Virus Weekly articles from December 2002

Virus Weekly archives from December 2002

Interleukin-6 enhances human herpesvirus-8 activity.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - The cytokine interleukin (IL)-6 may play a key role in the development of several AIDS-related malignancies, researchers in Japan say. "Human herpesvirus-8...

Therapy okay for chronic hepatitis C patients with constitutional neutropenia.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - U.S. government researchers recently announced that constitutional neutropenia is no reason to deny interferon therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C....

Guidelines issued for metabolic complications related to HIV & antiretrovirals.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The first comprehensive recommendations for assessing, monitoring and treating metabolic complications such as insulin resistance and abnormal body fat distribution that are occurring in association...

Chitosan magnifies virus-mediated gene delivery.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Scientists have learned that chitosan can increase the infectivity and safety of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer. Scientific investigators in Japan at...

Hepatocyte growth factor gene transfer accelerates wound repair.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Wounds treated with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) gene therapy tend to heal faster, researchers in Japan believe. "HGF regulates cell growth, cell...

New 20-minute rapid HIV test nears FDA approval.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A broad, growing coalition of public health officials, health organizations, and HIV/AIDS groups are calling for widespread availability of new rapid HIV tests through a "waived" status under the...

FDA accepts Coviracil NDA for the treatment of HIV.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (VIRS) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified the company that its new drug application (NDA) for marketing approval of Coviracil for the...

New class of compounds found for the treatment of drug-resistant HIV/AIDS.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pharmacor announced the discovery of a new class of drug-like compounds in its battle against drug-resistant HIV. The exceptional characteristic of these compounds is that they are significantly...

CMV reactivation in stem cell recipients studied.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vaccine researchers are working on understanding the relationship of CD8+ T lymphocytes in immunity against human cytomegalovirus in allogeneic stem-cell transplants. "Human cytomegalovirus (CMV)...

Phase III study shows Synagis reduces RSV hospitalization.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- MedImmune, Inc., (MEDI) announced data from a large, multinational phase III clinical study indicating that Synagis (palivizumab) was safe and effective in preventing RSV-related hospitalizations in...

NK cell activity is dominated by US2-11-mediated HLA class I down-regulation.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "A highly attractive approach to investigate the influence and hierarchical organization of viral proteins on cellular immune responses is to employ mutant viruses carrying deletions of various...

Transmission of ChimeriVax-DEN2 virus by vector mosquitoes is unlikely.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Study results indicate that the live virus contained in the ChimeriVax-DEN2 vaccine (Acambis, Inc.) has limited ability to infect and replicate in Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes. "The...

Mutations associated with lamivudine therapy in Indian HBV patients studied.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in India conducted a study of the prevalence and profiles of gene mutation occurring in hepatitis B virus-infected patients taking lamivudine. "Lamivudine results in the selection of...

India rejects U.S. government warning on spread of HIV/AIDS.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- India has rejected a U.S. government report warning that the South Asian nation could soon have the highest number of people with HIV/AIDS in the world, and demanded that its authors explain the basis...

Company results for 2002 third quarter and 9-month period.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- MedImmune, Inc., (MEDI) announced that total revenues increased 53% to $73 million in the 2002 third quarter and 43% to $466 million in the first 9 months of the year. Worldwide sales of Synagis,...

Company's third quarter results exceed expectations.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (NABI) announced its financial results for the third quarter and 9 months ended September 28, 2002. Nabi Biopharmaceuticals reported net income of $0.8 million in the third...

Surveillance Data enters partnership to create new HIV market data products.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ViroLogic, Inc., (VLGC) and Surveillance Data, Inc., (SDI), announced that the companies have signed an agreement to create a new line of HIV market research products based on data collected through...

Antibodies to some virus infections more common in Taiwanese patients.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study from Taiwan shows that, overall, prevalence and rate of recurrence of common virus infections are no different between patients on hemodialysis and control groups. "The study was designed...

Patients' dendritic cells induce fewer virus-specific T helper cells.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Weak antiviral immune responses observed in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection may partly be due to insufficient T-cell stimulating capacities of dendritic cells, say researchers in...

Human La protein-HBV RNA.B interaction in vitro is characterized.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Germany presented a molecular characterization of RNA binding mediated by the different RNA recognition motifs (RRMs) of the human La protein. "The La protein was recently identified...

Interim results of phase I Albuferon-alpha clinical trial promising.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Human Genome Sciences, Inc., (HGSI) announced that interim results from an ongoing phase I clinical trial of Albuferon-alpha demonstrate that Albuferon-alpha is well tolerated, has a prolonged...

Pharmaceutical group identifies new class of CpG oligonucleotides.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Inc., announced the identification of a novel class of its proprietary CpG oligo drug candidates, termed "C-Class" oligos. One member of this class, CpG 10101, strongly...

Virus-like particles do not activate Langerhans cells.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Langerhans cells are not activated by human papillomavirus (HPV) virus-like particles, report cancer researchers, who say this suggests a possible "immune escape mechanism" used by HPV. "High-risk...

International distribution agreements inked for Nabi-HB, hepatitis B antibody product.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (NABI) announced the signing of two international distribution agreements for Nabi-HB [hepatitis B immune globulin (human)] with Biotech Medical Corp. of Malaysia and Innovative...

Survey of physicians' flu vaccine practices raises some concerns.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- University of Michigan researchers reported results of a national survey of internists and family physicians that aimed "to characterize U.S. physicians' practices regarding influenza vaccine." The...

Hepatitis C virus genotype distribution in northeast Italy studied.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Italy have characterized the distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) subtypes in the northeastern region of the country. Study subjects were 318 consecutive HCV RNA positive patients....

Military doctors call for reinstating adenovirus vaccination program in recruits.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- U.S. Navy medical researchers say an adenovirus immunization program urgently needs to be reinstituted for military recruits. "Outbreaks of adenovirus type 4 (Ad4) acute respiratory disease (ARD)...

HCV particles in the blood of chronically infected patients characterized.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2002... 2002 DEC 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in England conducted a study "to analyze the influence of the humoral immune response on the generation and clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA-containing particles in the blood of...

PARP-1 enzyme not needed for infection.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States have shed new light on a poorly understood step in the retroviral integration process. "Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1...

Virus thrives in sweat glands of chronic hepatitis C patients.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Physicians in Spain have found hepatitis C virus (HCV) is released in sweat. Not only is the virus released in sweat, but it can replicate in sweat...

CD4 cell activation state linked to viral coat protein signaling ability.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States and Europe have shed new light on memory T cells' role in the early stages of HIV infection. "The capacity of the HIV-1...

Herpesvirus vaccine aided by calcium phosphate nanoparticle adjuvant .(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Calcium phosphate nanoparticles (CAP) acted as a potent adjuvant in the mucosal delivery of a vaccine directed against of herpes simplex virus type 2...

Hantaan virus prevalent in Thailand rats.
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Rats in Thailand may contribute to the spread of Hantaan virus and similar pathogens, researchers warn. Narong Nitatpattana and colleagues at Mahidol...

University of Pittsburgh findings illustrate how KSHV causes cancer.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Findings by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) illustrate how the virus that causes Kaposi sarcoma - Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, or KSHV - inhibits the...

Hepatitis C pathogenesis is influenced by cytomegalovirus.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Mayo Clinic researchers report that in liver allograft recipients infected with the hepatitis C virus, reactivation of cytomegalovirus is associated with allograft failure and mortality. R.R....

Denmark study on vaccine link to autism is inconclusive, advocacy group reports.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study on autism and the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is a welcome addition to autism epidemiology. However, the study conclusions appear overreaching, claiming that this analysis is the...

Prevention is the best strategy against postherpetic neuralgia.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pain management specialists in England emphasize the necessity of educating both the public and health care personnel about early recognition and management of postherpetic neuralgia. ...

Enzyme not indicative of sustained response after interferon.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Delayed normalization of the enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT) does not necessarily mean chronic hepatitis C patients won't respond to therapy. ...

HPV revenues increased by 42%.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Digene Corporation (DIGE) reported financial results for the fiscal 2003 first quarter ended September 30, 2002. Total revenues for the first quarter increased 22% to $12.6 million, compared with...

Study evaluates the effectiveness of valacyclovir HCl in HIV-infected persons.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Twice-daily treatment with Valtrex (valacyclovir HCl) caplets is effective in suppressing genital herpes recurrences in HIV-infected patients, according to data presented at the Infectious Diseases...

Six-month phase IIB data of Telbivudine released.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced interim 24-week data from an ongoing international phase IIb clinical trial of telbivudine (LdT), the company's lead drug candidate for the treatment of chronic...

FDA approves HCV qualitative assay.
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gen-Probe Incorporated (GPRO) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval of its premarket application (PMA) for its Qualitative HCV Assay. Gen-Probe developed...

Trivalent, cold-adapted flu vaccine well-tolerated by preschool-aged children.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The trivalent, cold-adapted influenza vaccine (CAIV-T) appears safe in children under age 6, according to a recent study. Baylor College of Medicine researcher P.A. Piedra and colleagues conducted...

Roche launches 2002-2003 FluSTAR surveillance system.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Roche announced the 2002-2003 influenza season launch of FluSTAR, a surveillance system that provides timely and reliable reporting of flu activity on a regional and nationwide basis. FluSTAR,...

Microtiter format developed for simultaneous multianalyte detection of HPV.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Italy have developed a novel polystyrene microtiter plate and a polymerase chain reaction chemiluminescent immunoassay that, together, allowed them to simultaneously detect and type...

Antigenic relationships compared among six viral genotypes.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Virologists in Sweden reported the results of an antigenic comparison of mumps virus genotypes A, C, D, G, H, and I. These six had been "genotyped on the basis of the small hydrophobic protein...

Rabbit oral papillomavirus appears best choice for developing HPV vaccine.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A comparison of animal papillomaviruses to the human variety suggests rabbit oral papillomavirus is best suited for study of the "life cycles of mucosal papillomavirus types and for the development of...

Residents in senior housing, nursing homes need flu shot.
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Not surprisingly, results of a public health study conducted in Canada indicate that people living in nursing homes or senior residences should get the flu shot to help combat respiratory diseases...

Protective response to intraperitoneal immunization with G2Na studied in mice.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Immunologists in France recently reported on their study of "protective mechanisms induced in the mouse upper respiratory tract (URT) after intraperitoneal immunization with G2Na, a recombinant...

Study suggests RSV vaccine only for premature neonates with lung disease.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A cost-benefits analysis suggests that of babies discharged from neonatal intensive care units, in Northern Ireland at least, only those with chronic lung disease who are very premature should receive...

Study examines regulatory mechanisms for immune complex levels.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a study from Japan, "Complement receptor type 1 (CR1) is a transmembrane protein, and human erythrocyte CR1 (E-CR1) is involved in the transport of circulating immune complexes (IC) from...

Key compounds donated to University of Arizona Foundation.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Procter & Gamble Company (PG) donated to the University of Arizona (UA) Foundation 33 patents and accompanying intellectual property related to a portfolio of compounds that have been tested in...

Location of transactivating and proapoptotic functions found in X proteins.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2002... 2002 DEC 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Virologists in Germany report that, like hepatitis B virus X protein, orthohepadnaviral and avihepadnaviral X proteins have transactivating and proapoptotic functions. In earlier work, R. Schuster...

Synthetic ribozymes a potential treatment for hepatitis B virus.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Synthetic particles that can cleave viral RNA have demonstrated effectiveness in hepatitis B virus (HBV) experiments. Researchers at Ribozyme...

Herpes viruses hedge their bets: Latency boosts survival.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Herpes viruses have two infectious phases: one just after infecting a new host, and one years or decades later when they reactivate. According Michael Stumpf (University College London), Zoe...

Fractionated particles reveal complexity of hepatitis C virus infection.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Fractionated particles in the blood of people infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) may yield pertinent information about viral persistence. HCV RNA...

Once-a-week dose of PegIntron may not be enough.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study conducted at the University of Vienna shows that the currently prescribed once-weekly dosing schedule of peginterferon alfa-2b (PegIntron - Schering-Plough) does not provide sustained...

Transmission of virus strain successfully interrupted in the Americas.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Measles is one of the most infectious diseases known to man and remains the leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths worldwide, responsible for 590,000 deaths of children under 5 annually. ...

Protecting babies from RSV could reduce chances asthma during childhood.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers from Imperial College London and St Mary's NHS Trust have discovered that keeping people with coughs and sneezes away from young babies may cut the likelihood of developing wheeze or asthma...

European marketing authorization sought for Fuzeon, an HIV fusion inhibitor.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Roche and Trimeris, Inc., (TRMS) announced the submission of a new drug application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval to market Fuzeon (enfuvirtide), formerly known as...

American Cancer Society issues new early detection guidelines.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The American Cancer Society issued new guidelines addressing when and how often women should get early detection tests for cervical cancer and precancer. The new guidelines were developed by an...

Nanofiltration removes viruses from human immunoglobulin manufacturing process.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Orthoclin Diagnostic Inc. have demonstrated the effectiveness of tangential-flow nanofiltration in removing viruses from human immunoglobulin manufacturing processes. R.W. van...

AIDSVAX developer releases third-quarter financial results.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- VaxGen, Inc., (VXGN) announced a net loss of $7.8 million, or 54 cents per share excluding noncash charges, for the third quarter ended September 30, 2002, compared with a net loss of $6.2 million, or...

Allovectin-7 developer announces third-quarter 2002 financial results.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vical, Inc., (VICL) reported revenues of $2.5 million for the third quarter which ended September 30, 2002, compared with revenues of $2.4 million for the third quarter of the prior year. Revenues...

Laboratory Corp. of America announces third quarter results.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Laboratory Corp. (LabCorp) of America Holdings (LH) announced results for the quarter and 9 months ended September 30, 2002. Revenues in the third quarter were $655.2 million, an increase of 16.8%...

Recombinant antibody Fab blocks HCV adsorption to susceptible cells in vitro.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Japan demonstrated in vitro that recombinant antibody Fabs they developed block adsorption of hepatitis C virus by susceptible cells. "Antibodies against hypervariable region 1...

Study: Remune antigen with CpG ODN may offer HIV protection.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Immune Response Corp. (IMNRD) announced the final results of a study at McMaster University Health Sciences Centre suggesting that use of Remune antigen in combination with oligonucleotides...

Beta-L-Fd4C inhibits both wild-type, lamivudine-resistant HBV.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced favorable bioavailability, potency, and safety data for the company's lead product candidate, Beta-L-Fd4C (ACH-126,443), in development for the treatment of...

Vaccine and immunotherapy adjuvant technology presented at IDD conference.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- PRIMABioMed, Ltd., a cancer and immunotherapy research and therapeutic development company, presented its vaccine and immunotherapy adjuvant technology, named DCtag, at the recent Innovative Drug...

AMA says there's still time to get vaccinated against the flu.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- This year's flu season will soon be making its way across the nation, and the American Medical Association is reminding people that the best defense is to get immunized against the flu as soon as...

Two herpes simplex virus mutants show promise in gene therapy.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Attenuated, replication-competent herpes simplex virus mutants offer an exciting new modality in cancer therapy through their ability to selectively replicate within and kill malignant cells with...

New study shows cold and flu germs spread easily throughout the office.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to new research from University of Arizona microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba, staying healthy this season is nothing to sneeze at when everyone in the vicinity is coughing and sniffling. ...

Vaccination recommendation changes for pregnant women.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ob-Gyns are now being advised that it is safe for women to receive their rubella vaccination up to 1 month before becoming pregnant instead of the previous 3-month wait period, according to an opinion...

Report shows condoms provide inadequate risk reduction for STDsen.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new scientific report reveals that condoms, even when used 100% of the time, fail to reduce the risk of some of the most common and potentially dangerous sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to an...

Existing antiviral could be potential treatment.(Cidofovir)(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A drug currently licensed for treatment of an opportunistic infection in AIDS patients may be an effective treatment against smallpox, say researchers from the Rega Institute for Medical Research in...

Data presented on Inactine PEN110's ability to remove WN virus from blood cells.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- At a public workshop sponsored in part by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), V.I. Technologies (Vitex), Inc., (VITX), a biotechnology company dedicated to improving the safety of the...

Efforts accelerated to develop PCR blood screening assay.(Brief Article)
December 17, 2002... 2002 DEC 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In response to a recent challenge by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to develop effective nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) to...

Antiviral agent Z-isomers active against resistant cytomegalovirus.
December 24, 2002... 2002 DEC 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States and Italy have identified a pair of novel agents effective against refractory strains of cytomegalovirus. "Emergence of...

Virulent vaccine-derived poliovirus strains found in Japan.
December 24, 2002... 2002 DEC 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Poliovirus strains discovered at a sewage treatment plant in Japan had properties similar to that of the wild Mahoney strain, according to a report...

HPV-16 appears to facilitate telomerase activation.
December 24, 2002... 2002 DEC 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Recent study results suggest that human papillomavirus type 16 may assist "telomerase activation in conjunction with other viral or cellular changes over time." "Retroviral transduction and...

Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein can be therapeutic target.
December 24, 2002... 2002 DEC 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States have identified a novel method for treating latent Epstein-Barr virus infection. "Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human...

Lamivudine adds layer of protection to recipients of core-positive livers.
December 24, 2002... 2002 DEC 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Lamivudine can prevent de novo hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections in the recipients of hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc)-positive livers, doctors in Taiwan...

Immunoglobulin A has multiple functions in mucosal defense against viruses.
December 24, 2002... 2002 DEC 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Case Western Reserve University pathologists recently conducted a study in which "[t]hree defense functions of immunoglobulin A (IgA) - immune exclusion, intracellular neutralization, and virus...

48-week results reported for SOLO trial.
December 24, 2002... 2002 DEC 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Results of the SOLO trial, an open-label, multicenter study evaluating the safety and efficacy of once-a-day (QD) dosing of the investigational protease inhibitor (PI) GW433908 (908) boosted with...