Infectious Diseases News and Research

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GeoVax expands Phase 2a clinical trial for MVA62B HIV/AIDS vaccine

GeoVax Labs, Inc., announced today the expansion of the Phase 2a clinical trial testing of its HIV/AIDS vaccine products. The expanded Phase 2a trial will test the administration of three doses of the recombinant poxvirus vaccine MVA62B without the use of the recombinant DNA-vectored vaccine, which was used to prime immune responses in the first part of this trial.

7 Dec 2010

New, HIV-like retroviruses linked to CFS, prostate cancer detected in healthy blood donors

In an unprecedented move, chronic fatigue syndrome patients published a half-page ad in The Washington Post today. The ad brings attention to new, HIV-like retroviruses, including XMRV, which have been linked to CFS and aggressive prostate cancer, and have been detected in healthy blood donors.

6 Dec 2010

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Galderma expand their multi-year collaboration agreement

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class, anti-infective compounds for the treatment and prevention of antibiotic-resistant infections, and Galderma, a global leading pharmaceutical company dedicated exclusively to the field of dermatology, announce the expansion of their multi-year collaboration agreement. Based on positive data assessing the activity of NovaBay's Aganocide compounds against impetigo, Galderma has agreed to exercise its option for this indication.

6 Dec 2010

ACAAI allergist experts available to comment on new food allergy guidelines

Food allergy experts from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology are available to comment as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases releases the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy on December 6. The ACAAI was one of more than 30 professional organizations, federal agencies and lay organizations who collaborated on the development of these recommendations.

6 Dec 2010

Patients with H1N1 flu die due to over-reactive immune response: Research

On November 19, Jason Martin returned to the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for the first time since he nearly died there during last year's H1N1 flu pandemic. The tall and burly Warren County, TN, ambulance worker - a 30-year-old, father of three young children - broke down and hugged some of the nurses he recognized.

6 Dec 2010

Wide-scale study of flu vaccine's effectiveness in European children needed

A wide-scale study of the effectiveness of flu vaccine in children is needed in Europe to fully assess the benefits, not only in keeping the kids from getting sick, but limiting the spread of flu to adults.

4 Dec 2010

IDRI awarded $1.8M contract to develop adjuvant formulations for pandemic influenza

The Infectious Disease Research Institute has been awarded an $1.8 million contract from the Biomedical Advance Research and Development Authority. IDRI's work will focus on development of adjuvant formulations with options up to $8.5 million over three years when further development and manufacture of priority candidates are approved by the agency.

4 Dec 2010

NFID supports CDC's National Influenza Vaccination Week

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's annual observance of National Influenza Vaccination Week to communicate the importance and availability of influenza vaccination into the winter months and beyond. It is critical that physicians and patients, especially parents of pediatric patients, remain vigilant about flu protection this and every year.

4 Dec 2010

IDRI receives $790,200 BARDA grant to develop pandemic flu vaccine

The Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) today announced it has received a $790,200 grant from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the US Department of Health and Human Services. The grant enables technology transfer between IDRI and the Cantacuzino National Institute of Research and Development for Microbiology and Immunology (Bucharest, Romania), with the goal of producing a pandemic flu vaccine.

4 Dec 2010

IP-K signs agreement to continue NITD research deal for new drug candidates

Institut Pasteur Korea (IP-K) has signed an agreements to continue to mine the chemical compound collection of Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD) of Singapore for new drug candidates.

3 Dec 2010

NIAID researchers develop new method to detect prion diseases

A fast test to diagnose fatal brain conditions such as mad cow disease in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans could be on the horizon, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health scientists. Researchers at NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have developed a highly sensitive and rapid new method to detect and measure infectious agents called prions that cause these diseases.

3 Dec 2010

IP-K signs agreement with sanofi-aventis to identify new medicines

Institut Pasteur Korea (IP-K) has signed an agreement with sanofi-aventis Research & Development of Toulouse, France to continue research on the identification of new medicines.

3 Dec 2010

Fourteen cases identified on E. coli infection related to raw milk consumption in Connecticut

Raw milk is consumed by an estimated 1-3 percent of the United States population. Raw milk and raw cheeses are responsible for almost 70 percent of reported dairy outbreaks. On July 16, 2008, the Connecticut Department of Public Health identified two unrelated children who had experienced hemolytic uremic syndrome after consuming raw milk from the same farm. The authors investigated the situation further and found more cases of people affected by raw milk from the same farm.

3 Dec 2010

White House marks World AIDS Day

Commemorating World AIDS Day on Wednesday President Barack Obama called for continuing to fight HIV/AIDS domestically and abroad, Agence France-Presse reports (12/1).

2 Dec 2010

Research: Environmental bacteria compromises effectiveness of BCG vaccine

A new discovery may explain why a tuberculosis vaccine is not as effective for some people as anticipated, and potentially explains why other vaccines do not work as well for some as they do for others.

2 Dec 2010

Argonne researchers awarded 65 million hours of computing time on Blue Gene/P supercomputer

Four researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory lead projects that have been awarded a total of 65 million hours of computing time on Argonne's energy-efficient Blue Gene/P ("Intrepid") supercomputer. The researchers will conduct advanced simulation and analysis, performing virtual experiments that would be almost impossible and impractical in the natural world. They will also develop scalable system software needed to fully harness the power of supercomputers.

2 Dec 2010

Scientists find new protein to break-up blood clots in prion diseases

The joy of a juicy hamburger could make a comeback thanks a new discovery by scientists from the University of Kentucky. In a new research report in the December 2010 print issue of The FASEB Journal, scientists found that a protein our body uses to break up blood clots speeds up the progress of prion diseases. This substance, called plasminogen, is a new drug target for prion diseases in both humans and animals.

2 Dec 2010

Biodiversity degradation may have perverse consequences for emerging pathogens

Habitat destruction and species extinction may lead to an increase in diseases that infect humans and other species, according to a paper in the journal Nature co-authored by a University of Florida ecologist.

2 Dec 2010

FDA grants 510(k) clearance to Focus Diagnostics Simplexa Flu A/B & RSV test on 3M Integrated Cycler

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued 510(k) clearance to the Focus Diagnostics Simplexa Flu A/B & RSV test on the 3M™ Integrated Cycler. The Simplexa test, developed and manufactured by Quest Diagnostics' Focus Diagnostics business, is intended as an aid in the detection and discrimination of influenza A, influenza B and RSV virus infections.

From Quest Diagnostics 2 Dec 2010

Researchers show an oncolytic virus switches off cancer cell survival signal

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified a mechanism by which specific viruses acting as oncolytic agents can enter and kill cancer cells. This finding, which is currently featured in an online edition of the Journal of Virology, could help lead to the development of more targeted treatments against many types of cancer.

1 Dec 2010