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Elderly people in sub-Saharan Africa remain neglected as a result of AIDS epidemic: Researchers

The rise in AIDS death rates in sub-Saharan Africa has led to a burgeoning new category of neglected individuals - nearly a million orphaned elderly, or older adults living alone without the benefit of any caregivers, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have found.

18 Jun 2010

Experts discuss G8 aid commitments

Economist Jeffrey Sachs said Wednesday that the G8 could endanger its credibility if leaders fail to fulfill several "broken multi-billion-dollar pledges" aimed at helping the developing world, Canwest News Service/Vancouver Sun reports.

18 Jun 2010

Fraudulent Tamiflu sold over Internet, FDA warns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned consumers about a potentially harmful product represented as "Generic Tamiflu" sold over the Internet. FDA tests revealed that the fraudulent product does not contain Tamiflu's active ingredient, oseltamivir, but cloxacillin, an ingredient in the same class of antibiotics as penicillin.

18 Jun 2010

Study evaluates effect of Viusid on oxidative stress, cytokine parameters in patients with CHC

The pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C is associated with severe oxidative stress and non-selective immunological disturbance that lead to necroinflammation and the progression of fibrosis. Several trials have suggested that antioxidant and immunostimulant therapies may have a beneficial effect. Two previous clinical studies have reported that the Viusid related effect on histologic features, especially fibrosis, appears to be associated with antioxidant and/or immunomodulatory properties.

18 Jun 2010

Malaria rises as forests disappear: Study

Avid deforestation of the tropical forests is cited to be one of the reasons for the 50% increase in incidence of this disease in the surrounding areas according to a new research that is tracking deforestation in Brazil's Amazon.

18 Jun 2010

Biological mechanism associated with remission during pregnancy

During pregnancy, many women experience remission of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and uveitis. Now, scientists have described a biological mechanism responsible for changes in the immune system that helps to explain the remission.

17 Jun 2010

Constipation prophylaxis in sickle cell patients needs increased attention

Not all patients with sickle cell disease receive laxatives after being treated with narcotics, despite recommendations from a collaborative panel of pediatric experts. These are the findings from a Nationwide Children's Hospital study examining patients from 29 pediatric hospitals, and appearing in Pediatric Blood & Cancer.

17 Jun 2010

2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine protects against 1918 influenza virus: Report

Mice injected with a 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine and then exposed to high levels of the virus responsible for the 1918 influenza pandemic do not get sick or die, report scientists funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

17 Jun 2010

Kun Run Biotechnology obtains China SFDA manufacturing approval for Entecavir

Kun Run Biotechnology, Inc., a leading bio-pharmaceutical company in China focusing on manufacturing and sales of peptide-based and small molecule drugs, today announced that they have obtained the manufacturing approval for Entecavir from the China State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA).

17 Jun 2010

Scientific American publishes article on "rebirth" of DNA vaccines

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that Scientific American magazine has published in its July issue an article entitled "DNA Drugs Come of Age." The article was co-authored by Dr. David Weiner, Chairman, Scientific Advisory Board, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, and Professor, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Matthew Morrow, a post-doctorate research fellow at University of Pennsylvania.

17 Jun 2010

Infant nevirapine more effective in preventing HIV transmission than maternal antiretroviral therapy

The largest study to date to examine methods to prevent HIV infection among breastfeeding infants concludes that giving antiretroviral drugs to HIV-infected breastfeeding mothers in sub-Saharan Africa or giving an HIV-fighting syrup to their babies are both effective.

17 Jun 2010

Daily use of probiotics reduces VAP in critically ill patients: New research

Daily use of probiotics reduced ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients by almost half, according to new research from Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska.

17 Jun 2010

Experimental vaccine for Marburg hemorrhagic fever prevention shows promise for accidental exposures

An experimental vaccine developed to prevent outbreaks of Marburg hemorrhagic fever continues to show promise in monkeys as an emergency treatment for accidental exposures to the virus that causes the disease. There is no licensed treatment for Marburg infection, which has a high fatality rate.

17 Jun 2010

Researchers sequence genome of Amerindian strain of the gastric bug H. pylori

An international team of researchers led by scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have sequenced the genome of an Amerindian strain of the gastric bug Helicobacter pylori, confirming the out-of-Africa migration of this bacterial stowaway to the New World. Experiments in animals have highlighted how specific genes in the bacterial strain may be crucial to the onset of inflammation and disease.

17 Jun 2010

Stony Brook team creates live attenuated influenza virus vaccine by computer-aided rational design

A team of molecular biologists and computer scientists at Stony Brook University have used a novel method to weaken (attenuate) influenza virus by way of designing hundreds of mutations to its genetic code to create an effective vaccine. Reported online and in the July issue of Nature Biotechnology, the method may be a major step in developing more effective and safe vaccines against influenza, which claims 250,000 to 500,000 lives annually worldwide, partly because existing vaccines are not fully effective.

17 Jun 2010

Two-day conference examines effectiveness of U.N. pilot program to coordinate development assistance

A two-day conference examining the effectiveness of a pilot program aimed at improving the coherence and effectiveness of U.N. assistance is taking place this week in Ha Noi, Vietnam, South Asian News Agency reports.

17 Jun 2010

Researchers identify first genetic risk factors for development of CM in Angolan children

Malaria, caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, remains one of the main causes of death worldwide. An international team of researchers lead by Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, IGC, scientist Carlos Penha-Gonçalves, has identified the first genetic risk factors for the development of cerebral malaria in Angolan children, a severe manifestation of malaria infection.

17 Jun 2010

Opinions: Maintain fight against HIV/AIDS; Ending PMTCT; Impact of U.S. health reform on foreign-trained physicians

Following a recent trip to the largest HIV/AIDS clinic in Uganda, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon reflects on the recent progress made in the fight against the disease in a McClatchy opinion piece. Though "Uganda was the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic. …Uganda is also a success story," Ban writes. "A decade ago, fewer than 10,000 people were on the new generation of antiretroviral drugs that suppress the disease and offer the promise of a normal life.

17 Jun 2010

Officials discuss ways to improve quality measures in health care

Officials from Highmark Inc., Pinnacle Health System and Penn State Hershey Medical Center today discussed ways to improve quality measures in health care that will ultimately result in better patient care, improved health outcomes and ways to save valuable health care dollars.

17 Jun 2010

Financial Times examines how GAVI's $2.6B shortfall might affect new vaccine programs in developing countries

GAVI Alliance's plan to introduce new vaccine projects in the developing world "is under threat amid the international economic downturn," the Financial Times reports. "Subsidies to extend the use of vaccines against rubella, HPV to tackle cervical cancer, cholera and Japanese encephalitis in the developing world are among those likely to be cancelled or delayed," according to GAVI's CEO Julian Lob-Levyt, the newspaper writes.

17 Jun 2010

Disease/Infection News

Elderly people in sub-Saharan Africa remain neglected as a result of AIDS epidemic: Researchers

Experts discuss G8 aid commitments

Fraudulent Tamiflu sold over Internet, FDA warns

Study evaluates effect of Viusid on oxidative stress, cytokine parameters in patients with CHC

Malaria rises as forests disappear: Study

Biological mechanism associated with remission during pregnancy

Constipation prophylaxis in sickle cell patients needs increased attention

2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine protects against 1918 influenza virus: Report

Kun Run Biotechnology obtains China SFDA manufacturing approval for Entecavir

Scientific American publishes article on "rebirth" of DNA vaccines

Infant nevirapine more effective in preventing HIV transmission than maternal antiretroviral therapy

Daily use of probiotics reduces VAP in critically ill patients: New research

Experimental vaccine for Marburg hemorrhagic fever prevention shows promise for accidental exposures

Researchers sequence genome of Amerindian strain of the gastric bug H. pylori

Stony Brook team creates live attenuated influenza virus vaccine by computer-aided rational design

Two-day conference examines effectiveness of U.N. pilot program to coordinate development assistance

Researchers identify first genetic risk factors for development of CM in Angolan children

Opinions: Maintain fight against HIV/AIDS; Ending PMTCT; Impact of U.S. health reform on foreign-trained physicians

Officials discuss ways to improve quality measures in health care

Financial Times examines how GAVI's $2.6B shortfall might affect new vaccine programs in developing countries

Edoardo Fabini

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