

21 Sep 2010

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals announces BCX4208 compound results for treating gout

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced positive top-line results from its randomized, double-blind, multi-center, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study designed to evaluate the urate-lowering activity and safety of several doses of BCX4208 alone and in combination with selected doses of allopurinol administered once-daily.

16 Sep 2010

European Commission approves SmPC update for VIRAMUNE in HIV treatment

Boehringer Ingelheim announced today that the European Commission has approved an update to the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) for VIRAMUNE (nevirapine) in the treatment of patients with HIV.

16 Sep 2010

Data from Phase II trial of zanolimumab in PTCL published in British Journal of Haematology

TenX Biopharma, Inc. announced today that data from a Phase II trial of zanolimumab (HuMax-CD4®) in peripheral T-cell Lymphoma were published in the British Journal of Haematology (Sep 2010: 150(5):565-73). The Hx-CD4-109 trial was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of zanolimumab in patients who have relapsed or refractory non-cutaneous peripheral T-cell lymphoma.

14 Sep 2010

Gilead Sciences announces Quad regimen Phase II clinical trial results for HIV infection treatment

Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced Phase II clinical trial results showing that its investigational fixed-dose, single-tablet "Quad" regimen of elvitegravir, cobicistat and Truvada (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) for the treatment of HIV infection maintained a high rate of virologic suppression through 48 weeks, exhibiting antiretroviral activity comparable to that of Atripla(efavirenz 600 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg).

14 Sep 2010

AHF praises US government's increase in PEPFAR funding commitment for Uganda

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, which currently cares for over 49,000 AIDS patients in Uganda through its Uganda CARES network of eleven treatment clinics throughout the country, today lauded the United States government for increasing its funding commitment in Uganda for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the United States' respected global AIDS program.

8 Sep 2010

Switching to nevirapine drug from PI based regimen reduces viremia in children: Study

HIV infected children in South Africa who were exposed to the drug nevirapine at birth (used to help prevent mother to child HIV transmission) and then received a protease inhibitor (PI) for viral suppression achieved lower rates of viremia (virus in the blood stream) if they were switched to nevirapine, compared to children who continued on the PI-based regimen, according to a study in the September 8 issue of JAMA.

8 Sep 2010

WHO revises treatment protocols for HIV patients

Prompted by clinical research into the early initiation of antiretroviral therapies for HIV performed at the GHESKIO clinic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the World Health Organization (WHO) has revised its treatment protocols for HIV patients.

3 Sep 2010

MGH scientists develop new microfluidic tool for accurate isolation of neutrophils

A team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) scientists has developed a new microfluidic tool for quickly and accurately isolating neutrophils - the most abundant type of white blood cell - from small blood samples, an accomplishment that could provide information essential to better understanding the immune system's response to traumatic injury. The system, described in a Nature Medicine paper that received advance online release, also can be adapted to isolate almost any type of cell.

31 Aug 2010

Also in Global Health News: Disaster preparedness in Asian health sector; PEPFAR in Uganda; Malnutrition in Chad

IRIN reports on disaster preparedness in Asian health sectors. According to the news service, nine countries working with Bangkok-based Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) "have emergency preparedness plans in place for their health sectors."

27 Aug 2010

BioCryst second-quarter total revenues increase to $7.6 million

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2010.

5 Aug 2010