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Study demonstrates protection against Ebola infection in nonhuman primates using RNAi

Scientists using tiny particles of genetic material to interfere in the replication process of the deadly Ebola virus have successfully prevented monkeys exposed to that virus from dying of hemorrhagic fever. The proof-of-concept study, published in this week's issue of The Lancet, suggests that such protection also should be possible in humans.

29 May 2010

HSV-1 may cause cognitive deficits: Study

Exposure to the common virus that causes cold sores may be partially responsible for shrinking regions of the brain and the loss of concentration skills, memory, coordinated movement and dexterity widely seen in patients with schizophrenia, according to research led by Johns Hopkins scientists.

29 May 2010

Research roundup: Reform's impact on health spending; Cultural/Racial differences in medicine; Swine flu lessons

The Impact Of Health Reform On Health Spending - This issue brief "projects the effect of national reform on total national health expenditures and the insurance premiums that American families would likely pay. We estimate that, on net, the combination of provisions in the new law will reduce health care spending by $590 billion over 2010-2019 and lower premiums by nearly $2,000 per family.

29 May 2010

Allergic reactions prevent people with allergic asthma from generating healthy immune response to influenza

New research from UT Southwestern Medical Center suggests that allergic reactions to pet dander, dust mites and mold may prevent people with allergic asthma from generating a healthy immune response to respiratory viruses such as influenza.

29 May 2010

Study highlights need for earlier diagnosis and treatment of HIV

Despite growing evidence that the earlier people are diagnosed with HIV and get access to care, the better their clinical outcomes, many HIV-infected people in the United States and Canada are not receiving the care they need early enough.

29 May 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

A Lancet Infectious Diseases Leading Edge article examines the history of the global efforts to control polio and the challenges associated with targets to globally eradicate the disease. "The eradication of polio seems imminent, but with so few cases, there is a temptation to think an acceptable level of infection has been achieved. Not so.

29 May 2010

Globe and Mail examines links between maternal health, HIV/AIDS ahead of G8 summit

"While the G8 is putting maternal health at the top of its agenda for next month's summit, fears are growing that the club of wealthy nations is neglecting one of the biggest killers of women: AIDS," the Globe and Mail reports in a piece that examines the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and what the newspaper describes as the G8's "backtracking" on previous pledges to provide universal access HIV/AIDS drugs.

29 May 2010

Previous recommendations on H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine still stand: SAGE

Previous recommendations on who should be vaccinated with the H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine still stand according to the World WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, the principal advisory group to WHO for development of policy related to vaccines and immunization.

28 May 2010

Advanced Life Sciences expands partnership with U.S. Government to assess Restanza against STI's

Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs in the therapeutic areas of infection, oncology and respiratory diseases, today announced the expansion of its collaboration with the U.S. Government to include the evaluation of Restanza's activity against sexually transmitted infections (STI's), such as gonorrhea.

28 May 2010

Effective infant vaccination against pneumonia needed in sub-Saharan Africa

Researchers at the University of Warwick, and the Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kilifi, Kenya, have found that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) appears to be the predominant virus detected among infants and children hospitalized in Kenya with severe pneumonia, according to a study in the May 26 issue of JAMA. The contribution to this severe disease by an individual pathogen stresses the need for effective infant vaccination.

28 May 2010

Researchers see plectasin as promising lead compound for new antibiotics

An active compound from fungi and lower animals may well be suitable as an effective weapon against dangerous bacteria. We're talking about plectasin, a small protein molecule that can even destroy highly resistant bacteria . Researchers at the Universities of Bonn, Utrecht, Aalborg and of the Danish company Novozymes AS have shed light on how the substance does this.

28 May 2010

Infectious diseases specialist from Walter and Eliza Hall Institute receives Frank Fenner Award

Infectious diseases specialist Dr Marc Pellegrini from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute will today receive the Frank Fenner Award from the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases, recognising Dr Pellegrini's efforts to understand human responses to chronic infections.

28 May 2010

Discovery may pave way to help reduce health hazards

A discovery that may pave the way to helping reduce health hazards such as E. coli in water could also make chemicals and drugs such as insulin cheaper to produce and their production more environmentally friendly.

28 May 2010

Not all strains of influenza die off at the end of winter, reveals genetic analysis

Every autumn, as predictably as falling leaves, flu season descends upon us. Every spring, just as predictably, the season comes to a close. This cyclical pattern, common in temperate regions, is well known, but the driving forces behind it have been in question.

28 May 2010

Wall Street Journal examines GSK's open-source development for drug discovery plan

The Wall Street Journal examines GlaxoSmithKline's plan to share its database of compounds that could treat tropical diseases. The initiative will test how well "open-source principles work for developing new drugs," the newspaper reports.

28 May 2010

New treatment benefits patients with advanced liver disease due to HCV infection: Researchers

Researchers at the UCLA Medical Center found that antiviral therapy during compensated cirrhosis, when compared with all other strategies, is the most cost-effective approach to treating patients with advanced liver disease due to hepatitis C infection. Full details appear in the June issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

28 May 2010

FDA grants Premarket Approval for Roche Diagnostics' Elecsys Antibody to hepatitis C virus assay

Roche Diagnostics announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Premarket Approval for its Elecsys Antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) assay. The Elecsys Anti-HCV assay is an in-vitro diagnostic test for the qualitative detection of total antibodies to hepatitis C virus in human serum or plasma.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 28 May 2010

Small molecule ramps up interferon production in host cells, launching potent immune response

Many disease-causing microbes carry pumps that expel antibiotics, making the bugs hard to kill with standard drugs. Ironically, these same pumps could be the bugs' Achilles heel.

28 May 2010

Progenics presents preclinical data on novel monoclonal antibodies against toxins produced by C. difficile

Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the presentation of preclinical data on novel monoclonal antibodies against toxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). The monoclonal antibodies effectively neutralized the cell-killing activities of the toxins in vitro and significantly improved survival in a stringent animal model of C. difficile infection. C. difficile is the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea in the United States and represents a growing global public health challenge.

28 May 2010

E. coli O157:H7 is rare in some wildlife species of California's Central Coast region: Researchers

The disease-causing bacterium E. coli O157:H7 is present but rare in some wildlife species of California's agriculturally rich Central Coast region, an area often referred to as the nation's "salad bowl," reports a team or researchers led by a UC Davis scientist.

28 May 2010

Disease/Infection News

Study demonstrates protection against Ebola infection in nonhuman primates using RNAi

HSV-1 may cause cognitive deficits: Study

Research roundup: Reform's impact on health spending; Cultural/Racial differences in medicine; Swine flu lessons

Allergic reactions prevent people with allergic asthma from generating healthy immune response to influenza

Study highlights need for earlier diagnosis and treatment of HIV

Recent releases in Global Health

Globe and Mail examines links between maternal health, HIV/AIDS ahead of G8 summit

Previous recommendations on H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine still stand: SAGE

Advanced Life Sciences expands partnership with U.S. Government to assess Restanza against STI's

Effective infant vaccination against pneumonia needed in sub-Saharan Africa

Researchers see plectasin as promising lead compound for new antibiotics

Infectious diseases specialist from Walter and Eliza Hall Institute receives Frank Fenner Award

Discovery may pave way to help reduce health hazards

Not all strains of influenza die off at the end of winter, reveals genetic analysis

Wall Street Journal examines GSK's open-source development for drug discovery plan

New treatment benefits patients with advanced liver disease due to HCV infection: Researchers

FDA grants Premarket Approval for Roche Diagnostics' Elecsys Antibody to hepatitis C virus assay

Small molecule ramps up interferon production in host cells, launching potent immune response

Progenics presents preclinical data on novel monoclonal antibodies against toxins produced by C. difficile

E. coli O157:H7 is rare in some wildlife species of California's Central Coast region: Researchers

Edoardo Fabini

Reducing polypharmacy through innovative drug formulation technologies

How innovation in dried blood spot testing is transforming neurological disease monitoring

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