Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Study: New SARS-like WIV1-CoV virus poised to infect humans

A SARS-like virus found in Chinese horseshoe bats may be poised to infect humans without the need for adaptation, overcoming an initial barrier that could potentially set the stage for an outbreak according to a study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

16 Mar 2016

St. Jude scientists develop insights to guide development of powerful novel anti-influenza drugs

By analyzing the molecular details of how artificially created drug-resistant flu strains manage to survive treatment, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have developed insights to guide development of powerful new anti-influenza drugs. These compounds will target a viral enzyme critical to the virus' proliferation in the body.

15 Mar 2016

Heart failure drug has unexpected ability to block herpesvirus infection

Today, there is only one class of antiviral medicines against herpesviruses - a family of viruses that cause mononucleosis, herpes, and shingles, among other illnesses - meaning options for treating these infections are limited. If viruses become resistant to these frontline treatments, a growing problem particularly in clinical settings, there are no alternative drugs to serve as backup.

15 Mar 2016

Researchers find new innate immunity pathway that protects mammals from viral oncogenesis

Building upon earlier research, investigators at UT Southwestern Medical Center and their collaborators have identified a new innate immunity pathway that protects mammals from viral oncogenesis, the process by which viruses cause normal cells to become cancerous.

14 Mar 2016

Biological change in mosquito mating could be used to fight mosquito-borne diseases

Genetic cues from male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes passed on during sex affect which genes are turned on or off in a females' reproductive tract post-mating, including genes related to blood feeding, egg development and immune defense, according to new Cornell research.

14 Mar 2016

WHO: International experts agree to advance R&D for Zika medical products

After a three-day consultation on Zika research and development, international experts, convened by WHO, have agreed on top priorities to advance R&D for Zika medical products.

10 Mar 2016

CWRU researcher to customize tobacco mosaic virus to treat human cancers

A Case Western Reserve University researcher has been awarded more than $3 million in federal and foundation grants to turn common plant viruses into cancer sleuths and search-and-destroy emissaries.

10 Mar 2016

VIGH study seeks to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Africa

Mother-to-child transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, is still a major problem in resource-limited, rural areas of the world where health care providers are scarce.

10 Mar 2016

Vanderbilt investigators isolate human antibodies against H7 bird flu

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have isolated human antibodies against a type of bird flu that has killed more than 200 people in China since 2012 and which may pose a worldwide pandemic threat.

10 Mar 2016

Renal risk factors for NA-treated HBV patients identified

A South Korean research team has identified several clinical and medical factors associated with renal function decline in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection treated with oral nucleos(t)ide analogues.

10 Mar 2016

Real-world data confirm TDF efficacy for HBV

Treatment with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate elicits sustained virological responses and exhibits a favourable safety profile in a diverse population of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection, shows a French routine clinical practice study.

10 Mar 2016

Resistance to prior antiviral agents impacts TDF response

Taiwanese researchers find that virological response to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in treatment-experienced patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection can vary depending on the nucleos(t)ide analogue the patient is resistant to.

10 Mar 2016

Novel nanoparticle technology can decipher protein structures and help access drug targets

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, have developed a nanoparticle technology that can be used to stabilise membrane proteins so that their structure can be studied in a lipid environment. The method, described in Nature Methods, makes it possible to access drug targets that previously could not be investigated and therefore potentially allows for the development of novel drugs, therapeutic antibodies and vaccines.

9 Mar 2016

Mayo Clinic develops 'The ABCs of Influenza' flash cards

Influenza is a serious viral infection that causes illness, hospitalizations and thousands of deaths every year in the U.S. Mayo Clinic recommends getting a vaccine each year to prevent illness and protect the people around you.

9 Mar 2016

Study: 2.3 million people living with HIV co-infected with HCV

An estimated 2.3 million people living with HIV are co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) globally, a new study by the University of Bristol and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has found.

9 Mar 2016

Researchers report first case of acute myelitis due to Zika virus infection

A first case of acute myelitis following infection with Zika virus has been reported for the first time by a research team from Inserm Unit 1127 Brain and Spinal Cord Institute (Inserm/CNRS/Sorbonne University) and neurologists at Pointe-à-Pitre University Hospital and the University of the Antilles.

9 Mar 2016

Drug-incorporated nanoparticle platforms allow for selective targeting of cancer cells

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. It is a leading cause of death and the burden is expected to grow worldwide due to the growth and aging of the population, mainly in less developed countries, in which about 82% of the world's population resides. By 2030, the global burden is expected to grow to 21.7 million new cancer cases and 13 million cancer deaths simply due to the growth and aging of the population. Current cancer therapy approaches are based in surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, being the chemotherapy the one that shows the greater efficiency for cancer treatment, mainly in more advanced stages. A major problem with this conventional chemotherapy is its toxicity and it also destroys healthy tissues resulting in systemic toxicity besides beneficial characteristics of killing cancer cells. Anticancer drugs also destroy healthy tissues resulting in systemic toxicity.

8 Mar 2016

SC Johnson delivers over 60,000 units of OFF! insect repellent to help protect families from Zika virus

Today, as part of its commitment to provide at least $15 million to help protect families from the Zika virus, SC Johnson announced a donation of more than 60,000 cans and bottles of OFF! personal insect repellent to the CDC Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

8 Mar 2016

Bonn scientists identify immune factor partially responsible for chronic viral infection

Many viral diseases tend to become chronic - including infections with the HI virus. In persons affected, the immune response is not sufficient to eliminate the virus permanently.

8 Mar 2016

Boosting the body's natural defences to stop RSV infection

Babies at risk of a serious lung infection could be helped by a therapy based on the body's natural immune defences.

8 Mar 2016

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Study: New SARS-like WIV1-CoV virus poised to infect humans

St. Jude scientists develop insights to guide development of powerful novel anti-influenza drugs

Heart failure drug has unexpected ability to block herpesvirus infection

Researchers find new innate immunity pathway that protects mammals from viral oncogenesis

Biological change in mosquito mating could be used to fight mosquito-borne diseases

WHO: International experts agree to advance R&D for Zika medical products

CWRU researcher to customize tobacco mosaic virus to treat human cancers

VIGH study seeks to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Africa

Vanderbilt investigators isolate human antibodies against H7 bird flu

Renal risk factors for NA-treated HBV patients identified

Real-world data confirm TDF efficacy for HBV

Resistance to prior antiviral agents impacts TDF response

Novel nanoparticle technology can decipher protein structures and help access drug targets

Mayo Clinic develops 'The ABCs of Influenza' flash cards

Study: 2.3 million people living with HIV co-infected with HCV

Researchers report first case of acute myelitis due to Zika virus infection

Drug-incorporated nanoparticle platforms allow for selective targeting of cancer cells

SC Johnson delivers over 60,000 units of OFF! insect repellent to help protect families from Zika virus

Bonn scientists identify immune factor partially responsible for chronic viral infection

Boosting the body's natural defences to stop RSV infection

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