Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Cancer drug, antiviral agent can eradicate active virus infection and tumor: UNC School of Medicine

Important advances in the fight against cancer have come as researchers proved that viruses and cancers interact in ways that were previously unknown to scientists.

13 Apr 2010

Drug boosting production of immune system protein worsens TB

An experimental drug that boosts production of the immune system protein interferon worsens tuberculosis (TB) in mice, according to scientists from the National Institutes of Health. The drug acts indirectly by drawing certain immune cells, in which Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) bacteria thrive, to the lungs. The findings may have potential implications for the care of people infected with TB, the authors note. The research is reported in the May 3 issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation, now available online.

13 Apr 2010

MS drug TYSABRI to be highlighted at 62nd AAN Annual Meeting

Biogen Idec and Elan Corporation, plc today announced 15 company-sponsored platform and poster presentations at the American Academy of Neurology's (AAN) 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto, April 10 - 17, 2010. The AAN Annual Meeting is the world's largest gathering of neurologists.

13 Apr 2010

Javelin Pharmaceuticals intends to terminate Merger Agreement with Myriad Pharmaceuticals

Myriad Pharmaceuticals, Inc today announced that it has received a notice from Javelin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of its intent to terminate the merger agreement between the two companies.

13 Apr 2010

Common drug used to treat Burkitt lymphoma can activate EBV: Study

Important advances in the fight against cancer have come as researchers proved that viruses and cancers interact in ways that were previously unknown to scientists.

13 Apr 2010

Researchers report major step forward in effort to understand and engineer protein structure

Researchers in Singapore are reporting this week that they have gleaned key insights into the architecture of a protein that controls iron levels in almost all organisms. Their study culminated in one of the first successful attempts to take apart a complex biological nanostructure and isolate the rules that govern its natural formation.

12 Apr 2010

Study shows promising basis for development of effective liver-cancer screening test

Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the world and one of the deadliest cancers since it is rarely diagnosed until late in its development.

12 Apr 2010

Replikin Counts of H5N1 and H1N1 strains on the rise

The most recent BioRadar analysis of the virus genomes of both H5N1, known for high lethality, and H1N1, known for high infectivity, indicates that the Replikin Counts of both strains are rising. Such Count increases in a specific strain have been invariably associated with clinical outbreaks of that strain.

12 Apr 2010

RNAO announces winners of 2010 Awards for Excellence in Health-Care Reporting

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario is pleased to announce the recipients of this year's Awards for Excellence in Health-Care Reporting.

9 Apr 2010

Inovio Biomedical receives $2.8M grant to develop DNA vaccine for HCV

Inovio Biomedical Corporation, a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today that the company and its collaborators from Drexel University, Cheyney University, and the University of Pennsylvania have received a $2.8 million grant to develop a DNA vaccine to treat hepatitis C virus.

9 Apr 2010

Study finds link between autism and social influence

Social influence plays a substantial role in the surging number of autism diagnoses, according to a study published in the American Journal of Sociology.

9 Apr 2010

IFN therapy for chronic hepatitis C must be individualized and optimized for efficacy

The efficacy of interferon (IFN) therapy depends on the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype, pretreatment viral load and early viral kinetics. Thus, IFN therapy must be individualized and optimized according to the virological and clinical status of each patient.

9 Apr 2010

Immune system mouse models help study biology of T cells and their role in toxoplasmosis

Using T cells primed for the infectious disease toxoplasmosis, Whitehead Institute researchers have created novel mouse models of the immune system that more accurately reflect how immune cells actually respond to pathogens in their presence.

9 Apr 2010

Combination telaprevir treatment beneficial for retreatment of hepatitis C

A study co-authored by a Saint Louis University researcher found telaprevir, a protease inhibitor, combined with standard hepatitis C treatment, cures a significantly higher number of difficult-to-treat patients than standard treatment alone. The findings were published in the April issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

9 Apr 2010

Opinions: Preparing for next flu outbreak; Elections in Zimbabwe; U.S. response to Haiti

Now that concerns about swine flu have eased, "[o]ur fear is that the public and officials will get blase about the next flu outbreak," according to a New York Times editorial. "Efforts to rush vaccine into production did not go well. This dry run should lead health officials to push the vaccine makers even harder to adopt new technologies that can turn out vaccine more quickly.

9 Apr 2010

University of Southampton, Synairgen Research scientists commence Phase II trial of interferon beta for asthma

Scientists from the University of Southampton and Synairgen Research Ltd, a respiratory drug development company spun out from the University, have begun a Phase II study into the effectiveness of the drug interferon beta for asthma patients.

9 Apr 2010

12 infected with Hepatitis C by a doctor at clinic in Victoria

Hepatitis C is a vial infection that is spread much like HIV with shared needles, blood or body fluids. The Victorian Police has been brought in to investigate a cluster of 12 hepatitis C positive cases who attended a late-term abortion clinic in Melbourne.

9 Apr 2010

Phase 1 SAD study of PSI-938 for HCV initiated

Pharmasset, Inc. announced today that dosing has initiated in a phase 1, single ascending dose study in healthy volunteers with PSI-938, a third generation purine nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor of hepatitis C virus. Pharmasset recently filed an Investigational New Drug Application with the Food and Drug Administration.

8 Apr 2010

Telaprevir-based regimens increase rates of SVR in patients with genotype 1 HCV infection

In a clinical trial known as PROVE 3 published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, treatment with telaprevir-based regimens significantly increased rates of sustained viral response (SVR) in patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who did not achieve SVR with at least one prior course of pegylated-interferon and ribavirin therapy.

8 Apr 2010

Smoking may increase risk of MS in people who have established risk factors for MS

A new study shows that smoking may increase the risk of multiple sclerosis in people who also have specific established risk factors for MS. The research is found in the April 7, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

8 Apr 2010

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Cancer drug, antiviral agent can eradicate active virus infection and tumor: UNC School of Medicine

Drug boosting production of immune system protein worsens TB

MS drug TYSABRI to be highlighted at 62nd AAN Annual Meeting

Javelin Pharmaceuticals intends to terminate Merger Agreement with Myriad Pharmaceuticals

Common drug used to treat Burkitt lymphoma can activate EBV: Study

Researchers report major step forward in effort to understand and engineer protein structure

Study shows promising basis for development of effective liver-cancer screening test

Replikin Counts of H5N1 and H1N1 strains on the rise

RNAO announces winners of 2010 Awards for Excellence in Health-Care Reporting

Inovio Biomedical receives $2.8M grant to develop DNA vaccine for HCV

Study finds link between autism and social influence

IFN therapy for chronic hepatitis C must be individualized and optimized for efficacy

Immune system mouse models help study biology of T cells and their role in toxoplasmosis

Combination telaprevir treatment beneficial for retreatment of hepatitis C

Opinions: Preparing for next flu outbreak; Elections in Zimbabwe; U.S. response to Haiti

University of Southampton, Synairgen Research scientists commence Phase II trial of interferon beta for asthma

12 infected with Hepatitis C by a doctor at clinic in Victoria

Phase 1 SAD study of PSI-938 for HCV initiated

Telaprevir-based regimens increase rates of SVR in patients with genotype 1 HCV infection

Smoking may increase risk of MS in people who have established risk factors for MS

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