Virus Weekly articles from March 2009

Virus Weekly archives from March 2009

Study data from G.C. Bowick and colleagues update understanding of arenavirus.
March 3, 2009... "Arenaviruses are important emerging pathogens and include a number of hemorrhagic fever viruses classified as NIAID category A priority pathogens and CDC potential biothreat agents. Infection of guinea pigs with the New World arenavirus...

Studies from M. Hagiwara and colleagues provide new data on cutaneous t-cell lymphoma.
March 3, 2009... "The objective of our study was to investigate the clinicopathological features of the currently ill-defined subtype of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma of unspecified type (CTCLU) with a cytotoxic phenotype and no Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)...

New DNA research findings from M.J. Culyba and co-authors described.
March 3, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "The first steps of poxvirus DNA synthesis yield concatemeric arrays of covalently linked genomes. The virus-encoded Holliday junction resolvase is required to process concatemers into...

Data on Epstein-Barr virus reported by researchers at University of California, Medical Department.
March 3, 2009... "Upon viral infection, the major defense mounted by the host immune system is activation of the interferon (IFN)-mediated antiviral pathway, which is mediated by IFN regulatory factors (IRFs). In order to complete their life cycle, viruses must...

Northwestern University publishes research in Epstein-Barr virus.(Report)
March 3, 2009... "Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) glycoprotein B (gB) is essential for viral fusion events with epithelial and B cells. This glycoprotein has been studied extensively in other herpesvirus family members, but functional domains outside of the...

Research data from University Medical Center update understanding of Epstein-Barr virus.
March 3, 2009... According to a study from Montpellier, France, "The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes infectious mononucleosis, establishes latency in resting memory B lymphocytes, and is involved in oncogenesis through poorly understood mechanisms. The EBV...

Study results from A. Rosselet and colleagues update understanding of Epstein-Barr virus.
March 3, 2009... According to a study from Lausanne, Switzerland, "Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is a life-threatening complication of immunosuppression following transplantation. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and gammopathy in serum are...

Study data from Technical University update knowledge of hantavirus.(Report)
March 3, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare cardiopulmonary disease that was first described after a 1993 epidemic in the southwestern United States. This study reviewed all cases reported in...

New keratitis findings from University of Texas described.
March 3, 2009... In this recent study, researchers in the United States conducted a study "To report a case of herpetic epithelial keratitis after Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) for a failed graft. A 31-year-old female patient...

Findings from Catholic University provide new insights into life sciences.
March 3, 2009... "Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the leading causes of childhood hospitalization and a major health burden worldwide. Unfortunately, because of an inefficient immunological memory, RSV infection provides limited immune protection...

PURE Bioscience Announces Brazilian Regulatory Approval for SDC-Based Hospital-Grade Disinfectants.
March 3, 2009... PURE Bioscience (NASDAQ: PURE) announced that its distributor in Brazil, Life Biociencias S/A (Lifebio), recently obtained national regulatory approval for its silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC)-based hospital disinfectants, "Desinfetante...

Reports summarize allergies study results from K.F.A. Langner and co-researchers.
March 3, 2009... "Salivary proteins of Culicoides biting midges are thought to play a key role in summer eczema (SE), a seasonal recurrent allergic dermatitis in horses. The present study describes the identification, expression and clinical relevance of a...

Findings from Autonomous University in antivirals reported.
March 3, 2009... "During a viral infection, reprogramming of the host cell gene expression pattern is required to establish an adequate antiviral response. The transcriptional coactivators p300 and CREB binding protein (CBP) play a central role in this...

Investigators at University of Florida, Medical Department publish new data on antivirals.
March 3, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and members of the interferon (IFN) family have been shown to independently inhibit the replication of a variety of viruses. In addition, previous reports have shown that...

Study findings from University of Maryland broaden understanding of antivirals.
March 3, 2009... "Type I IFNs were discovered as the primary antiviral cytokines and are now known to serve critical functions in host defense against bacterial pathogens. Accordingly, established mediators of IFN antiviral activity may mediate previously...

Reports from Zhejiang University highlight recent research in baculovirus.(Report)
March 3, 2009... According to recent research from Hangzhou, People's Republic of China, "This novel orange fluorescent protein (OFP) emits brilliant orange fluorescent light. OFP has high fluorescence quantum yield, fast maturation rate, and stability, which...

Research results from University of Hong Kong update understanding of coronavirus.
March 3, 2009... "In this territory-wide molecular epidemiology study of coronaviruses (CoVs) in Hong Kong involving 1,541 dead wild birds, three novel CoVs were identified in three different bird families (bulbul CoV HKU11 [BuCoV HKU11], thrush CoV HKU12...

Scientists at Tsinghua University target coronavirus.
March 3, 2009... According to a study from Beijing, People's Republic of China, "The coronaviruses are a large family of plus-strand RNA viruses that cause a wide variety of diseases both in humans and in other organisms. The coronaviruses are composed of three...

Research conducted at University of Monastir has provided new information about coxsackievirus.
March 3, 2009... According to a study from Monastir, Tunisia, "Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is a principal viral cause of acute myocarditis in humans and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy. The natural genetic determinants of...

Research data from C.R. Hansen and colleagues update understanding of cystic fibrosis.
March 3, 2009... According to recent research from Copenhagen, Denmark, "Since 2001, long-term, low-dose azithromycin treatment has been used for CF patients chronically infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the Copenhagen CF centre. Our study investigates...

Research from Y.H. Lee and co-researchers in the area of cytomegalovirus described.
March 3, 2009... "The CMV (cucumber mosaic virus) is the most frequently occurring virus in chili pepper farms. A variety of peppers that are resistant to CMVP0 were developed in the middle of 1990s through a breeding program, and commercial cultivars have...

Researchers from University of San Francisco report on findings in cytomegalovirus.
March 3, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "Modulation of host immune responses is a common strategy for promoting virus persistence and avoiding clearance. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is known to encode numerous immunomodulatory genes,...

Study results from University of Ulm broaden understanding of cytomegalovirus.
March 3, 2009... "Macrophages contribute to host defense and to the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Conversely, they are important targets of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a herpesvirus that has evolved many strategies to modulate the host immune response,"...

Studies from Children's Hospital provide new data on DNA libraries.
March 3, 2009... In this recent study, researchers in the United States conducted a study "To investigate genetic differences in middle ear mucosa (MEM) with nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) infection. Genetic upregulation and downregulation occurs...

Reports summarize enzyme research from Pennsylvania State University.
March 3, 2009... "Male gyro (Gy) mice, which have an X chromosomal deletion inactivating the SpmS and Phex genes, were found to be profoundly hearing impaired. This defect was due to alteration in polyamine content due to the absence of spermine synthase, the...

Studies from D. Verpooten and co-authors have provided new information about enzyme research.
March 3, 2009... "TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) is a key component of Toll-like receptor-dependent and -independent signaling pathways. In response to microbial components, TBK1 activates interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and cytokine expression,"...

Studies from University of Queensland further understanding of flavivirus.
March 3, 2009... "Viral noncoding RNAs have been shown to play an important role in virus-host interplay to facilitate virus replication. We report that members of the genus Flavivirus, a large group of medically important encephalitic RNA viruses, produce a...

Reports summarize genital herpesvirus study results from L.C. Doward and co-researchers.
March 3, 2009... According to a study from Manchester, the United Kingdom, "To develop measures of the day-to-day symptomatic and functional impact of recurrent genital herpes (RGH) outbreaks. The Herpes Outbreak Impact Questionnaire (HOIQ) and the Herpes...

Data on herpes simplex virus published by researchers at University of Bologna.
March 3, 2009... "The polymerase accessory protein of the human herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1) DNA polymerase UL42 plays an essential role in viral replication, conferring processivity to the catalytic subunit UL30. We show here that UL42 is imported to...

New herpesvirus data have been reported by researchers at McMaster University.(Report)
March 3, 2009... According to recent research published in the Journal of Virology, "Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is necessary for the development and function of NK/NKT cells and the maintenance of naive and memory CD8(+) T cells. In the absence of IL-15, protective...

Recent findings in herpesvirus described by researchers from University of Turku.
March 3, 2009... In this recent article published in the Virology Journal, scientists in Turku, Finland conducted a study "Toll-like receptors have a key role in innate immune response to microbial infection. The toll-like receptor (TLR) family consists of ten...

Reports from Columbia University highlight recent research in herpesvirus.
March 3, 2009... "Viruses as obligate intracellular parasites use host cell proteins to ensure efficient replication and spread. Cellular proteins are required for several stages of a virus life cycle," scientists in the United States report (see also...

Scientists at University of Edinburgh report research in herpesvirus.(Report)
March 3, 2009... "Infection of gamma interferon receptor defective mice with murid herpesvirus-4 also known as murine gammaherpesvirus-68 results in multi-organ fibrosis. In this paper we characterise the pathological changes occurring in the liver in this...

Studies conducted at Cornell University, Medical Department on herpesvirus recently published.
March 3, 2009... "VP22, encoded by the UL49 gene, is one of the most abundant proteins of the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) tegument. In the present study we show VP22 is required for optimal protein synthesis at late times in infection," researchers in the...

New influenza research has been reported by scientists at University of Cambridge.
March 3, 2009... "The influenza A virus nucleoprotein (NP) is a single-stranded RNA-binding protein that encapsidates the virus genome and has essential functions in viral-RNA synthesis. Here, we report the characterization of a temperature-sensitive (ts) NP...

New influenza study findings have been published by scientists at University of California.
March 3, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Influenza A virus infection induces massive inflammation and lung damage. Activation of CD8 T cells by dendritic cells (DCs) is necessary to control disease." "We undertook studies to...

Reports outline influenza research from J. Schneider and colleagues.
March 3, 2009... "Many proteins that function in the transcription, maturation, and export of metazoan mRNAs are concentrated in nuclear speckle domains, indicating that the compartment is important for gene expression. Here, we show that the NS1 protein of...

Research in the area of influenza reported from Monash University.(Report)
March 3, 2009... According to recent research from Melbourne, Australia, "Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a mucosal pathogen that is a major cause of respiratory infection, including sinusitis, otitis media and bronchitis. This bacterium has...

Researchers from Washington University, Medical Department provide details of new studies and findings in the area of influenza.
March 3, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "ISG15 functions as a critical antiviral molecule against influenza virus, with infection inducing both the conjugation of ISG15 to target proteins and production of free ISG15. Here, we report that...

Studies from Fudan University further understanding of influenza.
March 3, 2009... According to recent research from Shanghai, People's Republic of China, "Fusion of influenza virus with the endosomal membrane of the host cell is mediated by the homotrimer-organized glycoprotein hemagglutinin (HA). Its fusion activity is...

Studies from Harvard University in the area of influenza described.
March 3, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "We report the label-free, real-time optical detection of Influenza A virus particles. Binding of single virions is observed from discrete changes in the resonance frequency/wavelength of a...

Data on life sciences described by researchers at University of Marburg.
March 3, 2009... According to recent research from Marburg, Germany, "Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly pathogenic paramyxovirus that causes severe diseases in animals and humans. Endothelial cell (EC) infection is an established hallmark of NiV infection in vivo."...

Scientists at Toyama University publish new data on life sciences.
March 3, 2009... According to a study from Toyama, Japan, "We previously developed a lymphocyte microwell-array system, which effectively detects antigen-specific B-cells by monitoring intracellular Ca2+ mobilization at the single-cell level with a fluorescent...

Researchers at Fudan University release new data on myocarditis.(Report)
March 3, 2009... "Calycosin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (CCGR) is the main isoflavonoid compound isolated from Astragalus membranaceus var. Mongholicu (B-GE.) HSIAO, a Chinese herb medicine traditionally used to treat viral myocarditis," scientists in Shanghai,...

Research from University of Sydney provide new insights into neurological disease.
March 3, 2009... "Intracranial infection of mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) results in a lethal neurological disease termed lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) that is mediated by antiviral CD8(+) T cells. Previous studies have implicated the...

Research from University of Geneva in the area of pancreas published.
March 3, 2009... "Insulin exocytosis is regulated in pancreatic beta-cells by a cascade of intracellular signals translating glucose levels into corresponding secretory responses. The mitochondrial enzyme glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) is regarded as a major...

Reports on reovirus findings from McMaster University provide new insights.(Report)
March 3, 2009... "The fusogenic orthoreoviruses express nonstructural fusion-associated small transmembrane (FAST) proteins that induce cell-cell fusion and syncytium formation. It has been speculated that the FAST proteins may serve as virulence factors by...

Studies from A.B. Bouzar et al further understanding of retrovirology.
March 3, 2009... "Distinct mechanisms are used by viruses to interact with cellular miRNAs. The role of microRNAs in viral replication and persistence ranges from viral-encoded microRNAs to suppressors of RNA interference," scientists in Gembloux, Belgium...

New simian immunodeficiency virus study findings recently were published by researchers at Harvard University.
March 3, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "In contrast to pathogenic lentiviral infections, chronic simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection in its natural host is characterized by a lack of increased immune activation and apoptosis. To...

New smallpox study results reported from Oklahoma State University.
March 3, 2009... "Human interleukin-18 (hIL-18) is a cytokine that plays an important role in inflammation and host defense against microbes. Its activity is regulated in vivo by a naturally occurring antagonist, the human IL-18-binding protein (IL-18BP),"...

Research conducted at Leiden University has updated our knowledge about stem cell research.
March 3, 2009... "Killer Ig-like receptors (KIR) are expressed by human NK cells and T cells. Although Ag-specific cytolytic activity and cytokine production of KIR+ T cells can be inhibited by KIR ligation, the effect of KIR on proliferation is unclear,"...

Research from University of Alberta provides new data about stem cell research.(Report)
March 3, 2009... According to recent research from Edmonton, Canada, "Li X, Karki P, Lei L, Wang H, Fliegel L. Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 1 facilitates cardiomyocyte embryonic stem cell differentiation. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 296: H159-H170, 2009." ...

Study data from Wake Forest University, Medical Department update knowledge of stomatitis.
March 3, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) matrix protein inhibits nuclear-cytoplasmic mRNA transport. The goal of this work is to determine whether VSV inhibits the nuclear-cytoplasmic transport of...

Data on virology published by researchers at University of Turin.
March 3, 2009... According to recent research from Grugliasco, Italy, "The nucleotide sequence of the highly divergent small-ruminant lentivirus genotype E has been determined. The full genome consists of 8,418 nucleotides and lacks two large portions...

New findings from University of Cologne in the area of virology published.
March 3, 2009... According to recent research published in the Journal of Virology, "Cutaneous human betapapillomaviruses (beta-HPVs) are widespread in the general population and have been associated with skin cancer. To evaluate the impact of continuous...

Research on virology reported by C.M.S. Fabry et al.
March 3, 2009... According to a study from Grenoble, France, "Adenovirus serotype 5 protein IX (pIX) has two domains connected by a flexible linker." "Three N-terminal domains form triskelions on the capsid facets that cement hexons together, and the...

Researchers from University of Pennsylvania detail new studies and findings in the area of virology.
March 3, 2009... According to recent research published in the Journal of Virology, "Adenovirus type 12 (Ad12) E1A protein (E1A-12) contains a unique 20-amino-acid spacer region between the second and third conserved regions. Substitution of a single amino acid...

Researchers' work from University of Tubingen focuses on virology.
March 3, 2009... According to a study from Tubingen, Germany, "Adenoviruses (Ads) are icosahedral, nonenveloped viruses with a double-stranded DNA genome. The 51 known Ad serotypes exhibit profound variations in cell tropism and disease types." "The number...

Studies by T. Matsui and co-authors describe new findings in virology.
March 3, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Nudaurelia capensis omega virus-like particles have been characterized as a 480-angstrom procapsid and a 410-angstrom capsid, both with T=4 quasisymmetry. Procapsids transition to capsids...

Studies from Dickinson College provide new data on virology.
March 3, 2009... According to recent research published in the Journal of Virology, "Satellite RNAs usually lack substantial homology with their helper viruses. The 356-nucleotide satC of Turnip crinkle virus (TCV) is unusual in that its 3'-half shares high...

Studies from University of California yield new information about virology.
March 3, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "Dengue virus (DENV) is an similar to 10.7-kb positive-sense RNA virus that circularizes via RNA-RNA interactions between sequences in the 5' and 3' terminal regions." "Complementarity between...

Studies from X.Y. Qiao et al add new findings in the area of virology.
March 3, 2009... "The cystoviruses have genomes of three double-stranded RNA segments. The genes of the L transcript are expressed early in infection, while those of M and S are expressed late," researchers in the United States report (see also Virology). ...

New antivirals findings from University Federal of Minas Gerais described.(Report)
March 3, 2009... New research, 'Interferons: signaling, antiviral and viral evasion,' is the subject of a report. "Interferons (IFNs) were discovered as antiviral agents 50 years ago, and enormous progress has been made since then. Nowadays, IFNs (specifically...

Studies from Third Military Medical University have provided new information about cardiology.
March 3, 2009... Researchers detail in 'Adenovirus-mediated FKBP12.6 overexpression induces hypertrophy and apoptosis in cultured neonatal cardiomyocytes,' new data in cardiology. According to recent research from Chongqing, People's Republic of China, "1....

Researchers at Yamagata University, Department of Bacteriology have published new data on influenza.
March 3, 2009... A report, 'Intracellular localization of influenza C virus NS2 protein (NEP) in infected cells and its incorporation into virions,' is newly published data in Archives of Virology. "RNA segment 7 of influenza C virus encodes two non-structural...

Studies conducted at Niigata University on influenza recently published.
March 3, 2009... Scientists discuss in 'Molecular evolution of human influenza A viruses in a local area during eight influenza epidemics from 2000 to 2007' new findings in influenza. "A total of 1,041 human influenza A virus isolates were collected at a clinic...

New findings from Peking Union Medical College describe advances in influenza immunology.
March 3, 2009... A new study, 'Pathological lesions and viral localization of influenza A (H5N1) virus in experimentally infected Chinese rhesus macaques: implications for pathogenesis and viral transmission,' is now available. According to a study from...

Findings from Shizuoka University, Faculty of Agriculture advance knowledge in life sciences.
March 3, 2009... Current study results from the report, 'Localization of human (pro)renin receptor lacking the transmembrane domain on budded baculovirus of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus,' have been published. According to a study from...

Findings from University of Toyama provide new insights into life sciences.
March 3, 2009... New investigation results, 'MAC-CCD system: a novel lymphocyte microwell-array chip system equipped with CCD scanner to generate human monoclonal antibodies against influenza virus,' are detailed in a study published in Lab On a Chip -...

Research from L.S. Lambeth and co-authors in the area of life sciences published.
March 3, 2009... Data detailed in 'Complete genome sequence of Nariva virus, a rodent paramyxovirus' have been presented. "Nariva virus (NarPV) was isolated from forest rodents (Zygodontomys b. brevicauda) in eastern Trinidad in the early 1960s. Initial...

Scientists at Harvard University, Department of Environmental Health discuss research in rhinovirus.
March 3, 2009... Current study results from the report, 'An optimized method to detect influenza virus and human rhinovirus from exhaled breath and the airborne environment,' have been published. According to recent research published in the Journal of...

New findings from University of Newcastle in the area of rhinovirus prevention described.(Report)
March 3, 2009... New investigation results, 'Anti-inflammatory effects of long-chain n-3 PUFA in rhinovirus-infected cultured airway epithelial cells,' are detailed in a study published in British Journal of Nutrition. "Long-chain n-3 PUFA (LCn-3PUFA) including...

Research from University Federal of Goias yields new findings on rotavirus in children.(Clinical report)
March 3, 2009... Fresh data on rotavirus are presented in the report 'Occurrence of group A rotavirus mixed P genotypes infections in children living in Goiania-Goias, Brazil.' "Group A rotaviruses (RVA) are the main causing agents of acute gastroenteritis...

TechniKrom's Biopharmaceutical Equipment Operations to be Integrated With Asahi Kasei Medical.
March 3, 2009... TechniKrom, Inc. and Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd., who have a longstanding partnership in the commercialization of equipment for use with Planova(TM) virus removal filters, have reached agreement for the transfer of TechniKrom's...

Hong Kong Biotech Company, Filligent, Announces CE Certification of Its Revolutionary, Anti-Infective Medical Face Mask, the BioMask.
March 3, 2009... Today, Filligent, the Hong Kong- based biotech company, achieved CE certification for its revolutionary, anti- infective medical face mask, the BioMask. The BioMask is the first in a series of new products in Filligent's anti-microbial personal...

Research on angiogenesis reported by B.N. Sathy et al.
March 10, 2009... "Accumulating evidence indicates that tumour growth is angiogenesis-dependent. Non-invasive assessment of the relationship between tumour growth and associated angiogenesis is essential for diagnosis and for therapeutic interventions,"...

New atherosclerosis study results reported from C.A. Bursill et al.
March 10, 2009... "CC-chemokines are important mediators in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis progression is reduced by high-level, short-term inhibition of CC-chemokine activity, for example by adenoviral gene transfer," scientists writing in...

New findings from U.S. Putro and co-researchers in the area of bird flu described.
March 10, 2009... According to a study from Bandung, Indonesia, "This paper investigates the case of H5N1 bird flu in Southeast Asia, and develops a basic model of simulation using agent-based modelling to study the dynamic interaction between human activities...

Reports outline bird flu study results from National University, Medical Department.
March 10, 2009... In this recently published study, investigators in Singapore, Singapore conducted a study "To examine the readiness of our hospital for the potential pandemic threat of avian influenza, we developed and implemented simulation case scenarios in...

Research from Y. Su and co-researchers in the area of bird flu published.
March 10, 2009... "Binding to and infection of human cells is essential for avian influenza virus transmission. Since virus binding is not always predictive for efficient infection of the cells, here we wished to investigate how hemagglutinin (HA) mutations of...

Studies from Chungnam National University in the area of bird flu described.
March 10, 2009... According to recent research from South Korea, "Ducks have been regarded as animals that can perpetuate most avian influenza viruses since they generally do not show the clear clinical signs such as death and reduced body weight when they are...

Studies in the area of bird flu reported from Mahidol University.(Report)
March 10, 2009... "Outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza show strong seasonality. It is not clear where the source of virus originates from in each new outbreak season," scientists in Bangkok, Thailand report (see also Bird Flu). "This study sought to...

Study data from M. Kramski et al provide new insights into epidemics.
March 10, 2009... According to a study from Berlin, Germany, "Serological and molecular evidence showed that a German female student became infected by Puumala hantavirus during mice trapping efforts in Finland." "The incubation period before exhibiting...

Recent studies from University of Paris add new data to Epstein-Barr virus.
March 10, 2009... "The glycine-alanine repeat (GAr) sequence of the Epstein-Barr virus-encoded EBNA-1 prevents presentation of antigenic peptides to major histocompatibility complex class I molecules. This has been attributed to its capacity to suppress mRNA...