Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Research reveals how Zika virus infection spurs fetal demise

A powerful antiviral protein may act as a checkpoint for keeping or ending a pregnancy.

5 Jan 2018

Study finds link between dietary sugar and increasing bacterial epidemics

The rising frequency and severity of Clostridium difficile infections may be caused by the commonly used food additive, trehalose, according to Nature.

5 Jan 2018

From retirement to the front lines of hepatitis C treatment

When a hepatitis C treatment called Harvoni was released in 2014, Dr. Ronald Cirillo knew it was a big deal.

5 Jan 2018

Dietary sugar may contribute to increasing frequency, severity of bacterial epidemics

The increasing frequency and severity of healthcare-associated outbreaks caused by bacterium Clostridium difficile have been linked to the widely used food additive trehalose.

3 Jan 2018

Gene therapy with CAR T-cells could create long-term immunity from HIV

Through gene therapy, researchers engineered blood-forming stem cells (hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, or HSPCs) to carry chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) genes to make cells that can detect and destroy HIV-infected cells.

29 Dec 2017

Researchers find way to prevent Ebola infection from spreading

A single enzyme. That is all the researchers behind a new study need to manipulate to prevent the feared Ebola virus from spreading. Because with the enzyme they also take away the virus' ability to copy itself and thus produce more virus particles and more infection.

29 Dec 2017

UCLA expert suggests measures for reducing risk of getting sick during holiday travel

It's that time of year when families jet off to all parts of the country – and the globe - to share some holiday cheer. Unfortunately, all that travel forces people into often-crowded airplanes, automobiles and airports. And there's the sharing of hugs and kisses with loved ones upon arrival at their destination.

28 Dec 2017

Zika pandemic remains formidable challenge to medicine and public health, say experts

Since 2016, when Zika was declared by the World Health Organization as a public health emergency of international concern, the virus has become established in more than 80 countries, infected millions of people, and left many babies with birth defects (collectively called congenital Zika syndrome).

22 Dec 2017

T cell-inducing dengue vaccines could confer broader protection for kids born to vaccinated mothers

For a long time, a dengue vaccine was the holy grail in dengue research. Now that a dengue vaccine is finally on the market (Sanofi's Dengvaxia), other issues have arisen, such as what happens in the babies of vaccinated mothers.

22 Dec 2017

Higher ‘mutational burden’ of tumors predicts success rate with cancer immunotherapies

The "mutational burden," or the number of mutations present in a tumor's DNA, is a good predictor of whether that cancer type will respond to a class of cancer immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors, a new study led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers shows.

21 Dec 2017

Researchers develop more accurate method to gauge incidence of HIV infections

Researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute have led an effort to develop a more accurate way to gauge the incidence of HIV infections in large populations, which will improve research and prevention strategies worldwide.

21 Dec 2017

New test could prove to be quicker, cheaper way to diagnose respiratory viral illnesses

A new test that measures RNA or protein molecules in human cells can accurately identify viral infection as a cause of respiratory symptoms, according to a Yale study.

21 Dec 2017

Smartphone app can detect worsening symptoms during cancer treatments

Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy can be remotely monitored using their smartphone sensors and an algorithm that detects worsening symptoms based on objective changes in patient behavior, according to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.

20 Dec 2017

FDA approves new gene therapy targeting rare form of inherited vision loss

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec-rzyl), a new gene therapy, to treat children and adult patients with an inherited form of vision loss that may result in blindness.

19 Dec 2017

Ottawa researchers use viruses to target and destroy HIV

While Ottawa researchers are known for their work on cancer-fighting viruses, one team is applying these viruses to a new target: HIV.

19 Dec 2017

EPFL scientists create gold nanoparticles to combat all viruses

HIV, dengue, papillomavirus, herpes and Ebola - these are just some of the many viruses that kill millions of people every year, mostly children in developing countries. While drugs can be used against some viruses, there is currently no broad-spectrum treatment that is effective against several at the same time, in the same way that broad-spectrum antibiotics fight a range of bacteria.

18 Dec 2017

“Man flu” actually a thing and not to be ridiculed, says science

“Man flu” refers to a common cold or flu which when occurring in men is usually presented with exaggerated symptoms and the severity of those symptoms. It has long been ridiculed in society. Science now explores if men truly suffer more when they are down with a cold.

17 Dec 2017

Cancer immunotherapy’s effectiveness may depend on patient’s genetic makeup

Cancer cells arise when DNA is mutated, and these cells should be recognized as "foreign" by the immune system. However, cancer cells have found ways to evade detection by the immune system.

15 Dec 2017

Scientists unravel mystery of how immune cells remember infections decades later

A perplexing question in immunology has been, how do immune cells remember an infection or a vaccination so that they can spring into action decades later? Research led by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with investigators at Emory University, has found an answer: A small pool of the same immune cells that responded to the original invasion remain alive for years, developing unique features that keep them primed and waiting for the same microbe to re-invade the body.

14 Dec 2017

Mosquito-infected monkeys may provide better understanding of Zika transmission routes

Monkeys who catch Zika virus through bites from infected mosquitoes develop infections that look like human Zika cases, and may help researchers understand the many ways Zika can be transmitted.

14 Dec 2017

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Research reveals how Zika virus infection spurs fetal demise

Study finds link between dietary sugar and increasing bacterial epidemics

From retirement to the front lines of hepatitis C treatment

Dietary sugar may contribute to increasing frequency, severity of bacterial epidemics

Gene therapy with CAR T-cells could create long-term immunity from HIV

Researchers find way to prevent Ebola infection from spreading

UCLA expert suggests measures for reducing risk of getting sick during holiday travel

Zika pandemic remains formidable challenge to medicine and public health, say experts

T cell-inducing dengue vaccines could confer broader protection for kids born to vaccinated mothers

Higher ‘mutational burden’ of tumors predicts success rate with cancer immunotherapies

Researchers develop more accurate method to gauge incidence of HIV infections

New test could prove to be quicker, cheaper way to diagnose respiratory viral illnesses

Smartphone app can detect worsening symptoms during cancer treatments

FDA approves new gene therapy targeting rare form of inherited vision loss

Ottawa researchers use viruses to target and destroy HIV

EPFL scientists create gold nanoparticles to combat all viruses

“Man flu” actually a thing and not to be ridiculed, says science

Cancer immunotherapy’s effectiveness may depend on patient’s genetic makeup

Scientists unravel mystery of how immune cells remember infections decades later

Mosquito-infected monkeys may provide better understanding of Zika transmission routes

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