Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

ELPA, WHA announce educational program for hepatitis B patients

The European Liver Patients Association (ELPA) and the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA), announced today on the 4th annual World Hepatitis Day that 'PATH B - "Patients and Professionals Acting Together for Hepatitis B" - My journey with chronic hepatitis B', a comprehensive educational resource designed to improve the lives of people living with chronic hepatitis B, is to be launched in August 2011.

29 Jul 2011

Studies reveal new set of mutations linked with head and neck cancer

Powerful new technologies that zoom in on the connections between human genes and diseases have illuminated the landscape of cancer, singling out changes in tumor DNA that drive the development of certain types of malignancies such as melanoma or ovarian cancer.

29 Jul 2011

WHO marks first-ever World Hepatitis Day

The WHO on Thursday marked the first-ever World Hepatitis Day, recognizing a disease that affects nearly one of every three people in the world, the U.N. News Centre reports.

29 Jul 2011

UK MRC, Humabs discover first neutralizing antibody that targets all influenza A subtypes

A paper published today in the scientific research journal Science, describes a novel, proprietary monoclonal antibody (FI6) discovered in a collaboration between Humabs BioMed SA, the Institute for Research in Biomedicine and the UK Medical Research Council.

29 Jul 2011

Male circumcision may reduce HPV-associated penile precancerous lesions

A University of North Carolina-led international study shows that among Kenyan men, circumcision is associated with a lower prevalence of human papillomavirus-associated precancerous lesions of the penis.

29 Jul 2011

Tips to make family vacations less hazardous for kids and parents

Family vacations live in infamy. Sometimes it's for the lasting memories of family bonding and new wonders experienced together, and sometimes for the horrors of just trying to get to a destination.

29 Jul 2011

Oral chicken interferon-alpha may significantly reduce influenza infection

Avian influenza virus is a threat to the commercial chicken industry and, with its recent rapid spread across China, has also shown the ability for transmission from chickens to humans and other mammals.

29 Jul 2011

Universal flu vaccine with super antibodies in near future

Researchers are close to developing a “super antibody” against flu that could be used as a universal treatment and pave the way for the development of a universal vaccine against the disease that affects billions of people every year.

29 Jul 2011

Hepatitis on the rise

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the battle is on to fight the rising numbers of hepatitis B cases. Medical experts are calling for global action to tackle the viruses that cause the liver disease hepatitis. The first worldwide estimates in drug users show 10 million have hepatitis C while 1.3 million have hepatitis B.

29 Jul 2011

Insect virus holds key to safer stem cell therapy: Singapore scientists

The future of regenerative medicine lies in harnessing the potential of the human body to renew and repair itself. Now, scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), the world's first bioengineering and nanotechnology research institute, have developed a new genetic engineering technique that promises safer stem cell therapy for cancer patients. Using an insect virus, the team of researchers successfully inserted a therapeutic gene into a safe site in the DNA of human embryonic stem cells without compromising the functionality of the engineered cells.

28 Jul 2011

Scientists reveal complete three-dimensional atomic structure of an activated GPCR

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are popular drug targets, accounting for about one-third of approved drugs and many hundreds of drugs currently in development. They act as molecular switches that transduce extracellular signals by activating heterotrimeric G proteins located at the inside of the cell.

27 Jul 2011

Early initiation of HIV therapy would save money, lives of South Africans

If the South African government followed a recent recommendation by the World Health Organization to start antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-infected residents earlier in the progress of the disease, the policy shift would start saving the country money after 16 years and would extend thousands of lives for dozens of years, according to a new study.

27 Jul 2011

Follow-up dose recommended to defend children against pandemic virus outbreaks

Researchers from Australia determined that pediatric liver transplant patients who received a single-dose of the H1N1 vaccine were not adequately protected against the virus compared to healthy children.

27 Jul 2011

Dog owners told not to worry about Hendra virus

After the Hendra virus outbreak among horses in Queensland, there are new worries that it may have jumped to a dog, the first such infection outside a laboratory. But Queensland authorities have moved to allay any fears of a widespread outbreak among dogs.

26 Jul 2011

Biogen Idec reports revenue of $1.2 billion for second quarter 2011

Biogen Idec Inc., a global biotechnology leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and commercialization of innovative therapies, today announced its second quarter 2011 results.

26 Jul 2011

Preventing bioterrorism worldwide

Around the globe, many nations are realizing that the potential for bioterrorism isn't just about the U.S., officials say. And because an intentional introduction of bacteria, a virus or a toxin could happen anywhere, the World Organization for Animal Health is issuing a paper aimed at prevention.

26 Jul 2011

'Core-shell' nanoparticles for effective intracellular delivery of RNAi therapeutics

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, together with collaborators at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), announced today the publication of new paper describing discovery of "core-shell" nanoparticles for systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics.

26 Jul 2011

Book on human papilloma virus

A pair of oncologists in the Program in Women's Oncology at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island recently co-authored a pocket-sized guide to the human papilloma virus (HPV) so physicians can make more accurate diagnosis and plan more effective treatment for women with the virus.

26 Jul 2011

Sediments buried beneath the Black Sea contain ancient virus and host DNA

A scientist analyzing ancient plankton DNA signatures in sediments of the Black Sea has found that the same genetic populations of a virus and its algal host can persist--and coexist--for centuries.

26 Jul 2011

Advaxis submits protocol revision for ADXS-HPV CIN Phase II study

Advaxis, Inc., a leader in developing the next generation of immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases, has submitted a protocol revision that has passed FDA review for the enrollment of the next 40 subject "mid strength" dose cohort in the dose-ranging Phase II study of ADXS-HPV, an immunotherapy for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia.

26 Jul 2011