Virus Weekly articles from June 2001

Virus Weekly archives from June 2001

Mumps Vaccine Causes Remission Of Human Papillomavirus-Caused Disease.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2001... 2001 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Preliminary research suggests that injecting the mumps vaccine at the tumor site can induce remission in more than 75% of children affected with recurrent respiratory papilloma (RRP), a disease of...

Diagnostic Assays Compared.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2001... 2001 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - A newly improved cell culture amplification-antigen detection (CCA-Ag) isolation-based assay is highly accurate and may be useful for resolving...

Maternal Antibodies May Delay and Contain EBV In Infancy.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2001... 2001 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - The persistence of maternal antibodies in the first months of life may explain why Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is mild or asymptomatic in infancy. The...

Measles Virus Found In Patients' Tumor Cells.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2001... 2001 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The measles virus, never before suspected of being related to cancer, has been shown by Ben-Gurion University (BGU) of the Negev researchers to be present in the tumor cells of patients suffering...

Phase I Vaccine Trial Set To Begin In Women With HIV And/Or Human Papillomavirus.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2001... 2001 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Institute of Human Virology (IHV), at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, is set to begin Phase I clinical trials on Multikine, a drug produced in Baltimore, Maryland, by Cel-Sci...

Rhinovirus Replicons Allow Mucosal Immunization With RSV Fusion Protein.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2001... 2001 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Human rhinovirus vectors allow the successful in vitro expression of human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion (F) protein following mucosal...

Genetically Engineered Poliovirus Fights Brain Tumors.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2001... 2001 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- What do you get when you cross a poliovirus with the virus that causes the common cold? An efficient mechanism for killing brain tumors, say scientists at Duke University, who have successfully...

DNA Vaccine Decreases Ocular Disease Severity And Acute Infection In Trigeminal Nerve.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2001... 2001 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have developed a DNA vaccine against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) that decreases severity of disease in the eye in mice infected with HSV-1 by the corneal route. Immunization...

New Vaccine Stimulates Mucosal, Systemic Antibodies in Mice.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2001... 2001 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - A vaccine incorporating the recombinant B subunit of the Escherichia coli heat-labile toxin (LTB) completely protects mice from influenza, say researchers...

Cyclophilin A Necessary For HIV Infectivity.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2001... 2001 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Cyclophilin A is crucial for efficient HIV infection of cells, according to a recent study. "The [HIV-1] Gag polyprotein binds most members of the...

Humans And Monkeys Shed HAV In Feces For Extended Periods.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2001... 2001 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Both humans and monkeys continue to shed hepatitis A virus in their fecal matter after active infection is no longer evident, according to the results of...

Infection May Associate With Liver Cancer In Chronic Hepatitis C.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2001... 2001 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Scientists in Japan report TT virus infection correlates with irregular liver cell regeneration in chronic hepatitis C patients and may be associated with...

Viral Particles Detected In Papules Of Oral Lichen Planus.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2001... 2001 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Researchers report finding TT virus in the lesions of oral lichen planus but say the virus is not necessarily a cause of the lesions. Oral lichen...

PCR Identification Of Cerebrospinal Enterovirus Should Be Widely Used.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2001... 2001 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Isolation of enterovirus from cerebrospinal fluid by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a sensitive and reliable way to diagnose viral meningitis, but...

Cidofovir Shows Promise Against Smallpox, Other Poxviruses.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Following the global eradication of smallpox and discontinuation of the vaccinia virus vaccine, most of the world's population would be vulnerable to...

Role Of New Virus In Hepatitis Pathology Remains Unclear.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Investigators at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and at DiaSorin, Inc., report a new virus called SEN-V has been discovered in some blood...

New Assay Convenient For Large-Scale Screening Efforts.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - A simplified test to detect antibodies to Japanese encephalitis virus could make large-scale screening and vaccine development more convenient. The...

Whole Blood Should Be Used For Viral Load Determination.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Whole blood samples are far superior to serum samples for measuring Epstein-Barr viral load, particularly in HIV and transplant patients, pathologists say....

New Combination Treatment For Hepatitis C May Be More Effective Than Standard Care.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New findings from a large international study led by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggest that a combination treatment with a new long-acting interferon drug and...

Robotic System Allows Large-Scale Viral RNA Surveillance.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Researchers with the New York State Department of Health have developed an automated system with a turnaround time of just 4.5 hours for large-scale...

Respiratory Viruses More Likely Among Day Care Children With CMV.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Young children colonized with cytomegalovirus (CMV) are more susceptible to respiratory viruses than those who attend daycare centers where CMV circulates,...

Tat Protein Inhibits Microglia Cyclic AMP Synthesis.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Neurobiologists in Italy say the HIV Tat protein can block microglia production of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), a process that may mediate some...

Common Virus Is Major Cause Of Transplant Failure In Children.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A common virus that infects the heart is a major reason for heart transplant failure in children, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered. "This finding should lead to a...

Nasal Flu Vaccine Enters Safety, Immunogenicity Trials.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ID Biomedical Corp. has initiated expanded human safety and immunogenicity studies of the company's subunit intranasal influenza vaccine. The first group of healthy adult volunteers has been...

Add 'Infotherapy' To Your List Of Medical Terms.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NewsRx Network, Atlanta, Georgia, the leading provider of life science databases and daily and weekly health news, now has coined a new medical word: "infotherapy." The new word is the...

HCV RNA May Distinguish Recurrent Infection From Rejection.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels may be useful for differentiating recurrent infection from early signs of rejection in liver transplant recipients. ...

Hepatitis D Virus Takes Over Transcription.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have discovered how hepatitis delta virus (HDV), an RNA virus that strengthens the disease associated with the hepatitis B virus, makes use of its host's transcription machinery,...

Patients May Be Most Infectious During Primary HIV Infection.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists have discovered high levels of HIV in the saliva, spinal fluid, semen and vaginal fluid, as well as in the blood, of patients newly infected by the virus. They believe their work...

Vaccine Coverage Unimpaired by New Policy Recommending Inactivated Virus Formulation.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Fears that a change in the recommended vaccination schedule to include inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) would alarm parents sufficiently to lower vaccine...

Drug Increases Cytokines That Fight Viral Infection.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers with SciClone Pharmaceuticals (SCLN) has published a new study in the May 2001 issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Viral Hepatitis, which adds further support to the biological role...

Increasing Vaccination Leads To Herd Immunity.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - The increasing incidence of varicella vaccination in North Carolina day care centers has been accompanied by an even faster decline in infection,...

Highly Disabled HSV Vectors Result In Efficient Gene Delivery To CNS.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Deborah W. Heinrich, PhD, staff medical writer - Researchers at the Windeyer Institute of Medical Science in London, England, have created highly disabled herpes simplex virus (HSV) vectors with...

Researchers Evaluate Mechanisms Of Parvovirus Vector Transduction.(Brief Article)
June 12, 2001... 2001 JUN 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Deborah W. Heinrich, PhD, staff medical writer - Two recent studies from the same research team at the University of Indiana School of Medicine have identified important mechanisms necessary for...

Experimental Treatment Shows Promise.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An experimental treatment for Ebola virus infection using immune serum from survivors is effective in protecting mice from the disease, say researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and...

Human Herpesvirus 6 Prevalent In Children with Non-B Non-C Hepatitis.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Scientists report pediatric patients with non-B non-C hepatitis and other liver diseases are frequently infected with human herpesvirus (HHV)-6, but its...

Bacterial Nasal Spray Could Prevent Flu.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A nasal spray containing bacteria from fermented milk may be a new preventive treatment for the flu. Researchers from Japan report promising results of this new therapy in mouse models in the...

True Hepatitis B Virus Genome Transfer Accomplished In Germany.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Due to new adenovirus vectors developed in Germany, researchers studying hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection will now be able to investigate its true...

IL-6 And IL-10 Critical In Primary But Not Secondary Infection.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 substantially decrease spleen viral loads following infection with Friend retrovirus (FV) but are less relevant in long-term...

Nucleoside Analog Family Effective Against Resistant Strains.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - A group of nucleoside analogs has shown great potential for fighting drug-resistant strains of HIV, researchers report. "A series of 4'-ethynyl (4'-E)...

HIV Positive Women At High Risk For Pre-Cancerous Lesions.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- HIV positive women are three times more likely than other women to develop lesions that can lead to anal cancer, new research shows. The greater risk is due at least in part to weakened immune...

Nucleic Acid Extraction Automation Improves Speed, Cost.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Full automation of nucleic acid extraction from blood samples is now possible with little or no loss in subsequent testing accuracy. "Automation of...

Screening Test Can Identify HPV-Disregulated Host Cell Functions.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study presented at the 14th International Congress of Cytology indicates that Ampersand Medical Corp.'s (AMPM) InPath(TM) In-Cell HPV Test(TM) has demonstrated its ability to be the first...

Study Shows Transmission Of Resistant HIV Strains From Mother To Child.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ViroLogic, Inc. (VLGC) has published a new study that documents the transmission of multi-drug-resistant HIV from mother to child. According to the researchers, the study findings, which were...

Homozygosity For HLA Allele Confers Protection.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - HIV patients homozygous for a class of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B alleles display natural suppression of viral replication and resistance to AIDS...

Oral Vaccine Could Offer Palatable Alternative To Parenteral Delivery.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - An oral vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV), the causative agent of cervical cancer, has been brought one step closer to reality by researchers in...

Young Adults Could Benefit From HPV Education.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - A brief educational intervention in the family practice setting could go a long way toward removing misconceptions about human papillomavirus (HPV), the...

Adenovirus Vector Effective And Safe For Delivery To Liver In Animal Model.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gutless adenovirus or "helper-dependent" adenovirus (HD-Ad), an adenoviral vector devoid of all adenoviral genes except for the packaging signal necessary for proper formation, is safe and...

Study Says Lesbian Women Not Adequately Tested For Virus Linked To Cervical Cancer.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study in the June 2001 issue of the American Journal of Public Health suggests lesbian women undergo routine Pap tests less frequently and at older ages than non-homosexual women. The major...

Novel Adeno-Vaccine Demonstrates Strong Immune Response, Safety.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Crucell, N.V. (CRXL) has presented data demonstrating that its new system for vaccination, called AdVac(TM), stimulates a strong immune response, with improved safety. Current gene delivery...

Altering HIV Mutation Patterns May Prevent Drug Resistance.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Belgium have altered the mutation patterns of HIV in some infected cultures, possibly paving the way for techniques to prevent the...

Maryland Confirms First Case In 2001.(Brief Article)
June 19, 2001... 2001 JUN 19 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A dead crow found in Baltimore, Maryland, has tested positive for the West Nile virus, the state's first confirmed case in 2001, public health officials said. The virus, which killed two...

HTLV-1 Vaccine Protects Squirrel Monkeys From Infectious Challenge.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - A vaccine against human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type 1 (HTLV-1) shows promise in pilot prime-boost regimens. Mirdad Kazanji at the Pasteur...

Real-Time PCR Testing Detects CMV-Associated Infantile Hepatitis.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - With as little as one microgram of blood, researchers can use a new diagnostic assay to quantify cytomegalovirus DNA in patients with infantile hepatitis....

Treatment Could Make Removal Less Painful And Less Invasive.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study reported by GayHealth.com's medical director, Stephen Goldstone, MD, FACS, has identified a promising new immune-stimulating treatment for anal warts. The study was presented June...

Deadly Assault On Immune Cells Chronicled In Step-By-Step Account Of Viral Invasion.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Using sophisticated post-genomic technology, a team of researchers has looked deep within the body's immune cells and recorded the molecular events triggered by invasion of the human...

IL-12 Suppression Renders Patients Susceptible To Secondary Infection.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Among infections that can be prevented by vaccine, measles is the most lethal for children worldwide. Its mortality is, in large part, attributable to...

Epstein-Barr Virus Protein May Induce COX-2, Play Role In Pathogenesis.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Authors of a new study have revealed a protein of the Epstein-Barr virus, identified in over half of nasopharyngeal carcinoma lesions, may mediate...

Blood Centers Should Not Become Lax In Screening Repeat Donors.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Frequent donations by repeat blood donors do not lessen the possibility for transmission of bloodborne viruses. As a result, investigators suggest...

Photochemical Inactivates Viruses And Bacteria.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A key part of the U.S. blood supply could be made safe from viruses, bacteria, and parasites with the use of a chemical activated by ultraviolet light, a biotech company reports. Cerus Corp....

Researcher Says More Outbreaks Likely, Advanced Vaccines Could Provide Control.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Writing in the June 2001 Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Dr. John Beale warns that future outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) will be "more likely" as the movement of people and...

Strong Immune Response Observed In Chimps After Hepatitis C Rechallenge.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Surprisingly, researchers have found some chimps retain an immune response to hepatitis C virus (HCV) rechallenge long after their original hepatitis...

IL-12 Suppresses Response To Japanese Encephalitis Plasmid DNA Vaccine.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Although interleukin 12 (IL-12) has been shown in previous research to boost immune response when it is used as a vaccine component, researchers in Taiwan...

DNA Immunization Of Mothers May Mean Better Response In Newborns.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Immunizing mother mice with naked DNA may ultimately lead to better vaccine efficacy in their offspring, say researchers working in the United States. ...

Presence Of Human Herpesvirus 8 Aids Accurate Diagnosis.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - The presence or absence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) can be used to differentiate Kaposi's sarcoma from lesions with similar characteristics, researchers...

Measles Vaccine May Offer Novel Treatment Approach.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The virus strain used worldwide for more than 30 years to produce the measles vaccine may be effective for another purpose: fighting lymphoma, a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic...

New Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, Key Staff Announced.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NewsRx Network, Atlanta, Georgia, the leading provider of life science databases and daily and weekly health news, has announced top staff appointments, including a new editor-in-chief and...

Famciclovir Reduces Risk of Serious, Painful Complications Of Viral Eye Infection.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In the largest clinical trial ever conducted involving the treatment of ophthalmic herpes zoster (shingles), Novartis antiviral treatment Famvir(R) (famciclovir) reduced the risk of zoster-related...

North Carolina Health Officials Prepare For Outbreak.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- North Carolina health officials are preparing for a potential outbreak of rubella this summer. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has not received confirmed cases of...

New Compound Holds Anti-Hepatitis B Treatment Promise.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new compound has been shown to be active against the hepatitis B virus (HBV) in laboratory experiments, the Hepatitis B Foundation announced June 7, 2001. The drug, called Alkovir(TM), is a...

Doctors In U.S. Northeast Cautioned To Test Patients With Encephalitis Or Meningitis.(Brief Article)
June 26, 2001... 2001 JUN 26 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- West Nile virus will probably spread beyond the northeastern U.S., so doctors should consider that when diagnosing patients stricken with encephalitis or meningitis during mosquito season,...