Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

New patterns discovered in the evolution of influenza virus

Skoltech scientists discovered new patterns in the evolution of the influenza virus. This may help predict mutations in the viral genome and ultimately help design better vaccines.

8 Oct 2019

Study: UNAIDS HIV targets will be missed among men who have sex with men in Africa

Despite improvements in HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Africa, many are missing out on HIV treatment.

8 Oct 2019

30 percent of the world’s children not protected against rubella

A new study carried out by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that a historic milestone has been crossed – over 50% of the world’s babies are now safe from rubella, or German measles. The disease has not been detected for a year or more in more than 80 countries all over the world.

7 Oct 2019

Study identifies a common denominator that triggers asthma in favorable environments

In recent decades, asthma has become a major public health problem. The exponential increase in asthma cases in industrialized countries over the past 50 years is due to major changes in our environment.

7 Oct 2019

Video images offer real-time view into the kinetics of viral assembly

For the first time, researchers have captured images of the formation of individual viruses, offering a real-time view into the kinetics of viral assembly. The research provides new insights into how to fight viruses and engineer self-assembling particles.

4 Oct 2019

Phage engineering gives antibacterial therapy a new lease of life

Researchers have been identifying and modifying known phages to fight against infectious bacteria.

4 Oct 2019

Study sheds new light on transmission dynamics of HIV-1B virus in Indonesia

Research into the molecular phylogeny (evolutionary history) of the HIV-1B virus in Indonesia has succeeded in illuminating the transmission period and routes for three clades (main branches of the virus).

4 Oct 2019

Australians traveling overseas urged to make sure their measles vaccinations are up to date

Measles outbreaks are happening across the globe and are reaching Australia. In the past month, there have been confirmed cases in Perth, Sydney, the Gold Coast and Cairns.

4 Oct 2019

New $4.5 million federal grant to make more HIV testing available in the Chicago area

More HIV testing will be available in the Chicago area, thanks to a five-year, $4.5 million federal public health grant recently awarded to the University of Chicago Medicine.

3 Oct 2019

UC Davis researchers awarded $1.5 million NIH grant for CRISPR cancer treatment

What if, instead of killing cancer cells or cells about to become cancerous, you could deliver a repair package and fix them? UC Davis researchers have just been awarded $1.5 million from the National Institutes of Health to start work towards that goal.

3 Oct 2019

High-resolution imaging shows how HIV spreads between living cells

In order to treat diseases better, we must understand how they arise.

3 Oct 2019

Researchers make breakthrough in gene therapy for sickle cell disease

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have developed a new and improved viral vector--a virus-based vehicle that delivers therapeutic genes--for use in gene therapy for sickle cell disease.

2 Oct 2019

Maternal exposure to pollutants can lead to multigenerational weakening of the immune system

New research shows that maternal exposure to a common and ubiquitous form of industrial pollution can harm the immune system of offspring and that this injury is passed along to subsequent generations, weakening the body's defenses against infections such as the influenza virus.

2 Oct 2019

New study shows response to HIV vaccine in 6 weeks

A US study on DNA-based and protein HIV vaccines has shown that an antibody and cellular immune response occurs within six weeks.

2 Oct 2019

New study shows response to HIV vaccine in 6 weeks

A new study using DNA-based and protein HIV vaccines in various combinations shows that antibody and cellular immune response occurs within 6 weeks from the date of vaccination, and the combination must be administered together for the most rapid protection. This will enable more large-scale testing of the vaccine for effectiveness. About 40 million people today have HIV infections, and 1.2 million deaths a year are related to this infection.

1 Oct 2019

US Government to fund development of a 'universal flu vaccine'

The US government is to provide up to 400 million USD in funding to develop a “universal” flu vaccination at Duke University over the next seven years.

1 Oct 2019

Mount Sinai researchers receive NIH award to develop universal flu vaccine

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have received a contract award of up to $132 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as part of a new Collaborative Influenza Vaccine Innovation Centers (CIVICs) program to further develop the universal flu vaccine.

1 Oct 2019

NIAID initiates new Collaborative Influenza Vaccine Innovation Centers program

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, has initiated the Collaborative Influenza Vaccine Innovation Centers program, a new network of research centers that will work together in a coordinated, multidisciplinary effort to develop more durable, broadly protective and longer-lasting influenza vaccines.

30 Sep 2019

University of Georgia signs contract with NIH to develop advanced influenza vaccine

The University of Georgia has signed a contract with the National Institutes of Health for an initial award of $8 million to develop a new, more advanced influenza vaccine designed to protect against multiple strains of influenza virus in a single dose.

30 Sep 2019

New CRISPR-Cas9 variant has potential to increase precision during gene therapy

Researchers have developed a new variant of the gene editing technique CRISPR-Cas9 that has the potential to increase precision during gene therapy in humans.

30 Sep 2019