Vaccine News and Research

Latest Vaccine News and Research

Tetanus booster shot enhances effect of vaccine therapy for lethal brain tumors

An innovative approach using a tetanus booster to prime the immune system enhances the effect of a vaccine therapy for lethal brain tumors, dramatically improving patient survival, according to a study led by Duke Cancer Institute researchers.

12 Mar 2015

CUGH conference brings world's leading researchers together to tackle global health challenges

The sixth annual Consortium of Universities for Global Health conference is creating a stir by bringing together some of the world's leading researchers to tackle many of the biggest global health challenges we face.

12 Mar 2015

Duke study proposes strategy to protect more people from HPV using limited public funds

A Duke University study proposes a strategy to better use limited public health care dollars for protecting more people from a sexually transmitted infection called human papillomavirus (HPV) and the cancers it can cause.

12 Mar 2015

Understanding strengths and weaknesses of hepatitis C viruses

Using a specially selected library of different hepatitis C viruses, a team of researchers led by Johns Hopkins scientists has identified tiny differences in the pathogens' outer shell proteins that underpin their resistance to antibodies.

12 Mar 2015

Wistar awarded grant to create Jayne Koskinas Ted Giovanis Breast Cancer Research Consortium

The Jayne Koskinas Ted Giovanis Foundation awarded The Wistar Institute a $1.1 million grant to create The Jayne Koskinas Ted Giovanis Breast Cancer Research Consortium at The Wistar Institute. The Consortium will support the highly synergistic, multidisciplinary research projects of three Wistar scientists dedicated to advancing breast cancer research.

12 Mar 2015

Weak spots in ebola’s defenses: an interview with Dr. Andrew Ward

There are hundreds of other antibodies against Ebola that we are in the process of imaging using the electron microscope. We are looking for new sites of vulnerability as well as subtle differences in the way the known sites are attacked. In particular we are looking for antibodies that the virus is unlikely to escape from when it mutates.

11 Mar 2015

Salk scientists move one step closer to creating drug that could prevent HIV virus

Imagine a single drug that could prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, treat patients who have already contracted HIV, and even remove all the dormant copies of the virus from those with the more advanced disease. It sounds like science fiction, but Salk scientists have gotten one step closer to creating such a drug by customizing a powerful defense system used by many bacteria and training this scissor-like machinery to recognize the HIV virus.

10 Mar 2015

Narcolepsy bears trademarks of classic autoimmune disorder

Narcoleptics suffer from bouts of sleepiness and sleep attacks, which impair their ability to function in daily life. But the precise cause of narcolepsy has long eluded scientists, and the cure for the devastating neurological disorder afflicting an estimated three million people worldwide -- and one in 3,000 Americans -- remains at bay.

10 Mar 2015

Scientists design a promising vaccine for herpes viruses

Herpes simplex virus infections are an enormous global health problem and there is currently no viable vaccine.

9 Mar 2015

New type of vaccine holds promise for prevention of genital herpes

Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have designed a new type of vaccine that could be the first-ever for preventing genital herpes--one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, affecting some 500 million people worldwide.

9 Mar 2015

Nanobody Nano-85 holds promise for detection of noroviral RNA

Infection with highly contagious noroviruses, while not usually fatal, can lead to a slew of unpleasant symptoms such as excessive vomiting and diarrhea. Current treatment options are limited to rehydration of the patient. "Additionally, noroviruses come in a variety of constantly evolving strains.

9 Mar 2015

Africa's under-five children at greater risk of developing parasitic disease

Children under five living in sub-Saharan Africa are at greater risk than older children of developing a long-term parasitic disease, research suggests.

6 Mar 2015

Adults only really catch flu about twice a decade, suggests study

Adults over the age of 30 only catch flu about twice a decade, a new study suggests. Flu-like illness can be caused by many pathogens, making it difficult to assess how often people are infected by influenza.

6 Mar 2015

Researchers study safety, effectiveness of experimental Ebola vaccine following high-risk exposure

A physician who received an experimental Ebola vaccine after experiencing a needle stick while working in an Ebola treatment unit in Sierra Leone did not develop Ebola virus infection, and there was strong Ebola-specific immune responses after the vaccination, although because of its limited use to date, the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine is not certain, according to a study appearing in JAMA.

6 Mar 2015

Key 'energy producing' protein plays a critical role in a good immune system

A good immune system relies on a key 'energy producing' protein in immune cells to develop immunity to vaccines and disease, an international team of scientists has found.

6 Mar 2015

NYBC launches new mobile app to enhance donation experience for blood donors

New York Blood Center recently launched a new mobile app providing a convenient, user friendly platform for blood donors to find donation locations, make and manage appointments, view donation history and donor profiles, and access the full NYBC website to manage Donor Advantage accounts, redeem points, and much more.

5 Mar 2015

Phase III trial to test VSV-EBOV vaccine for preventing Ebola to be launched in Guinea

Based on promising data from initial clinical trials in late 2014, WHO with the Health Ministry of Guinea, Médecins Sans Frontières, Epicentre and The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, will launch a Phase III trial in Guinea on 7 March to test the VSV-EBOV vaccine for efficacy and effectiveness to prevent Ebola.

5 Mar 2015

Babies treated for CMV infection for six months have better developmental outcomes

Babies treated for symptomatic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection for six months, instead of the standard six weeks, have better hearing and developmental outcomes, according to a new study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

5 Mar 2015

Finding may help advance experimental approach to improving public health

Scientists have discovered a new way to manipulate how cells function, a finding that might help advance an experimental approach to improving public health: DNA vaccines, which could be more efficient, less expensive and easier to store than traditional vaccines.

5 Mar 2015

New antibody provides 100% protection against H5N1 influenza virus in animal models

Since 2003, the H5N1 influenza virus, more commonly known as the bird flu, has been responsible for the deaths of millions of chickens and ducks and has infected more than 650 people, leading to a 60 percent mortality rate for the latter. Luckily, this virus has yet to achieve human-to-human transmission, but a small number of mutations could change that, resulting in a pandemic.

4 Mar 2015