Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Los Alamos National Lab, Biomagnetics to develop and commercialize IOBS system

Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., a developer of revolutionary diagnostic systems and technology for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, cholera and malaria detection, and other innovative technologies, today announced further details in next steps to be taken toward full commercialization of the Company's flagship Integrated Optical Biosensor diagnostic system.

30 Mar 2011

Positive preliminary results from Presidio's PPI-461 Phase 1b trial against HCV

Presidio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today positive preliminary results from a Phase 1b clinical trial of PPI-461, a novel HCV NS5A inhibitor for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C.

30 Mar 2011

Mary Ann Liebert to launch new 'Shingles and PHN' open access journal

Shingles and PHN, a new, bimonthly open access peer-reviewed journal, will be launched in fall 2011 by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

30 Mar 2011

Smoking withdrawal after liver transplantation may protect against neoplasia development

Spanish researchers have found that liver transplant recipients who quit smoking have a lower incidence of smoking-related malignancies than patients who keep smoking.

30 Mar 2011

Smoking cessation after liver transplantation reduces incidence of malignancy

Spanish researchers have found that liver transplant recipients who quit smoking have a lower incidence of smoking-related malignancies (SRM) than patients who keep smoking. In fact, SRMs were identified in 13.5% of deceased patients and smoking was associated with a higher risk of malignancy in this study. Full findings are published in the April issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

29 Mar 2011

Scientist develops new model to understand peoples' behaviors during flu outbreaks

When influenza pandemics arrive, the specter of disease spread through person-to-person contact can mean that schools close, hand sanitizer sales rise, and travellers stay home. But is severing social and business interactions with our neighbors really better than taking a chance on getting sick?

29 Mar 2011

Reports of H1N1 outbreaks in Venezuela, Mexico prompt quick preventive action by health authorities

Health officials in Venezuela announced on Friday the number of confirmed H1N1 cases in the country has grown to more than 200, the Associated Press/Seattle Times reports.

29 Mar 2011

FDA clears new BD ProbeTec Qx Amplified DNA Assays to detect HSV 1 and 2

Clinicians now have a new tool to help diagnose symptomatic patients with Herpes Simplex Viruses -- one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the world.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 29 Mar 2011

Scientists receive CFCF-AACR grants for carcinoid, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor research

The American Association for Cancer Research is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2011 Caring for Carcinoid Foundation-AACR Grants for Carcinoid Tumor and Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Research and the 2011 Raymond and Beverly Sackler AACR Fellowships for Ileal Carcinoid Tumor Research.

28 Mar 2011

Gates discusses foundation's global health priorities in India during visit to country

During a visit to the Indian state of Bihar, Bill Gates, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, on Thursday discussed his foundation's work in India and global health priorities, ANI/Sify News reports.

28 Mar 2011

Scientists receive AACR Team Science Award for HPV research

The Fifth Annual AACR Team Science Award will be given to a team of internationally renowned molecular biologists, epidemiologists, biostatisticians and clinicians from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington who have worked together on human papillomavirus for more than 20 years.

28 Mar 2011

Plasmid containing Sindbis replicase genes can destruct lung cancer

Alpha viruses, such as Sindbis virus, carry their genetic information on a single strand of RNA. On infection they use a protein, replicase, to produce double stranded RNA which is used as genetic material to make more viruses. However the body recognizes dsRNA as foreign, and infected cells initiate an immune response.

28 Mar 2011

Mexico on swine flu alert again

After four new deaths from swine flu (H1N1), authorities in Mexico's Chihuahua state along the U.S. border announced preventive health measures Sunday to staunch a return of an H1N1 epidemic.

27 Mar 2011

HIV uses base excision repair pathway to insert DNA into host-cell genome

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the cause of AIDS, makes use of the base excision repair pathway when inserting its DNA into the host-cell genome, according to a new study led by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. Crippling the repair pathway prevents the virus from completing this critical step in the retrovirus's life cycle.

25 Mar 2011

First evidence of H5N1 transmission between domestic farms and wild birds

Wild migratory birds may indeed play a role in the spread of bird flu, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1.

25 Mar 2011

SeraCare launches new HIV panel

SeraCare Life Sciences, a global life sciences company providing vital products and services to facilitate the discovery, development and production of human diagnostics and therapeutics, announces the launch of its new Worldwide HIV Performance Panel.

25 Mar 2011

Merck & Co receives FDA approval for Zostavax vaccine to treat shingles

The Food and Drug Administration today approved the use of Zostavax, a live attenuated virus vaccine, for the prevention of shingles in individuals 50 to 59 years of age. Zostavax is already approved for use in individuals 60 years of age and older.

25 Mar 2011

Mosquitoes carry risk of Murray Valley encephalitis warn Victorian health authorities

After detecting some new cases of Murray Valley encephalitis in chickens, health authorities have warned Victorians to protect themselves from mosquito bites. Victoria's chief health officer, Dr John Carnie warned that the deadly disease had been detected in "sentinel" chickens at Cobram, Rutherglen, Toolamba and Bendigo. “These latest detections follow positive results in chickens in similar areas a month ago, including Barmah and Kerang… Evidence of the virus is again present in these areas,” Dr Carnie said.

24 Mar 2011

Gilead's elvitegravir Phase III trial against HIV-1 meets primary objective

Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced that the Phase III clinical trial of its investigational antiretroviral agent elvitegravir, a novel oral integrase inhibitor being evaluated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in treatment-experienced patients, met its primary objective.

24 Mar 2011

Tick-borne disease identified as emerging threat

Five years ago, large numbers of farmers in central China began falling victim to an mysterious disease marked by high fever, gastrointestinal disorder and an appalling mortality rate - as high as 30 percent in initial reports. Investigators from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention hurried to the scene of the outbreak. On the basis of DNA evidence, they quickly concluded that it had been caused by human granulocytic anaplasmosis, a bacteria transmitted by tick bites.

24 Mar 2011