Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Genetic diversity impacts efficacy of cancer immunotherapy

The constant battle against infectious pathogens has had a decisive influence on the human immune system over the course of our evolution.

8 Nov 2019

The first locally transmitted cases of Zika have been confirmed in Europe

The first native cases of Zika virus have been confirmed in Europe. Experts are calling it a wake-up call as warming global temperatures could lead to more cases across the continent.

8 Nov 2019

Combination therapy shows promise for transplanting HCV-infected organs

Data from a new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting – held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases – found that combination therapy with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and ezetimibe.

8 Nov 2019

New vaccine strategy shows promise against HIV

A collaborative team of scientists has made a successful proof-of-principle demonstration of an advanced HIV vaccine strategy--an approach that may also work in protecting people from an array of other deadly infectious diseases.

7 Nov 2019

High hepatitis C rates in Ohio linked to opioid misuse

In an effort to further measure the opioid epidemic's impact in Ohio, the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health studied hepatitis C rates within the state and discovered consistently high rates in the southern Appalachia region over a five-year period.

7 Nov 2019

New strain of HIV discovered and sequenced

Researchers have for the first time in twenty years come upon a new strain of HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This strain is a part of the Group M type of HIV-1. HIV-1 is the causative agent of worldwide HIV infections.

7 Nov 2019

New molecule can reduce aggressiveness of embryonal central nervous system tumors

In Brazil, scientists affiliated with the Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center (HUG-CELL) at the University of São Paulo (USP) have identified a molecule capable of reducing the aggressiveness of embryonal central nervous system tumors.

7 Nov 2019

New model could predict response of HIV-infected individuals to cancer immunotherapy

A group of researchers at UPF and the Marchuk Institute of Numerical Mathematics in Moscow, Russia, have designed a mathematical model to predict the response of HIV-infected individuals to a type of cancer immunotherapy.

7 Nov 2019

HIV-1 virus characteristics can predict treatment efficacy with specific antibody treatment

Current HIV-1 therapies have been proven to be highly effective in slowing the progression of the virus in the body with only minimal side effects.

6 Nov 2019

Mailed self-sampling kits for HPV testing increased cervical cancer screening rates

Signaling a potential major change in cervical cancer screening options for American women, a new study found that mailed self-sampling kits that test for HPV - the virus that can cause cervical cancer - helped significantly more women get screened for the cancer.

6 Nov 2019

Novel home testing kit for cervical cancer could replace Pap tests

A new method of cervical cancer screening which is designed to be done by women at home could bring down the rates of cervical cancer and associated deaths. The work, presented at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference 2019 in Glasgow, has attracted immense attention because of its feasibility and wide acceptance.

6 Nov 2019

Medical and socioeconomic factors may hinder employability of people with HIV/AIDS

People living with HIV/AIDS may face discrimination in employers' hiring practices. A study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine found that medical and socioeconomic factors may hinder their employment.

6 Nov 2019

Scientists discover cell protein crucial in preventing viral replication

A research team has discovered a protein without which cells infected by viruses cannot trigger an immune response, leading to 100% mortality with even non-disease-producing strains. The discovery of the new Z-DNA binding protein, or ZBP1, was reported in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology. It could help develop new treatment methods for viruses that target the nervous system such as the Zika or West Nile Encephalitis virus.

6 Nov 2019

Risk assessment model for Ebola transmission accurately predicted Uganda cases

A new risk assessment model for the transmission of Ebola accurately predicted its spread into the Republic of Uganda, according to the Kansas State University researchers who developed it.

5 Nov 2019

Researchers find genes from 'fossil' virus in human DNA to be active

Genes from a virus that was stitched into the human genome thousands of years ago are active, producing proteins in the human brain and other tissues, according to researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the Laval University School of Medicine in Quebec, Canada.

5 Nov 2019