Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Why over 5 billion people still lack access to life-saving medical oxygen

The Lancet Global Health Commission highlights severe inequities in medical oxygen access, urging systemic reforms to ensure universal availability and affordability.

23 Feb 2025

Zika virus hijacks tunneling mechanism to infect placental cells

Infection with Zika virus in pregnancy can lead to neurological disorders, fetal abnormalities and fetal death. Until now, how the virus manages to cross the placenta, which nurtures the developing fetus and forms a strong barrier against microbes and chemicals that could harm the fetus, has not been clear.

22 Feb 2025

Discovery paves way for new hepatitis B treatment

In their effort to answer a decades-old biological question about how the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is able to establish infection of liver cells, research led by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), Weill Cornell Medicine, and The Rockefeller University identified a vulnerability that opens the door to new treatments.

22 Feb 2025

New genetic medicine offers life-changing vision improvements for blind children

Four young children have gained life-changing improvements in sight following treatment with a pioneering new genetic medicine through UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital, with the support of MeiraGTx.

22 Feb 2025

New human antibody shows promise for Ebola virus treatment

New research led by scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) reveals the workings of a human antibody called mAb 3A6, which may prove to be an important component for Ebola virus therapeutics.

21 Feb 2025

Texas measles outbreak nears 100 cases, raising concerns about undetected spread

Some private schools have shut down because of a rapidly escalating measles outbreak in West Texas. Local health departments are overstretched, pausing other important work as they race to limit the spread of this highly contagious virus.

21 Feb 2025

Breakthrough discovery unveils potential treatment for hepatitis B

In their effort to answer a decades-old biological question about how the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is able to establish infection of liver cells, research led by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), Weill Cornell Medicine and The Rockefeller University identified a vulnerability that opens the door to new treatments.

20 Feb 2025

FDA ensures blood safety through five layers of safeguards

Every day, hospitals throughout the U.S. transfuse blood or blood components, such as platelets, to save the lives of people who are in car crashes, and victims of fires and other emergencies.

20 Feb 2025

New mpox variant can spread rapidly across borders

International researchers, including from DTU National Food Institute, warn that the ongoing mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has the potential to spread across borders more rapidly.

20 Feb 2025

New HIV therapy lenacapavir shows high efficacy in Ugandan population

A multi-national, multi-institutional study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators found little natural resistance to a new HIV therapy called lenacapavir in a population of patients in Uganda.

19 Feb 2025

Infant exposure to herpes virus may cause memory problems later in life

Very early exposure to even a very small dose of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in infant mice can lead to cognitive decline later in life, according to findings from a new Dartmouth-led study, in collaboration with Harvard Medical School and published in the journal PLoS Pathogens.

19 Feb 2025

F446L mutation in Lassa virus offers clues for new therapeutic approaches

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Lassa virus (LASV) glycoprotein complex (GPC) contains retained stable-signal peptide (SSP), glycoprotein 1 (GP1), and glycoprotein 2 (GP2).

19 Feb 2025

Fungal component may protect against flu-related lung damage

A component found in all fungi may provide a shield against flu-related lung damage, according to a new study.

18 Feb 2025

Researchers identify MLC1 as potential target in multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system caused by the immune system. B cells, which are a type of white blood cell, play a role in the development of MS and are thus a target for therapies.

18 Feb 2025

Gene therapy breakthrough offers hope for severe Dravet syndrome cases

AAV-Navβ1 gene therapy effectively reduces seizures and prolongs life in a mouse model of SCN1B-linked Dravet syndrome, paving the way for future treatments.

18 Feb 2025

Cancer-free for 18 years: CAR-T therapy sets new milestone in neuroblastoma treatment

A groundbreaking study in Nature Medicine reveals that GD2 CAR-T cell therapy can lead to long-term remission in children with neuroblastoma, with one patient remaining cancer-free for over 18 years.

17 Feb 2025

Rare enterovirus strain in Spain raises alarms over potential outbreaks

Scientists in Spain detected Enterovirus C105 (EV-C105), a rare virus linked to respiratory and possible neurological illness in children, highlighting the emergence of a genetically distinct viral strain.

17 Feb 2025

Study shows how pituitary macrophages impact hormone regulation

Finnish researchers show in a new study that pituitary macrophages, the immune cells located in the pituitary gland, help regulate hormonal balance. It is possible that in the future, macrophage cells could be used to treat endocrine disorders that can lead, for example, to infertility.

17 Feb 2025

Breakthrough computational tool enhances design of targeted antiviral therapies

Viruses, like those that cause COVID-19 or HIV, are formidable opponents once they invade our bodies. Antiviral treatments strive to block a virus or halt its replication.

17 Feb 2025

Prozac's surprising immune-boosting effects could lead to new treatments for sepsis

Antidepressants like Prozac are commonly prescribed to treat mental health disorders, but new research suggests they could also protect against serious infections and life-threatening sepsis.

14 Feb 2025