Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

News briefs from February issue of journal Chest

New research shows that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), with the largest prevalence seen in patients with concurrent connective tissue disease (CTD).

1 Feb 2011

UK government, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support efforts to stamp out polio

British Prime Minister David Cameron said today that the United Kingdom would double its current contribution to polio eradication.

29 Jan 2011

UMMS, Lundbeck announce research collaboration to develop targeted therapy for HD

The University of Massachusetts Medical School and Lundbeck Inc. today announced a research collaboration aimed at further development of a targeted therapy to slow or halt the progression of Huntington's disease.

29 Jan 2011

Genentech, Biogen announce FDA approval of Rituxan to treat follicular lymphoma

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, and Biogen Idec today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Rituxan as a maintenance treatment for patients with advanced follicular lymphoma who responded to initial treatment with Rituxan plus chemotherapy.

28 Jan 2011

PCMD forms 6M research and analysis network to investigate role of virus infection in type 1 diabetes

The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD), University of Exeter, is one of 13 academic institutions and businesses across Europe to form a -6m research and analysis network, funded by the EU for a five-year period, which is designed to investigate the possible role of virus infection in the cause of type 1 diabetes.

28 Jan 2011

Preclinical data on Inovio’s intradermal electroporation delivery devices presented at Phacilitate Vaccine Forum

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of novel therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today the presentation of recent preclinical data using its next generation of minimally invasive intradermal (skin) electroporation delivery devices at the Phacilitate Vaccine Forum 2011 in Washington, DC.

28 Jan 2011

HIV causes specific subset of CD4+ T-cells to age rapidly: Study

In the early years of the AIDS epidemic, being infected with the virus that causes the disease was considered a virtual death sentence. But with the development of antiretroviral therapy, many with HIV are now living much longer. In fact, it is estimated that by 2015, about half of all HIV-positive individuals will be older than 50.

28 Jan 2011

Magnetic nanoparticles for ovarian cancer treatment

A paper published in the January issue of the journal Nanomedicine could provide the foundation for a new ovarian cancer treatment option - one that would use an outside-the-body filtration device to remove a large portion of the free-floating cancer cells that often create secondary tumors.

28 Jan 2011

UMMS, Lundbeck enter research collaboration to develop targeted therapy for HD

The University of Massachusetts Medical School and Lundbeck today announced a research collaboration aimed at further development of a targeted therapy to slow or halt the progression of Huntington's disease.

28 Jan 2011

Caffeine could decrease cost of lentiviral production

Give caffeine to cells engineered to produce viruses used for gene therapy and the cells can generate 3- to 8-times more virus, according to a paper published in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

27 Jan 2011

Lancet series examines health issues facing populations in Southeast Asia

"Southeast Asia's 600 million people are facing a raft of new health challenges as the disaster-prone region undergoes some of the world's fastest social change," according to a series of papers and commentary pieces, published Tuesday in the Lancet, Agence France-Presse reports (O'Brien, 1/25).

27 Jan 2011

Abbott fourth quarter worldwide sales increase 13.4% to nearly $10 billion

Abbott today announced financial results for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2010.

27 Jan 2011

Inviragen completes memorandum of understanding with Duke-NUS

Inviragen, and the Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School announced today that they have completed a memorandum of understanding to establish a partnership between the two organizations.

27 Jan 2011

Measles warnings for Australia and New Zealand

In a flight from Brisbane that arrived in Auckland two weeks ago, a child was confirmed to have measles and has been taken to hospital. Five other cases of the virus have been confirmed. At present a further 100 cases are being investigated by the Auckland Regional Public Health Service.

26 Jan 2011

Survival following transplant surgery for liver cancer not impacted by HIV-positive status

French researchers determined that infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) impaired results of transplant surgery for liver cancer, with more HIV infected patients dropping off the transplantation wait list. The team found that overall survival and recurrence-free survival was not impacted following liver transplantation in patients with controlled HIV disease.

25 Jan 2011

Evaluating patients for genetic variations impacts adherence to antiviral therapy

In two recent studies, researchers have identified two functional variants in the inosine triphosphatase (ITPA) gene that protect patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) against anemia brought on by antiviral treatment. The ability to identify those patients protected against treatment-induced anemia will ensure completion of antiviral therapy and successful elimination of the virus.

25 Jan 2011

Johnson & Johnson fourth quarter sales decreases 5.5% to $15.6 billion

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $15.6 billion for the fourth quarter of 2010, a decrease of 5.5% as compared to the fourth quarter of 2009. Operational sales declined 5.1% and the negative impact of currency was 0.4%. Domestic sales declined 8.1%, while international sales declined 3.1%, reflecting an operational decline of 2.3% and a negative currency impact of 0.8%.

25 Jan 2011

Rotavirus vaccine significantly cuts child hospitalizations, study says

Developing and developed countries that require children to be vaccinated against rotavirus "have significantly reduced the number of children admitted to hospitals with the disease, a report showed on Thursday," Reuters reports (Kelland, 1/20).

24 Jan 2011

Research findings reveal HIV's hiding spot, new way to stop the virus

HIV adapts in a surprising way to survive and thrive in its hiding spot within the human immune system, scientists have learned. While the finding helps explain why HIV remains such a formidable foe after three decades of research - more than 30 million people worldwide are infected with HIV - it also offers scientists a new, unexpected way to try to stop the virus.

24 Jan 2011

CRI, Oncovir sign new investment agreement to produce immunological stimulant

Cancer Research Institute, a U.S. nonprofit organization founded in 1953 to advance the science of tumor immunology and foster the discovery and development of new cancer immunotherapies, announced today that its Cancer Vaccine Acceleration Fund, a joint initiative with the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, has completed a new investment agreement with Oncovir, a biotechnology company based in Washington, D.C., to enable the production of the immunological stimulant Hiltonol- (Poly-ICLC).

24 Jan 2011