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Scientists solve structure of key protein from Lassa virus

Scientists at Emory University and the University of St. Andrews have solved the structure of a key protein from Lassa virus, which is endemic to West Africa and can cause a deadly hemorrhagic fever.

18 Nov 2010

Cholera case confirmed in Dominican Republic; Haitian protestors blame U.N. peacekeeping troops for cholera outbreak

Officials on Tuesday said they had confirmed the first case of cholera in Haiti's neighbor, the Dominican Republic, the Associated Press/Forbes reports

18 Nov 2010

Inovio achieves positive results in Phase I PENNVAX-B study for HIV

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that it has achieved high vaccine-induced response rates and strong magnitude of immune responses in its Phase I clinical study of PENNVAX-B, a DNA vaccine for the prevention of HIV infection.

18 Nov 2010

Researchers reveal mechanism of early-stage anthrax infection

Researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have determined a key mechanism by which Bacillus anthracis bacteria initiate anthrax infection despite being greatly outnumbered by immune system scavenger cells. The finding, made by studying genetically modified mice, adds new detail to the picture of early-stage anthrax infection and supports efforts to develop vaccines and drugs that would block this part of the cycle.

18 Nov 2010

Statins activate bacterial-killing properties of white blood cells

Widely prescribed for their cholesterol-lowering properties, recent clinical research indicates that statins can produce a second, significant health benefit: lowering the risk of severe bacterial infections such as pneumonia and sepsis.

18 Nov 2010

Vitamin C can prevent and reverse sepsis

Physicians caring for patients with sepsis may soon have a new safe and cost-effective treatment for this life-threatening illness. Research led by Dr. Karel Tyml and his colleagues at The University of Western Ontario and Lawson Health Research Institute have found that vitamin C can not only prevent the onset of sepsis, but can reverse the disease.

18 Nov 2010

Selenium secures NIH grant to apply patented antimicrobial technology for ear infections

Selenium, Ltd., a biopharmaceutical company focused on unique solutions to meet antimicrobial coating and therapeutic needs, has been awarded a research grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, one of the National Institutes of Health. With the $155,387 NIH grant the company will apply its proprietary antimicrobial technology to researching the inhibition of biofilms on tympanostomy tubes.

18 Nov 2010

Nanotrope assay receives U.S. patent for diagnosing influenza and viral infections

Nanotrope, Inc. announced today that it has been issued United States patent #7,829,272 covering its ground-breaking diagnostic test for influenza and other viral infections.

17 Nov 2010

Vical enters agreement with GenomIdea to develop DNA vaccine for pandemic influenza

Vical Incorporated today announced that the company has entered into an evaluation and supply agreement with GenomIdea Inc., a subsidiary of AnGes MG, Inc., for the development of a DNA vaccine for livestock against pandemic influenza.

17 Nov 2010

New dressing materials and plasters indicate pathological changes in the skin

Wounds have to be regularly checked, to make sure any complications in the healing process are detected at an early stage. A new material will make it possible to check wounds without changing the dressing: If an infection arises, the material changes its color.

17 Nov 2010

Duke awarded $52.8M federal grant to oversee external quality assurance programs for HIV/AIDS labs

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has awarded Duke University Medical Center up to $52.8 million over the next seven years to support the development, implementation and oversight of external quality assurance programs that monitor laboratories involved in HIV/AIDS research and vaccine trials around the world.

17 Nov 2010

Depression linked to risky sexual behaviours among young South Africans

University of Alberta research has discovered a strong link between depression and risky sexual behaviours such as improper condom use, transactional sex and relationship violence among young people in South Africa.

17 Nov 2010

Wave patterns formed from complex biochemical reactions can help identify diseased organs

By examining the distinct wave patterns formed from complex biochemical reactions within the human body, diseased organs may be more effectively identified, says Zhengdong Cheng, associate professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University, who has developed a model that simulates how these wave patterns are generated.

17 Nov 2010

NIH awards $10 million to advance technology for painless influenza vaccine delivery patch

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $10 million to the Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University and PATH, a Seattle-based nonprofit organization, to advance a technology for the painless, self-administration of flu vaccine using patches containing tiny microneedles that dissolve into the skin.

17 Nov 2010

New inhalable dry powder antibiotic may reduce TB treatment time

New research being presented at the 2010 International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress (PSWC) in association with the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition will feature an inhalable dry powder antibiotic that when used alone or with current treatments may significantly reduce treatment for tuberculosis (TB) and multi-drug resistant TB.

17 Nov 2010

Study reveals true effects of malaria on African generations

Almost a third of cerebral malaria survivors developed epilepsy or other behavioral disorders in the most comprehensive study to date of the disease in African children, solidifying the link between malaria and neuropsychiatric disorders that affect hundreds of thousands of children.

17 Nov 2010

Chimerix’s lipid-conjugated drugs reduces nephrotoxicity: Study

Scientists from Chimerix, Inc. today presented in vitro data demonstrating that the company's lipid-conjugated drugs, CMX001 and CMX157, are not substrates for the human Organic Anion Transporters (hOATs) and thus have significantly reduced potential to cause nephrotoxicity via this mechanism.

17 Nov 2010

Study suggests cross-infection with P aeruginosa occurs between CF centers in the UK and Canada

A common transmissible strain of the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been identified among cystic fibrosis (CF) patients in Canada, suggesting that cross-infection has occurred widely between CF centers in the United Kingdom and Canada, according to a study in the November 17 issue of JAMA. Infection with this strain among Canadian CF patients has been associated with an increased risk of death or lung transplantation.

17 Nov 2010

UMass, PolyMedix receive Phase 2 STTR contract to conduct test on antimicrobial compounds

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass), have received a Phase 2 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract in the amount of $750,000.

17 Nov 2010

Stratatech receives SBIR grant to develop anti-infective living human skin substitute

Stratatech Corp., a privately-held regenerative medicine company, today announced that it has been awarded a $3.5 million Fast-Track SBIR grant to expand the development of its anti-infective living human skin substitute.

17 Nov 2010

Disease/Infection News

Scientists solve structure of key protein from Lassa virus

Cholera case confirmed in Dominican Republic; Haitian protestors blame U.N. peacekeeping troops for cholera outbreak

Inovio achieves positive results in Phase I PENNVAX-B study for HIV

Researchers reveal mechanism of early-stage anthrax infection

Statins activate bacterial-killing properties of white blood cells

Vitamin C can prevent and reverse sepsis

Selenium secures NIH grant to apply patented antimicrobial technology for ear infections

Nanotrope assay receives U.S. patent for diagnosing influenza and viral infections

Vical enters agreement with GenomIdea to develop DNA vaccine for pandemic influenza

New dressing materials and plasters indicate pathological changes in the skin

Duke awarded $52.8M federal grant to oversee external quality assurance programs for HIV/AIDS labs

Depression linked to risky sexual behaviours among young South Africans

Wave patterns formed from complex biochemical reactions can help identify diseased organs

NIH awards $10 million to advance technology for painless influenza vaccine delivery patch

New inhalable dry powder antibiotic may reduce TB treatment time

Study reveals true effects of malaria on African generations

Chimerix’s lipid-conjugated drugs reduces nephrotoxicity: Study

Study suggests cross-infection with P aeruginosa occurs between CF centers in the UK and Canada

UMass, PolyMedix receive Phase 2 STTR contract to conduct test on antimicrobial compounds

Stratatech receives SBIR grant to develop anti-infective living human skin substitute

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