Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Researchers identify new subgroup of cervical cancers with different genetic features

A team of University of South Carolina scientists led by Carolyn Banister and Phillip Buckhaults has identified a new subtype of cervical cancer that, like most cervical cancers, is triggered by human papillomavirus (HPV) but whose growth is not directed by the virus, suggesting that therapy targeting these tumors' distinct genomic pathways may improve patient outcomes over standard treatment.

11 Jan 2017

Researchers provide insights into how phages exhibit high level of precision in cell destruction

Phage therapy, which exploits the ability of certain viruses to infect and replicate within bacteria, shows promise for treating antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

11 Jan 2017

Penn State researchers develop novel compound to combat cytomegalovirus

A Retro94-based compound may prevent a common and sometimes fatal virus -- human cytomegalovirus (CMV) -- from reproducing and help to protect immunocompromised patients, such as those with HIV, on chemotherapy, with transplants, and infants from the effects of the disease, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

10 Jan 2017

Retroviruses almost several hundred million years older than previously thought

Retroviruses - the family of viruses that includes HIV - are almost half a billion years old, according to new research by scientists at Oxford University.

10 Jan 2017

Researchers find high-resolution structure of immature Zika virus

Researchers at Purdue University have determined the high-resolution structure of immature Zika virus, a step toward better understanding how the virus infects host cells and spreads.

10 Jan 2017

Common viruses pose serious challenges in long-term care facilities

A widespread outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) at a long-term dementia care ward infected 73 percent of patients, demonstrating the serious challenges in mitigating the spread of infectious diseases in such settings.

10 Jan 2017

The 10th annual symposium at UC Riverside focuses on glial-neuronal interactions in health and disease

The brain is home to two kinds of cells: neurons and glia, with the latter protecting the former. Glia, the stuff between neurons, are important also because they regulate and define neuron-neuron communication.

9 Jan 2017

Scientists develop 3-D organoid to unravel immune response during infection

What if you could design an adaptable, biomaterials-based model of an organ to track its immune response to any number of maladies, including cancer, transplant rejection and the Zika virus? The lab of Ankur Singh, assistant professor in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has asked - and begun to answer - that very question.

6 Jan 2017

Researcher develops innovative way to turn common surgical masks into virus killers

A University of Alberta engineering researcher has developed a new way to treat common surgical masks so they are capable of trapping and killing airborne viruses.

6 Jan 2017

New report reveals 25% drop in overall cancer death rate in the U.S.

A steady decline over more than two decades has resulted in a 25% drop in the overall cancer death rate in the United States. The drop equates to 2.1 million fewer cancer deaths between 1991 and 2014.

5 Jan 2017

Study identifies factors linked to disengagement from treatment for opioid use disorder

Individuals with opioid use disorder who are treated with buprenorphine, a commonly prescribed drug to treat addiction, are more likely to disengage from treatment programs if they are black or Hispanic, unemployed, or have hepatitis C according to a study published online in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.

5 Jan 2017

Protein involved in neurological disorders can travel from brain to stomach

Researchers of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases have found that "alpha-synuclein", a protein involved in a series of neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease, is capable of travelling from brain to stomach and that it does so following a specific pathway.

5 Jan 2017

Genetic influence on immune system appears to be higher than previously thought

Nearly three quarters of immune traits are influenced by genes, new research from King's College London reveals.

5 Jan 2017

Dermatologist reveals how smoking can affect the skin

Thinking of quitting smoking? Dr Anjali Mahto, Consultant Dermatologist tells us how smoking affects the skin, giving you an extra incentive to ditch the habit for good.

5 Jan 2017

UM SOM study identifies key Zika proteins as likely suspects for damage

Until it burst onto the scene earlier this year, Zika was an obscure, little-known virus. As a result, scientists know little about how it works.

3 Jan 2017

March of Dimes provides New Year's resolution for moms-to-be to help have healthy baby

If you're a woman who's pregnant or planning a baby this season, make a New Year's resolution to be as healthy as you can, says the March of Dimes Foundation. The first step is to start taking a daily multivitamin containing the B vitamin folic acid, even if you're not trying to get pregnant.

31 Dec 2016

AAV-based gene therapy to treat liver disorders advances into human testing

Liver-directed gene therapy delivered using adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors to treat diseases such as hemophilia have advanced into human testing.

30 Dec 2016

Specific gene pathway appears to regulate growth, structure, and organization of cerebral cortex

One of the most significant ways in which the human brain is unique is the size and structure of the cerebral cortex. But what drives the growth of the human cortex, likely the foundation for our unique intellectual abilities?

30 Dec 2016

Studies in non-human primates provide more predictive results in genetic causes of blindness

Many gene therapy-based approaches are in development to combat genetic and other causes of blindness and vision loss, and much can be learned about the safety and effectiveness of these promising new therapies by studying them first in non-human primates before initiating clinical trials, as shown by the results of a study published in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

29 Dec 2016

New database of PCR primers enables effective detection and identification of RNA viruses

Scientists at Korea's Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology scientists have compiled a comprehensive new public database of genetic information to enable the detection and identification of RNA viruses using the polymerase chain reaction assay.

28 Dec 2016

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Researchers identify new subgroup of cervical cancers with different genetic features

Researchers provide insights into how phages exhibit high level of precision in cell destruction

Penn State researchers develop novel compound to combat cytomegalovirus

Retroviruses almost several hundred million years older than previously thought

Researchers find high-resolution structure of immature Zika virus

Common viruses pose serious challenges in long-term care facilities

The 10th annual symposium at UC Riverside focuses on glial-neuronal interactions in health and disease

Scientists develop 3-D organoid to unravel immune response during infection

Researcher develops innovative way to turn common surgical masks into virus killers

New report reveals 25% drop in overall cancer death rate in the U.S.

Study identifies factors linked to disengagement from treatment for opioid use disorder

Protein involved in neurological disorders can travel from brain to stomach

Genetic influence on immune system appears to be higher than previously thought

Dermatologist reveals how smoking can affect the skin

UM SOM study identifies key Zika proteins as likely suspects for damage

March of Dimes provides New Year's resolution for moms-to-be to help have healthy baby

AAV-based gene therapy to treat liver disorders advances into human testing

Specific gene pathway appears to regulate growth, structure, and organization of cerebral cortex

Studies in non-human primates provide more predictive results in genetic causes of blindness

New database of PCR primers enables effective detection and identification of RNA viruses

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

Modular, Scalable, Intelligent: How n6 Is Rethinking NGS Library Prep

Evolving spectrophotometry for modern biopharma workflows