Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

‘Sleeping sickness’ pandemic offers insight into Parkinson’s

A bizarre disease that caused sufferers to fall into a deep ‘sleep’ while still being aware of their surroundings can offer us insight into the nature of Parkinson’s disease.

21 Mar 2011

Second US trial in HIV/AIDS lymphoma patients using Benitec’s ddRNAi technology

Benitec Limited (ASX:BLT), a company involved in RNA-based gene silencing for human therapeutics, announced that the City of Hope research hospital in Duarte, California is planning to initiate a second small Phase I/II study using Benitec’s DNA-directed RNA interference (ddRNAi) technology in lymphoma patients carrying the HIV virus. The aim of the study is to optimize the treatment by modifying a range of clinical parameters.

21 Mar 2011

NanoViricides reports improved efficacy with optimized FluCide nanoviricide drug candidates for influenza

NanoViricides, Inc. reported dramatically improved antiviral efficacy with its optimized FluCide™ drug candidates in its most recent animal study.

21 Mar 2011

Medicago launches clinical development of seasonal flu vaccine

Medicago Inc. a biotechnology company focused on developing highly effective and competitive vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), today announced that the first dose of vaccine has been administered thereby initiating the Company's phase I H1N1 influenza VLP vaccine candidate ("H1N1 vaccine") clinical trial in the United States. The primary safety and immunogenicity results for this trial are expected within three months.

21 Mar 2011

Tiny Locked Nucleic Acid-based compounds inhibit entire disease-associated microRNA families

A study published online in this week's Nature Genetics demonstrates that tiny Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA)-based compounds developed by Santaris Pharma A/S can inhibit entire disease-associated microRNA families. This provides a potential new approach for treating a variety of diseases including cancer, viral infections, cardiovascular and muscle diseases.

21 Mar 2011

Drug delivery breakthrough for Alzheimer’s disease

Till date all attempts to get drugs into the brain were countered by the blood-brain barrier - the natural defense against potentially harmful chemicals floating around the body. However this new finding from a team from University of Oxford shows that now scientists have successfully switched off a gene implicated in Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of mice by exploiting tiny particles naturally released by cells, called exosomes.

21 Mar 2011

BUSM professors highlight increased risks of naturally occurring infections

Paul Duprex, PhD, and Elke M-hlberger, PhD, both associate professors of microbiology at Boston University School of Medicine, recently co-authored a commentary about viruses for Microbiology Today, the monthly publication of the Society of General Microbiology, which is the largest microbiological society in Europe.

19 Mar 2011

Commentary on the global challenges of emerging viral infections

Paul Duprex, PhD, and Elke Mühlberger, PhD, both associate professors of microbiology at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), recently co-authored a commentary about viruses for Microbiology Today, the monthly publication of the Society of General Microbiology, which is the largest microbiological society in Europe. The article focuses on the history of viruses and vaccines and gives their perspective on what is necessary to evolve to the next era of virology research.

18 Mar 2011

Rubini black elderberry extract can inhibit flu and respiratory tract infections

Historically, black elderberries were among the most regarded folk remedies for coughs, colds, and flu. Now modern science has authenticated these therapeutic properties. In February 2011, researchers at Justus-Liebig University in Geissen, Germany reported that a concentrated liquid extract of black elderberries, commercially available as Rubini - Elderberry Extract 3.2%, inhibited the growth of influenza A and B viruses and bacteria associated with upper respiratory tract infections.

18 Mar 2011

Longer looks: Health policy picks that will fascinate, captivate

Thirty-four states have some type of HIV-criminalization law. Depending on the state, it may be illegal to expose someone else to HIV, transmit the virus or conceal your own HIV-positive status from potential sexual partners. This criminalization extends even to cases in which condoms were used or when the virus was not transmitted, as well as to acts, such as spitting or biting, that pose minuscule to no risk.

18 Mar 2011

Nationwide observance raises awareness about HIV/AIDS spread in women

National Women and Girls AIDS Awareness Day, a nationwide observance that raises awareness and promotes action in the fight against HIV/AIDS, took place on March 10.

17 Mar 2011

Inovio signs agreement with OncoSec to sell non-DNA cancer vaccine technology

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that it has signed an agreement with OncoSec Medical Inc. providing for the sale to OncoSec of certain non-DNA vaccine technology and intellectual property relating to electroporation technology useful for electrochemical and cytokine based immune therapies for treating solid tumors.

17 Mar 2011

Research highlights new parameters for HIV study

A research article co-authored by Brenna Anderson, MD, director of Reproductive Infectious Diseases Consultation in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, was included in the recently published special issue of the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology.

17 Mar 2011

Scientists to develop new universal vaccine against various flu viruses

A vaccine that helps against all types of influenza - for several years? If all goes right for Norwegian company Bionor Pharma ASA, such a vaccine could exist within a few years.

17 Mar 2011

The Lancet Neurology publishes Neurologix NLX-P101 Phase 2 trial results against PD

Neurologix, Inc., announced today that the results of the Company's Phase 2 clinical trial for its novel, investigational gene therapy NLX-P101 for the treatment of Parkinson's disease were published in an online-first edition of The Lancet Neurology.

17 Mar 2011

Results from first successful phase 2 trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's or any neurologic disorder

A gene therapy called NLX-P101 dramatically reduces movement impairment in Parkinson's patients, according to results of a Phase 2 study published today in the journal Lancet Neurology. The approach introduces a gene into the brain to normalize chemical signaling.

16 Mar 2011

Research: Underweight HCV-infected patients tend to be older at HCC onset

The incidence and mortality associated with hepatocellular carcinoma have been increasing worldwide, and hepatitis C virus infection plays an important role in the pathogenesis of HCC.

16 Mar 2011

First ever light-activated, non-surgical treatment for HPV and pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix

A new non-surgical, tissue-preserving therapeutic procedure is being developed to more effectively remove HPV infection and treat precursors of cervical cancer.

16 Mar 2011

Elite controllers' T cells resist HIV-1 infection by selective upregulation of protein p21

In the years since the AIDS epidemic began, it has become clear that there is substantial variation in the way that individuals respond to HIV infection. Although most progress quickly from initial infection to immunodeficiency, a small subset survive for long periods without developing symptoms.

16 Mar 2011

Experimental vaccine against human norovirus generates strong, safe immune response in mice

Scientists have shown that an experimental vaccine against the human norovirus - the bug behind about 90 percent of highly contagious nonbacterial illnesses that cause diarrhea and vomiting - can generate a strong immune response in mice without appearing to cause the animals any harm.

16 Mar 2011

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

‘Sleeping sickness’ pandemic offers insight into Parkinson’s

Second US trial in HIV/AIDS lymphoma patients using Benitec’s ddRNAi technology

NanoViricides reports improved efficacy with optimized FluCide nanoviricide drug candidates for influenza

Medicago launches clinical development of seasonal flu vaccine

Tiny Locked Nucleic Acid-based compounds inhibit entire disease-associated microRNA families

Drug delivery breakthrough for Alzheimer’s disease

BUSM professors highlight increased risks of naturally occurring infections

Commentary on the global challenges of emerging viral infections

Rubini black elderberry extract can inhibit flu and respiratory tract infections

Longer looks: Health policy picks that will fascinate, captivate

Nationwide observance raises awareness about HIV/AIDS spread in women

Inovio signs agreement with OncoSec to sell non-DNA cancer vaccine technology

Research highlights new parameters for HIV study

Scientists to develop new universal vaccine against various flu viruses

The Lancet Neurology publishes Neurologix NLX-P101 Phase 2 trial results against PD

Results from first successful phase 2 trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's or any neurologic disorder

Research: Underweight HCV-infected patients tend to be older at HCC onset

First ever light-activated, non-surgical treatment for HPV and pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix

Elite controllers' T cells resist HIV-1 infection by selective upregulation of protein p21

Experimental vaccine against human norovirus generates strong, safe immune response in mice

Microplate-based assays in virology research eBook eBook

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging