Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

New model of how the capsid of viruses assembles

A new model of the how the protein coat (capsid) of viruses assembles, published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Biophysics, shows that the construction of intermediate structures prior to final capsid production (hierarchical assembly) can be more efficient than constructing the capsid protein by protein (direct assembly).

17 Dec 2012

Efforts to prevent, treat cervical cancer increasing in Africa

The Guardian's "Poverty Matters Blog" examines efforts to prevent and treat cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa, where "cervical cancer kills large numbers of women, many of whom are never diagnosed because local hospitals do not recognize the disease until it is too late."

15 Dec 2012

PlusNews reviews AVAC priorities for 2013 HIV prevention agenda

"If the world scales-up HIV treatment and prevention in the next two years, a critical tipping point -- in which those on treatment outnumber those newly infected with the virus -- could be reached, according to the global HIV prevention advocacy organization AVAC," PlusNews reports.

15 Dec 2012

Malaria vaccine trial: an interview with Professor Sir Brian Greenwood

Malaria is an infection caused by a parasite called plasmodium, which is transmitted from person to person by females of some species of mosquito. It is primarily a disease of tropical countries.

14 Dec 2012

Scientists discover new evidence about evolution of viruses

Scientists have discovered new evidence about the evolution of viruses, in work that will change our understanding about the control of infectious diseases such as winter flu.

14 Dec 2012

HPV in women at or after menopause may represent an infection acquired years ago

A new study suggests that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women at or after menopause may represent an infection acquired years ago, and that HPV infections may exist below limits of detection after one to two years, similar to other viruses, such as varicella zoster, which can cause shingles.

14 Dec 2012

Positive data from Oncolytics’ REOLYSIN Phase III combination study on head and neck cancers

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. today announced initial positive top line data from the first endpoint in its double-blinded randomized Phase III clinical study examining REOLYSIN in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel in second-line patients with platinum-refractory, taxane-naïve head and neck cancers (REO 018).

13 Dec 2012

Medivir commences cohort 2 simeprevir and sofosbuvir phase II combination trial in HCV GT1

Medivir AB, announced today the initiation of cohort 2 in the interferon-free phase II trial combining simeprevir with sofosbuvir (GS7977) based on a safety and efficacy planned interim analysis of cohort 1 including prior null responder HCV genotype 1 infected patients without advanced hepatic fibrosis.

13 Dec 2012

Patients with multiple sclerosis have low levels of Egr2/3 protein in T lymphocytes

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London have discovered that two proteins which are believed to play a key role in controlling the body's immune response are found in lower levels in T lymphocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

13 Dec 2012

Researchers discover a trigger by which the HCV enters liver cells

Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have discovered a trigger by which the Hepatitis C virus enters liver cells ─ shedding light on how this serious and potentially deadly virus can begin to damage the liver.

13 Dec 2012

Study finds important links between Pf malaria and endemic Burkitt Lymphoma

New research, presented this morning at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), has identified important associations between Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria and endemic Burkitt Lymphoma (eBL) that may help researchers identify young children who are more susceptible to eBL.

12 Dec 2012

New coronavirus can infect cells from humans and bats alike

The SARS epidemic of 2002-2003 was short-lived, but a novel type of human coronavirus that is alarming public health authorities can infect cells from humans and bats alike, a fact that could make the animals a continuing source of infection, according to a study to be published in in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, on December 11.

11 Dec 2012

Janssen announces U.S. prescribing information update for EDURANT tablets

Janssen Therapeutics, Division of Janssen Products, LP, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a prescribing information update for EDURANT (rilpivirine) tablets to include 96-week pooled data from the Phase 3 ECHO and THRIVE studies, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of EDURANT for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in antiretroviral treatment-naive adults.

11 Dec 2012

Preliminary results from Boehringer Ingelheim’s volasertib Phase II study on AML

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported preliminary results from the randomized Phase II part of a Phase I/II study involving the company's investigational compound volasertib in newly diagnosed patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) considered ineligible for intensive remission induction therapy.

11 Dec 2012

Boston College professor to research into new drugs that can prevent onset of toxoplasmosis

The American Cancer Society has awarded a four-year, $720,000 grant to Boston College Associate Professor of Biology Marc-Jan Gubbels for research into potential new drugs that can prevent the onset of toxoplasmosis in cancer patients with weakened immune systems.

10 Dec 2012

Severe RSV disease may impair innate immune response in infants

Infants with severe lower respiratory tract infection caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) may have a dysfunctional innate immune response that relates to the severity of their disease.

10 Dec 2012

Risk factors revealed for anti-tuberculosis drug hepatotoxicity

The risk for hepatotoxicity among patients treated with anti-tuberculosis drugs is affected by gender, ethnicity, and the presence of genetic polymorphisms, say Argentinean researchers.

10 Dec 2012

Despite effective anti-viral drugs, majority of HCV patients remain untreated

Just 20 percent of people infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) begin the recommended treatment regimen and less than 5 percent go on to successfully overcome the virus, according to a new review in General Hospital Psychiatry.

10 Dec 2012

U.S. government's draft guidance on funding for H5N1 research receives 'mixed reception,' Science reports

"Researchers are giving a mixed reception to a draft U.S. government plan to do more stringent funding reviews of certain kinds of H5N1 avian influenza research -- and perhaps even require some studies to be kept secret," Science reports.

8 Dec 2012

IQWiG investigates benefits of rilpivirine for HIV treatment

Since the start of 2012, a new drug called rilpivirine has been available for adult patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). It is marketed by two different pharmaceutical companies, by one as a single agent (trade name Edurant-) and by the other as a fixed combination with other HIV drugs (trade name Eviplera-).

8 Dec 2012

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

New model of how the capsid of viruses assembles

Efforts to prevent, treat cervical cancer increasing in Africa

PlusNews reviews AVAC priorities for 2013 HIV prevention agenda

Malaria vaccine trial: an interview with Professor Sir Brian Greenwood

Scientists discover new evidence about evolution of viruses

HPV in women at or after menopause may represent an infection acquired years ago

Positive data from Oncolytics’ REOLYSIN Phase III combination study on head and neck cancers

Medivir commences cohort 2 simeprevir and sofosbuvir phase II combination trial in HCV GT1

Patients with multiple sclerosis have low levels of Egr2/3 protein in T lymphocytes

Researchers discover a trigger by which the HCV enters liver cells

Study finds important links between Pf malaria and endemic Burkitt Lymphoma

New coronavirus can infect cells from humans and bats alike

Janssen announces U.S. prescribing information update for EDURANT tablets

Preliminary results from Boehringer Ingelheim’s volasertib Phase II study on AML

Boston College professor to research into new drugs that can prevent onset of toxoplasmosis

Severe RSV disease may impair innate immune response in infants

Risk factors revealed for anti-tuberculosis drug hepatotoxicity

Despite effective anti-viral drugs, majority of HCV patients remain untreated

U.S. government's draft guidance on funding for H5N1 research receives 'mixed reception,' Science reports

IQWiG investigates benefits of rilpivirine for HIV treatment

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