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A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network, Institut M-rieux and bioM-rieux partner in TB research

An investment of S$3 million is being pumped into tuberculosis (TB) research by A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), bioindustrial group Institut M-rieux and its in vitro diagnostics company bioM-rieux. The project, which involves setting up a joint laboratory in Biopolis, Singapore aims to investigate and identify novel biomarkers that could allow early identification of individuals at risk of TB disease development and disease reactivation. This could lead to better diagnosis and treatment for the highly contagious disease.

13 Aug 2010

Severe inflammatory response to initial UTI causes bladder damage: Research

The immune system may open the door to recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) by overdoing its response to an initial infection, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found.Researchers showed in mice that severe inflammatory responses to an initial UTI cause bladder damage and allow infection to persist longer. After one to two weeks of infection, the bladder wall undergoes additional changes that leave mice more vulnerable to later infection. Suppressing the immune system during initial infection decreases these vulnerabilities, they report Aug. 12 in PLoS Pathogens.

13 Aug 2010

Exposure to immune proteins during pregnancy increases risk for schizophrenia in offspring

Infections like the flu are common occurrences during pregnancy, and research has shown that children born to mothers who suffered from flu, viruses and other infections during pregnancy have about a 1.5 to 7 times increased risk for schizophrenia. A new study out of Temple University examines what's behind that link.

13 Aug 2010

HIV infected injection drug users likely to have kidney disease: Study

Poor kidney function is common among injection drug users, particularly those with HIV, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results suggest that clinicians should monitor the kidney function of HIV-infected injection drug users and consider them candidates for medical treatments to protect their kidneys when appropriate.

13 Aug 2010

Novavax announces positive results from pre-clinical toxicology study of RSV vaccine candidate

Novavax, Inc. reported today that results from a pre-clinical toxicology study of its vaccine candidate to prevent respiratory syncytial virus, showed the vaccine to be safe and well-tolerated at all doses tested. Novavax's vaccine uses highly purified recombinant particles of RSV-F fusion protein normally found in the virus. There is currently no approved vaccine to prevent RSV infection.

13 Aug 2010

WHO releases H1N1 Emergency Committee roster

Five of the 15 experts advising the WHO on H1N1 (swine flu) had ties to the pharmaceutical industry, "including for flu vaccine research," according to the Emergency Committee members' list released by the agency Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reports.

13 Aug 2010

Superbug purportedly from Asia on the rise in UK & Australia

British scientists have claimed that a new gene called New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase, or NDM-1 has emerged that makes the bacteria resistant to almost all antibiotics. India has rejected the claim that it is the source of this superbug. Cases have been detected in the UK and Australia and are on the rise in the UK.

12 Aug 2010

Pharmasset receives fast track designation from FDA for PSI-7977

Pharmasset, Inc. has received fast track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for PSI-7977 for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. PSI-7977 is an oral uridine nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor of HCV. Pharmasset recently completed dosing in a 28 day Phase 2a trial to evaluate PSI-7977 in combination with Pegasys (pegylated interferon) plus Copegus (ribavirin) in treatment-naive patients chronically infected with HCV genotype 1.

12 Aug 2010

FDA grants BioMimetic Therapeutics orphan drug designation for rhPDGF-BB in treatment of OCD

BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that it has received orphan drug designation from the Food and Drug Administration for its protein therapeutic, recombinant human platelet derived growth factor, to be used in conjunction with autograft and/or commercially available osteochondral allograft for the treatment of osteochondritis dissecans of the knee, elbow or ankle.

12 Aug 2010

VSee, Mandy Moore, Nothing But Nets, and UN Foundation partner for video townhall on malaria in Africa

On August 12th at 2:00 p.m. ET, Mandy Moore joins Nothing But Nets™ and PSI for a video townhall on malaria in Africa, broadcast on Facebook®. The video conferencing service will be provided by VSee Lab, Inc. and Ustream, and the event is hosted by Derrick Ashong, one of Katalyst Media's Social Media Envoys. This is an opportunity to question Mandy Moore and learn about sending nets and saving lives. Become a fan of Nothing But Nets on Facebook and join the discussion.

12 Aug 2010

News outlets look at how H1N1 will inform WHO's future outbreak response

Following the WHO's decision on Tuesday to declare the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic over, several news outlets reviewed the emergence of the virus around the world, exploring how some of the lessons learned from H1N1 could assist the WHO's handling of future outbreaks.

12 Aug 2010

Newly identified gene enabling bacterial resistance to most antibiotics found in South Asia, U.K., study finds

A study published online Wednesday in Lancet Infectious Diseases identifies a gene that enables bacteria to resist most antibiotics and calls for better global surveillance of multi-drug resistant bacteria, the Associated Press reports (8/11).

12 Aug 2010

Emergency Committee Members report on post-pandemic period of H1N1

The world is no longer in phase 6 of influenza pandemic alert. We are now moving into the post-pandemic period. The new H1N1 virus has largely run its course.These are the views of members of the Emergency Committee, which was convened earlier today by teleconference.The Committee based its assessment on the global situation, as well as reports from several countries that are now experiencing influenza. I fully agree with the Committee's advice.

12 Aug 2010

Bristol-Myers Squibb, ACTF announce enhanced agreement to support ADAPs

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and the ADAP Crisis Task Force today announced an enhanced agreement to support the efforts of AIDS Drug Assistance Programs to provide antiretroviral medicines to people living with HIV and AIDS. Building on an agreement signed in March of 2010, today's announcement marks a multi-year enhancement to assist ADAPs in meeting the challenges of increasing patient case loads and strained government funding.

12 Aug 2010

HIV patients want docs to pay attention to other health conditions exacerbated by HIV

HIV/AIDS patients need their doctors to pay more attention to their other health conditions that can be exacerbated by HIV or its treatments, especially now that people are living longer with HIV. That is according to a international study of 2,000 patients that two Chicago-area health providers were instrumental in carrying out.

12 Aug 2010

Elsevier launches Malaria Nexus resource to benefit malaria researchers worldwide

Elsevier, the world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the launch of Malaria Nexus, Elsevier's Global Malaria Resource. Malaria Nexus highlights the latest published research in Malaria, utilizing Elsevier's leading journals in Parasitology, Entomology and Tropical Medicine, including The Lancet-, The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and International Journal for Parasitology.

12 Aug 2010

Hospital staph infection rate drops as national prevention effort steps up

The rate of drug-resistant staph hospital-acquired infections has dropped as the U.S. has stepped up prevention efforts to fight the deadly condition, The Associated Press reports. "The decline was seen in a federal study of methicillin-resistant staph, or MRSA. The bug often causes only a boil or skin infection. But researchers in the study focused on invasive cases that can become deadly, invading the bloodstream, flesh, lungs and bones. Researchers found that in nine metro areas, cases of MRSA (MUR'-suh) fell about 16 percent between 2005 and 2008.

12 Aug 2010

Human Immune Phenotyping Centers to receive NIAID grants for research

A new nationwide research initiative has been launched to define changes in the human immune system, using human and not animal studies, in response to infection or to vaccination. Six U. S.-based Human Immune Phenotyping Centers will receive a total of $100 million over five years to conduct this research.Funding for the centers is provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. Support for the first year of this initiative will come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

12 Aug 2010

AdvanDx announces European launch of CE-IVD marked GNR Traffic Light PNA FISH test

AdvanDx today announced the launch of its CE-IVD marked GNR Traffic Light™ PNA FISH® test in Europe. GNR Traffic Light PNA FISH is the first-ever test capable of simultaneously identifying Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa directly from positive blood cultures in less than 90 minutes.

12 Aug 2010

Scientific research on effects of oil-eating bacteria in Gulf of Mexico waters

The environmental impact of millions of gallons of oil still in the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon incident may depend on microscopic helpers: Bacteria that consume oil and other hydrocarbons and could break down the spilled crude, making it disappear. That's the topic of an article in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

12 Aug 2010

Disease/Infection News

A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network, Institut M-rieux and bioM-rieux partner in TB research

Severe inflammatory response to initial UTI causes bladder damage: Research

Exposure to immune proteins during pregnancy increases risk for schizophrenia in offspring

HIV infected injection drug users likely to have kidney disease: Study

Novavax announces positive results from pre-clinical toxicology study of RSV vaccine candidate

WHO releases H1N1 Emergency Committee roster

Superbug purportedly from Asia on the rise in UK & Australia

Pharmasset receives fast track designation from FDA for PSI-7977

FDA grants BioMimetic Therapeutics orphan drug designation for rhPDGF-BB in treatment of OCD

VSee, Mandy Moore, Nothing But Nets, and UN Foundation partner for video townhall on malaria in Africa

News outlets look at how H1N1 will inform WHO's future outbreak response

Newly identified gene enabling bacterial resistance to most antibiotics found in South Asia, U.K., study finds

Emergency Committee Members report on post-pandemic period of H1N1

Bristol-Myers Squibb, ACTF announce enhanced agreement to support ADAPs

HIV patients want docs to pay attention to other health conditions exacerbated by HIV

Elsevier launches Malaria Nexus resource to benefit malaria researchers worldwide

Hospital staph infection rate drops as national prevention effort steps up

Human Immune Phenotyping Centers to receive NIAID grants for research

AdvanDx announces European launch of CE-IVD marked GNR Traffic Light PNA FISH test

Scientific research on effects of oil-eating bacteria in Gulf of Mexico waters

Exploring the nanoscale: How AFM is transforming cosmetic science

Innovating Texture and Culture in Plant-Based Foods

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

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