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Ford Foundation announces $25M grant to fight hidden impact of HIV/AIDS in the U.S.

The Ford Foundation today announced a $25 million effort to fight the disproportionate yet largely hidden impact of HIV/AIDS on marginalized communities in the United States.

2 Jun 2010

Alnylam, Mount Sinai scientists discover svRNAs that play a critical role in influenza A virus replication

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today the publication of new research findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by Alnylam scientists and collaborators from Mount Sinai School of Medicine. In the new study, Alnylam and Mount Sinai scientists discovered a novel class of virus-produced small non-coding RNAs, called small viral RNAs (svRNAs), which play a critical role in the replication of influenza A virus.

2 Jun 2010

Anti-Dengue drug candidates demonstrate efficacy in preliminary cell culture studies

NanoViricides, Inc. reports that its anti-Dengue drug candidates demonstrated significant efficacy in the recently completed preliminary cell culture studies. The studies were performed in the laboratory of Dr. Eva Harris, Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of California, Berkeley.

2 Jun 2010

Azithromycin as effective as penicillin for early-stage syphilis: Study

In a clinical trial involving HIV-negative volunteers with early-stage syphilis, researchers have found that antibiotic pills (azithromycin) are as effective as penicillin injections in curing early-stage syphilis. The study was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

2 Jun 2010

Platelets play important role in cerebral malaria: Research

Scientists are making strides against cerebral malaria, a fatal form of malaria in children that can ravage the brain and is extremely difficult to treat. New research points to platelets - known for their role in blood clotting - as playing an important role in the disease, stimulating the immune system and turning on molecules that increase inflammation. The inflammation leads to the obstruction of blood vessels in the brain, causing brain damage similar to that seen with a stroke.

2 Jun 2010

Plans to continue flu vaccination ban – intensive investigations ongoing

In the first quarter of this year nearly 300 children across Australia fell ill with fevers, vomiting and convulsions following administration of the seasonal flu vaccine.

2 Jun 2010

McGill University granted 'Orphan Drug Designation' for pulmonary infection drug fenretinide

In addition to their suffering, rare disease patients often have to face the harsh reality that few pharmaceutical companies will ever be able to offer new treatments for their condition because the costs of new treatments will never be recovered from such a small market. But there are ways they can be helped. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Orphan Drug Designation" offers a wide range of benefits that help organizations developing treatments for diseases and conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 patients in the United States.

2 Jun 2010

HTDS commences clinical trials for MEVAC-A vaccine in Vietnam

Hard to Treat Diseases, Inc. and Shenzhen Mellow Hope announce, that the company commenced clinical trials for the company's Hepatitis A (brand name MEVAC-A) vaccine.

2 Jun 2010

AHF's Magic Johnson Testing America Tour arrives in Wilmington to offer free HIV testing

AHF's Magic Johnson 'Testing America' Tour, a six month, 48 state national cross country HIV testing tour, arrives in Wilmington, Delaware tomorrow and will offer free HIV testing, along with local partner AIDS Delaware from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM in Rodney Square, 2 East 11th St. across from the DuPont Building.

31 May 2010

Amorfix provides update on development of blood test for vCJD

Amorfix Life Sciences, a company focused on treatments and diagnostics for misfolded protein diseases, provides an update on the development of a blood test for vCJD, one of its six product development programs.

31 May 2010

New links discovered between Paul Klee's work and his 'scleroderma'

In 1933 Paul Klee's work was branded as 'Entartete Kunst' (Degenerate Art) by the National Socialists and he was dismissed from his professorial post at the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts. This led him, together with his wife Lily, to return to his 'real home' of Bern. Here his avant-garde art was not understood and Klee found himself in unasked for isolation. In 1935 Klee started to suffer from a mysterious disease. The symptoms included changes to the skin and problems with the internal organs.

31 May 2010

Mucosis receives € 3M innovation credit line from Dutch Ministry for development of FluGEM influenza vaccine

Dutch vaccine development company Mucosis B.V. announced today that it has received an innovation credit line of approximately € 3 million from Agentschap NL, an agency of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. Mucosis will use this loan towards the clinical development of its lead product FluGEM™, an influenza vaccine that can be administered by a simple spray in the nose. The loan will be redeemed only if the FluGEM™ clinical development program is concluded successfully.

31 May 2010

AHF's Magic Johnson Testing America Tour arrives in Baltimore to offer free HIV testing

AHF's Magic Johnson 'Testing America' Tour, a six month, 48 state national cross country HIV testing tour, arrives in Baltimore, Maryland and will offer free HIV testing, along with local partner Coppin State University from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM today, Saturday, May 29th on the Coppin campus (2500 West North Ave.) adjacent to the James Weldon Johnson Auditorium.

29 May 2010

Yeast produce a hormone that triggers fungal cells to become more infectious

In their ongoing studies of how yeast (fungi) can infect a host and cause disease, a research team at the Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has made an unexpected discovery. They found that yeast produce a hormone previously known to be made by plants, and that the presence of that hormone in sufficient quantity within the yeast's immediate environment triggers the fungal cells to become more infectious.

29 May 2010

RNA viruses hijack cellular enzyme to create viral replication factories on cell membranes

Nihal Altan-Bonnet, assistant professor of cell biology, Rutgers University in Newark, and her research team have made a significant new discovery about RNA viruses and how they replicate themselves.

29 May 2010

Research to understand potential role of sexual lubricants in HIV transmission

Today at the 2010 International Microbicides Conference in Pittsburgh, Dezzutti presented the results of tests conducted with five of the most widely used lubricants, chosen from the results of an IRMA web-based survey that collected information on the lubricant preferences of nearly 9,000 men and women from over 100 countries. Dezzutti's findings indicated that some of the products studied had toxic effects on cells and rectal tissue.

29 May 2010

RNAi therapy shuts down gene critical to RSV, prevents virus replication

John DeVincenzo, MD, professor and researcher in the Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Sciences at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), has proven for the first time that a totally new concept in drug design can be used to treat human disease. Dr. DeVincenzo, who also serves as a children's infectious diseases specialist at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, conducted his study at the Children's Foundation Research Center, a UT Health Science Center partner located at Le Bonheur.

29 May 2010

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

Disease/Infection News

Ford Foundation announces $25M grant to fight hidden impact of HIV/AIDS in the U.S.

Alnylam, Mount Sinai scientists discover svRNAs that play a critical role in influenza A virus replication

Anti-Dengue drug candidates demonstrate efficacy in preliminary cell culture studies

Azithromycin as effective as penicillin for early-stage syphilis: Study

Platelets play important role in cerebral malaria: Research

Plans to continue flu vaccination ban – intensive investigations ongoing

McGill University granted 'Orphan Drug Designation' for pulmonary infection drug fenretinide

HTDS commences clinical trials for MEVAC-A vaccine in Vietnam

AHF's Magic Johnson Testing America Tour arrives in Wilmington to offer free HIV testing

Amorfix provides update on development of blood test for vCJD

New links discovered between Paul Klee's work and his 'scleroderma'

Mucosis receives € 3M innovation credit line from Dutch Ministry for development of FluGEM influenza vaccine

AHF's Magic Johnson Testing America Tour arrives in Baltimore to offer free HIV testing

Yeast produce a hormone that triggers fungal cells to become more infectious

RNA viruses hijack cellular enzyme to create viral replication factories on cell membranes

Research to understand potential role of sexual lubricants in HIV transmission

RNAi therapy shuts down gene critical to RSV, prevents virus replication

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

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

Modular, Scalable, Intelligent: How n6 Is Rethinking NGS Library Prep

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