Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Inovio's SynCon vaccine for cervical dysplasias and cancers granted U.S. patent

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted U.S. Patent No. 8,168,769, covering Inovio's SynCon vaccine for cervical dysplasias and cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).

2 May 2012

Array BioPharma third quarter revenue increases to $19.1M

Array BioPharma Inc. today reported financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2012.

2 May 2012

Sanofi Pasteur announces new quadrivalent influenza vaccine Phase III pediatric data

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, announced today new Phase III data for its investigational quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) in children 6 months through 8 years of age.

2 May 2012

'Mandatory oversight' of potentially dangerous biological research will be necessary

"In the sobering annals of disaster prevention, genetic manipulation of the H5N1 influenza virus is looming as a seminal case," John Steinbruner, director of the Center for International Security Studies at the University of Maryland, writes in an opinion piece in The Hill's "Congress Blog," noting that two "laboratory experiments have rendered the highly virulent avian strain transmissible among ferrets, strongly suggesting that it would be transmissible among humans as well."

2 May 2012

NIH study indicates safety of anti-HIV drug tenofovir during pregnancy

Infants born to women who used the anti-HIV drug tenofovir as part of an anti-HIV drug regimen during pregnancy do not weigh less at birth and are not of shorter length than infants born to women who used anti-HIV drug regimens that do not include tenofovir during pregnancy, according to findings from a National Institutes of Health network study.

2 May 2012

Interferon linked with increased risk of depression in HCV patients

There's a high rate of depression among patients with hepatitis C, but a standard treatment for the disease includes a drug, interferon, that can cause depression.

2 May 2012

Antibody that neutralizes enzyme Kallikrein 6 staves off MS

Researchers studying multiple sclerosis(MS) have long been looking for the specific molecules in the body that cause lesions in myelin, the fatty, insulating cells that sheathe the nerves.

30 Apr 2012

Dutch government grants export license allowing publication of controversial H5N1 study

"The Dutch government has agreed to grant an export license to allow Ron Fouchier, a virologist at the Erasmus Medical University in Rotterdam, to publish his work on H5N1 avian influenza in Science," Nature's "News Blog" reports (Owens, 4/27). "

30 Apr 2012

Hologic enters definitive agreement to acquire Gen-Probe

Hologic, Inc. and Gen-Probe Incorporated today announced that their Boards of Directors have unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which Hologic will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Gen-Probe for $82.75 per share in cash, or a total enterprise value of approximately $3.7 billion.

From Hologic, Inc. 30 Apr 2012

CDC dispels fears of air passenger carrying monkeypox

According to authorities passengers aboard a Delta Airlines flight from Detroit were barred from disembarking in Chicago for about three hours after one person was suspected of carrying a contagious disease. The incident occurred on Delta flight 3163, which landed at about 3:45 p.m.

29 Apr 2012

Researchers discover small molecules that kill HPV-infected cancer cells

Researchers at The Wistar Institute announce the discovery of small molecules that kill cancer cells caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). Their results, in both cell and mouse models, demonstrate that the small molecule inhibitors protect a tumor-suppressing protein targeted by viral proteins, thus killing the infected tumor cells.

27 Apr 2012

Funders should follow lead of U.S. in creating policies for scientific research oversight

"The controversy over the research into the genetic modification of the H5N1 flu virus, finally approved for publication, should offer a reminder of the importance of debate" over dual-use technology, a Nature editorial states.

27 Apr 2012

Asahi Kasei acquires ZOLL

Asahi Kasei Corporation, Japan's leading diversified chemical manufacturer with businesses in the health care, chemicals & fibers, homes & construction materials, and electronics sectors, announced today the successful completion of its acquisition of ZOLL Medical Corporation, a major US manufacturer of medical devices for critical care, on April 26, 2012, US Eastern time.

27 Apr 2012

Allied Healthcare increases stake in Coridon to over 44%

Allied Healthcare Group (ASX: AHZ) announced today that post the recent capital raising it has invested a further $1 million into Coridon, increasing its holding in the company to 44.4%. Allied has increased its investment in Coridon as the Company progresses towards its Phase I study for a herpes vaccine and makes further progress on its HPV therapeutic vaccine program.

26 Apr 2012

U.S. government must be prepared to handle dual use research of concern

"This week, a Senate panel is investigating biological security in the wake of" controversial "potentially dangerous research" on H5N1 avian influenza, "with good reason," Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.) writes in a Washington Times opinion piece.

26 Apr 2012

AAA to gather for anatomy meeting in conjunction with Experimental Biology 2012

The American Association of Anatomists will gather this week for its annual meeting in conjunction with the Experimental Biology 2012 conference, which will draw more than 14,000 scientists from industry, government and academia. Below are some programming highlights for the anatomy meeting. All presentations will be made at the San Diego Convention Center.

26 Apr 2012

Dutch government rule export permit required to publish controversial bird flu study

Ron Fouchier of Erasmus Medical Center, "[t]he Dutch scientist at the center of the controversy over recent bird flu experiments, says that his team applied for government permission today to submit a paper describing their research to a science journal," NPR's health blog "Shots" reports.

26 Apr 2012

Pig mucus effective at blocking viruses associated with cervical and oral cancer

Scientists are reporting that the mucus lining the stomachs of pigs could be a long-sought, abundant source of "mucins" being considered for use as broad-spectrum anti-viral agents to supplement baby formula and for use in personal hygiene and other consumer products to protect against a range of viral infections. Their study appears in ACS' journal Biomacromolecules.

26 Apr 2012

Body’s own DNA can cause inflammation in the heart

DNA from the heart's own cells plays a role in heart failure by mistakenly activating the body's immune system, according to a study by British and Japanese researchers, co-funded by the British Heart Foundation.

26 Apr 2012

Non-coding RNA gives off biological signals during viral infection

Once considered unimportant "junk DNA," scientists have learned that non-coding RNA (ncRNA) - RNA molecules that do not translate into proteins - play a crucial role in cellular function. Mutations in ncRNA are associated with a number of conditions, such as cancer, autism, and Alzheimer's disease.

25 Apr 2012