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Researchers awarded $26M NIH grant to advance treatments for Ebola and Marburg

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Profectus Biosciences, Tekmira Pharmaceuticals and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center have been awarded up to $26 million to advance treatments of the highly lethal hemorrhagic fever viruses Ebola and Marburg.

6 Mar 2014

New drug is effective against superbug MRSA

"I routinely call hospitals and request their yearly antibiotic susceptibility testing data," said Washington University in St. Louis' Timothy Wencewicz. "The log might say, for example, that they've treated hundreds of patients for Acinetobacter baumanni, a bacterium brought into U.S. hospitals by soldiers wounded in the Iraq war, with 30 different antibiotics.

6 Mar 2014

New report reveals recurrent humanitarian crises in Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern provinces

Democratic Republic of Congo is in the grip of an emergency. For two decades, persistent conflict in its eastern provinces and instability in other regions and a dysfunctional health system have led to recurrent humanitarian crises and outbreaks of disease.

6 Mar 2014

Low-dose oral interferon may reduce risk of HCV relapse in patients with mild liver fibrosis

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to serious diseases such as cirrhosis and cancer of the liver, so viral clearance and prevention of relapse are important treatment goals.

6 Mar 2014

Study to understand role of bacterium in heart valve disease

A disease-causing bacterium found in the mouth needs manganese, a trace mineral, in order to cause a serious heart infection, according to a preclinical study led by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Philips Institute for Oral Health Research in the School of Dentistry.

6 Mar 2014

Merck announces new data from ongoing C-WORTHY Study in HIV/HCV co-infected patients

Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, today announced new data from HIV/HCV co-infected patients in the ongoing C-WORTHY Study, a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of Merck's all-oral, once-daily regimen combining MK-5172, an investigational hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3/4A protease inhibitor, and MK-8742, an investigational HCV NS5A replication complex inhibitor.

5 Mar 2014

Haiti HIV program increases sexual health awareness and practices in women

New research from the University of Toronto shows that a little training can go a long way in a desperate situation.

5 Mar 2014

Stock-outs of ARV drugs in Central African Republic impact health of HIV-infected people

According to Pierre-Marie David of the University of Montreal's Faculty of Pharmacy, stock-outs of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in recent years in the Central African Republic have had a dramatic impact on the health of HIV-infected people.

5 Mar 2014

Small-molecule drug effective in protecting nonhuman primates from lethal Marburg virus

For the first time, scientists have demonstrated the effectiveness of a small-molecule drug in protecting nonhuman primates from the lethal Marburg virus. Their work, published online in the journal Nature, is the result of a continuing collaboration between Army scientists and industry partners that also shows promise for treating a broad range of other viral diseases.

5 Mar 2014

New PhoneSoap Charger is most effective way to kill bacteria growing on cell phones

Cell phones have become our constant companions, and as a result, they are exposed to many bacteria and viruses. When we open a door, shake hands, use an ATM or dozens of other daily tasks, our hands come in contact with germs, and numerous studies have shown that a significant number of bacteria, such as the flu virus, staph, strep, E. coli, and salmonella, are transferred from our hands to our cell phones every time we pick them up.

5 Mar 2014

Researchers develop adjuvant which enhances effect of virus transduction

Lentiviruses, which belong to the family of retroviruses, are used as vectors to exchange genetic material in cells and can be used to replace a defective gene as defined by gene therapy.

5 Mar 2014

Novel HIV prevention products for women demonstrate safety in clinical studies

Two early clinical studies of novel HIV prevention products for women - the first combination antiretroviral (ARV) vaginal ring and a vaginal film - show the products to be safe and open the door to product improvements that could expand options for women-initiated prevention tools. The results of both studies were presented today at the 21st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.

5 Mar 2014

Merck reports results from Phase 2b study of investigational house dust mite sublingual immunotherapy tablet

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced results from a Phase 2b study evaluating two doses of its investigational house dust mite sublingual immunotherapy tablet (MK-8237). The data were presented for the first time during a late-breaking oral session at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) in San Diego.

5 Mar 2014

Berkeley Lab scientists explore bacteria-resistant materials as a line of defense against Staph infection

The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a common source of infections that occur after surgeries involving prosthetic joints and artificial heart valves. The grape-shaped microorganism adheres to medical equipment, and if it gets inside the body, it can cause a serious and even life-threatening illness called a Staph infection. The recent discovery of drug-resistant strains of S. aureus makes matters even worse.

5 Mar 2014

Study: Combination intervention completely eliminates HIV transmission

A computer model has created the most effective formula for reducing the spread of HIV among drug users in New York City over the next 25 years.

5 Mar 2014

A-PARADDISE consortium obtains funds to develop innovative therapies for neglected parasitic diseases

The international consortium A-PARADDISE (Anti-Parasitic Drug Discovery in Epigenetics), coordinated by Inserm, has just obtained funds of €6 million from the European Commission to conduct large-scale testing of innovative therapies against four neglected parasitic diseases: schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and malaria.

4 Mar 2014

Study shows SuperMum campaign improves handwashing behaviour

An analysis of a unique “SuperMum” handwashing campaign shows for the first time that using emotional motivators, such as feelings of disgust and nurture, rather than health messages, can result in significant, long-lasting improvements in people’s handwashing behaviour, and could in turn help to reduce the risk of infectious diseases.

4 Mar 2014

New tool may hold key to personalized medicine applications in the future

ather than your average bowl of Lucky Charms, these are three-dimensional cell cultures generated by an exciting new digital microfluidics platform, the results of which have been published in Nature Communications this week by researchers at the University of Toronto.

4 Mar 2014

Loyola physician sheds light on common and painful viral infection, shingles

Shingles is a painful viral infection that affects almost one million people worldwide and 30 percent of Americans every year.

4 Mar 2014

Study: Self-administration of flu vaccines with microneedle patches may one day be feasible

The annual ritual of visiting a doctor's office or health clinic to receive a flu shot may soon be outdated, thanks to the findings of a new study published in the journal Vaccine.

4 Mar 2014

Disease/Infection News

Researchers awarded $26M NIH grant to advance treatments for Ebola and Marburg

New drug is effective against superbug MRSA

New report reveals recurrent humanitarian crises in Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern provinces

Low-dose oral interferon may reduce risk of HCV relapse in patients with mild liver fibrosis

Study to understand role of bacterium in heart valve disease

Merck announces new data from ongoing C-WORTHY Study in HIV/HCV co-infected patients

Haiti HIV program increases sexual health awareness and practices in women

Stock-outs of ARV drugs in Central African Republic impact health of HIV-infected people

Small-molecule drug effective in protecting nonhuman primates from lethal Marburg virus

New PhoneSoap Charger is most effective way to kill bacteria growing on cell phones

Researchers develop adjuvant which enhances effect of virus transduction

Novel HIV prevention products for women demonstrate safety in clinical studies

Merck reports results from Phase 2b study of investigational house dust mite sublingual immunotherapy tablet

Berkeley Lab scientists explore bacteria-resistant materials as a line of defense against Staph infection

Study: Combination intervention completely eliminates HIV transmission

A-PARADDISE consortium obtains funds to develop innovative therapies for neglected parasitic diseases

Study shows SuperMum campaign improves handwashing behaviour

New tool may hold key to personalized medicine applications in the future

Loyola physician sheds light on common and painful viral infection, shingles

Study: Self-administration of flu vaccines with microneedle patches may one day be feasible

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