Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Two-pronged approach represents potential strategy for targeting latent reservoir of HIV

With more than 35 million people worldwide living with the virus and nearly 2 million new cases each year, the human immunodeficiency virus remains a major global epidemic.

4 Oct 2018

Broadly neutralizing antibodies offer a new approach to treating HIV infection

A new generation of broadly neutralizing antibodies provides a novel approach to treating HIV infection.

28 Sep 2018

Scientist intends to fight pathogenic bacteria with viruses

Dr. Li Deng of Helmholtz Zentrum München has been awarded a Starting Grant of the European Research Council. The scientist intends to tackle antimicrobial resistance by fighting bacteria with their natural enemies - the viruses. The grant is endowed with nearly 1.5 million euros for five years.

21 Sep 2018

Studies explore biological mechanisms that may explain HIV post-treatment controllers

Most HIV patients need to take daily anti-retroviral therapy - if they suspend treatment, HIV will rebound within 3-4 weeks.

14 Sep 2018

Discovery provides new hope for anti-HIV vaccine

Researchers have discovered that the RNA genome of the HIV virus can influence the immune response generated, and thus influence human survival.

10 Sep 2018

Phase 1 clinical trial examining topical cream plus influenza vaccine is underway

A Phase 1 clinical trial examining whether a topical cream can enhance the immune response conferred by a "pre-pandemic" influenza vaccine is underway at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

6 Sep 2018

Mechanical properties of viral DNA influence the course of infection, study finds

A new study reveals a previously unknown mechanism that governs whether viruses that infect bacteria will quickly kill their hosts or remain latent inside the cell. The discovery, reported in the journal eLife, also may apply to viruses that infect humans and other animals, the researcher said.

5 Sep 2018

Researchers identify Zika virus proteins with potential to affect brain development

In healthy individuals, the Zika virus causes flu-like symptoms. If a pregnant woman becomes infected, the unborn child can suffer from severe brain abnormalities as a result of mechanisms that have not yet been explained.

4 Sep 2018

Rapid urbanization makes Central Africa more vulnerable to infectious disease outbreaks

The Central Africa region is experiencing rapid urbanization and economic growth, and infrastructure development. These changes, while generally positive and welcome, also make the region more vulnerable to explosive infectious disease outbreaks, according to an international group of scientists.

24 Aug 2018

Study uncovers mechanism that affects multiplication of dengue virus lineage

A lineage of type 1 dengue virus found in Brazil is able to prevail over another even though it multiplies less in vector mosquitoes and infected human cells.

15 Aug 2018

New polyclonal immunotherapy successfully neutralizes Ebola virus

SAB Biotherapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that its anti-Ebola immunotherapy (SAB-139) provided "100% protection against a lethal dose of the Ebola virus" in a recent animal study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

15 Aug 2018

Scientists make surprising discovery in nerve cells

Purkinje cells are a central part of the human cerebellum, the part of the brain that plays an important role in motor learning, fine motor control of the muscle, equilibrium and posture but also influences emotions, perception, memory and language.

10 Aug 2018

Researchers find faster way to analyze outcome of experimental vaccines

A team at Scripps Research has come up with a faster way to analyze the outcome of experimental vaccines against HIV and other pathogens.

9 Aug 2018

Study highlights impact of silent viruses on how the host responds to vaccines

UC Davis researchers have shown that low levels of cytomegalovirus (CMV) have a significant impact on microbe and immune cell populations and how the immune system responds to the influenza vaccine. The study was published in the Journal of Virology.

3 Aug 2018

Researchers find possible active substance that may cure hepatitis E

An international team of researchers has now found a possible active substance against the virus in the naturally occurring substance silvestrol.

1 Aug 2018

Updated recommendations for HIV prevention and treatment in adults

The International Antiviral Society-USA Panel has released updated recommendations for the treatment and prevention of HIV infection in adults, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Michael Saag, M.D., director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Center for AIDS Research, served as the article's lead author.

24 Jul 2018

Researchers discover prion-like viral proteins that open new targets for antiviral drugs

Researchers at the Human Microbiology Institute and Tetz Laboratories have discovered thousands of prion-like domains in human viruses, prompting research that opens new ways of viral pathogenicity, suggests new targets for development of new antiviral drugs and links viruses to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

12 Jul 2018

Preventative HIV vaccines induce robust, comparable immune responses in humans and monkeys

More than three decades after the identification of the human immunodeficiency virus, scientists are still working to develop a preventative vaccine that could finally put an end to the epidemic for which there are nearly two million new infections each year.

9 Jul 2018

Zika virus-related pregnancy loss in humans may be more common than thought

Fetal death in utero occurred in more than one-fourth of monkeys infected in the laboratory with Zika virus in early pregnancy, according to new research published in Nature Medicine.

3 Jul 2018

Targeting proteins in semen could prevent sexually transmitted spread of Ebola virus

Protein fragments, called amyloid fibrils, in human semen significantly increase Ebola virus infection and protect the virus against harsh environmental conditions such as heat and dehydration. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report these findings in a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

26 Jun 2018