Virus Weekly articles from May 2009

Virus Weekly archives from May 2009

Research data from N. Vanhoeven and colleagues update understanding of bird flu.
May 5, 2009... "The influenza virus genes that confer efficient transmission of epidemic and pandemic strains in humans have not been identified. The rapid spread and severe disease caused by the 1918 influenza pandemic virus makes it an ideal virus to study...

Study findings from Mayo Clinic provide new insights into cancer.
May 5, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "Current therapies often have limited efficacy and untenable side effects when used to treat persistent incisional pain following cancer-related surgery. Lidocaine patches reduce neuropathic pain...

Research from Wuhan University reveals new findings on DNA research.
May 5, 2009... "Simple and sensitive chemiluminescence (CL) and CL imaging methods have been developed for the magnetic bead-based DNA hybridization assay. The assay relies on the high sensitivity and long stable light signal of the CL system in which...

Data on Epstein-Barr virus detailed by M. Berth and co-authors.
May 5, 2009... According to a study from Antwerp, Belgium, "During an outbreak of parvovirus B19 we collected serum samples from 68 nonpregnant patients in the region of Antwerp (Belgium). Fifty-seven (84%) of the parvovirus B19 immunoglobulin M...

New Epstein-Barr virus study findings reported from B. Gargouri and co-authors.
May 5, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, "Here, we investigated the effect of induction of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viral lytic cycle on the oxidant/antioxidant balance in three...

New findings from T.P. Wei and co-authors in the area of complex regional pain syndrome published.
May 5, 2009... According to recent research published in the European Journal of Pain, "Tibia fracture in rats evokes chronic hindpaw warmth, edema, allodynia, and regional osteopenia, a syndrome resembling complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Previous...

New findings in Epstein-Barr virus described from Tottori University.
May 5, 2009... "To study variations of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), we analyzed the gp350/220 gene for several cell lines and Japanese wild isolates using direct sequencing. The N-terminal region was highly conserved in all EBVs except for Jijoye/P3HR-1 and a...

Data on infectious mononucleosis discussed by P. Chalupa and colleagues.
May 5, 2009... According to recent research from Prague, Czech Republic, "Acute acalculous cholecystitis is a rare complication of Epstein-Barr virus mononucleosis and involves thickening of the gallbladder wall. We describe the case of a 22-year-old woman...

Research from J.H. Sui and co-authors reveals new findings on influenza.
May 5, 2009... "Influenza virus remains a serious health threat, owing to its ability to evade immune surveillance through rapid genetic drift and reassortment. Here we used a human non-immune antibody phage-display library and the H5 hemagglutinin ectodomain...

Data on life sciences detailed by researchers at University of Alabama.
May 5, 2009... According to recent research published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, "Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection has been shown to reduce Na+-driven alveolar fluid clearance in BALB/ c mice in vivo. To investigate the cellular...

New pandemics research from University of Washington outlined.
May 5, 2009... "The mechanisms responsible for the virulence of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and of the 1918 pandemic influenza virus in humans remain poorly understood. To identify crucial components of the early host response during these...

Studies from University of Saskatchewan in the area of adenovirus published.
May 5, 2009... According to recent research published in the Virology Journal, "Earlier, we detected viral RNAs packaged in the porcine adenovirus (PAdV)-3 virions. Using Southern blot analysis, we further demonstrated that the viral RNAs were predominantly...

Recent findings from University of Texas highlight research in cytomegalovirus.(Report)
May 5, 2009... "The cytomegalovirus antigenemia assay remains a useful tool for monitoring reactivation among transplant recipients. In this study, we compared protocols using direct lysis of small-volume, whole blood (WB) samples vs peripheral blood...

New diagnostics findings from J. Mast and co-authors described.
May 5, 2009... "Electron tomographic analysis can be combined with the simple and rapid negative staining technique used in electron microscopy based virus diagnosis. Standard negative staining of representative examples of parapoxviruses and paramyxoviruses...

Research from C. Dsouza et al broadens understanding of drug resistance.
May 5, 2009... "Structure-based drug design has led to the introduction of three drugs - oseltamivir (GS-4104), zanamivir (GG-167) and peramivir (RWJ-270201) which target the enzyme neuraminidase, for treatment of influenza infections. Using comparative...

Reports outline foot and mouth disease research from Department of Agriculture.
May 5, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Natural killer (NK) cells play a vital role in innate response against viral infections and cellular transformation. In vivo modulation of their response may enhance their antiviral...

Findings from M. Wornle and co-researchers advance knowledge in glomerulonephritis.
May 5, 2009... "Viral infections are a major problem worldwide. Many of these infections are frequently complicated by a virus-associated glomerulonephritis," scientists in Munich, Germany report (see also Glomerulonephritis). "In glomerulonephritis,...

Researchers from Sahlgrenska University, Sahlgrenska Academy report on findings in hypoventilation.
May 5, 2009... According to a study from Gothenburg, Sweden, "Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) improves health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with chronic alveolar hypoventilation (CAH). We studied the prognostic impact of HRQL on...

Findings from University of Oklahoma advance knowledge in influenza.
May 5, 2009... According to recent research published in the Virology Journal, "Influenza viruses attach to cells via sialic acid receptors. The viral neuraminidase (NA) is needed to remove sialic acids so that newly budded virions can disperse." "Known...

New findings from J.R. Smith and co-authors describe advances in influenza.(Report)
May 5, 2009... "The association between neuropsychiatric events and antiviral treatments for influenza has been under scrutiny. In this study, the incidence of neuropsychiatric events in influenza patients dispensed oseltamivir or no antiviral was assessed...

New influenza findings from Tokushima Bunri University described.
May 5, 2009... According to recent research published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, "Because the influenza A virus has an RNA genome, its RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, comprising the PA, PB1, and PB2 subunits, is essential for viral transcription...

New influenza research from Rutgers University discussed.(Report)
May 5, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Low rates of influenza immunization among health care workers (HCWs) pose a potential health risk to patients in primary care practices. Despite previous educational efforts and programs to...

Research from Chinese University of Hong Kong broadens understanding of influenza.
May 5, 2009... "As part of our influenza pandemic preparedness, we studied the dispersion distances of exhaled air and aerosolized droplets during application of a jet nebulizer to a human patient simulator (HPS) programmed at normal lung condition and...

Researchers from Oregon State University discuss findings in influenza.
May 5, 2009... "Influenza A incidence peaks during winter in temperate regions. The basis for this pronounced seasonality is not understood, nor is it well documented how influenza A transmission principally occurs," scientists in the United States report...

Study results from J.P. Richard and colleagues update understanding of influenza.
May 5, 2009... "Little is known about the mechanisms of cell-cell fusion in development and diseases and, especially, about fusion stages downstream of an opening of nascent fusion pore(s). Earlier works on different cell-cell fusion reactions have indicated...

Reports outline interferon study results from University of California.
May 5, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "A conserved herpesviral kinase, designated ORF36 in murine gamma-herpesvirus 68 (MHV-68), plays multiple vital roles in the viral life cycle. Here, we show by screening mutant viruses that ORF36...

Research from K. Yamamoto and co-researchers in the area of interferon described.(Report)
May 5, 2009... "In this study, we describe the creation of three interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha)8 mutants with markedly higher antiviral and antiproliferative activities in comparison with those of the wild-type (wt)IFN-alpha 8, wtIFN-alpha 2, and IFN-con1 using...

Researchers from University of Duisburg-Essen provide details of new studies and findings in the area of interferon.
May 5, 2009... "Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is widely used for the treatment of malignant and viral diseases. Conflicting results of IFN-alpha-mediated effects on dendritic cell (DC) homeostasis have been reported and its impact on human blood DC is largely...

Research from Z. Zhao and co-authors yields new data on iridovirus.
May 5, 2009... "The presence of thymidine kinase (TK) is a feature of many large DNA viruses. Here, a TK gene homologue was cloned and characterized from Rana grylio virus (RGV), a member of family Iridoviridae," researchers in Wuhan, People's Republic of...

New life sciences study findings have been reported from INSERM.
May 5, 2009... "Gene transfer to the retina using recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vectors has proven to be an effective option for the treatment of retinal degenerative diseases in several animal models and has recently advanced into clinical trials...

Studies from University of Montpellier in the area of life sciences published.(Report)
May 5, 2009... According to a study from Montpellier, France, "VPgs are viral proteins linked to the 5' end of some viral genomes. Interactions between several VPgs and eukaryotic translation initiation factors eIF4Es are critical for plant infection." ...

Researchers from Duke University describe findings in metabolism.(Report)
May 5, 2009... "Anophthalmia and microphthalmia (A/M) are rare congenital ocular malformations presenting with the absence of eye components or small eyes with or without structural abnormalities. A/M can be isolated or syndromic," scientists writing in the...

New retrovirus study results from University of Pennsylvania, Medical Department described.
May 5, 2009... "At least 8% of the human genome was formed by integration of retroviral DNA sequences. Here we analyze the forces directing the accumulation of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) by comparing de novo HERV integration targeting with the...

Researchers from Harvard University report on findings in retrovirus.
May 5, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "The T cell receptors from the regulatory IL-10-secreting T cell line induced by the random amino acid copolymers poly(F,Y,A,K,)n in SJL mice ( H-2(s)) have been characterized, cloned, sequenced and...

Recent findings from Hebrew University highlight research in tobacco mosaic virus.
May 5, 2009... According to recent research from Rehovot, Israel, "Transgenesis offers many ways to obtain virus-resistant plants. However, in most cases resistance is against a single virus or viral strain." "We have taken a novel approach based on the...

Studies from University of Strasbourg add new findings in the area of tobacco mosaic virus.
May 5, 2009... According to recent research from Strasbourg, France, "The tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) movement protein (MP) required for the cell-to-cell spread of viral RNA interacts with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as well as with the cytoskeleton during...

Data on virology detailed by L.M. Lu and co-authors.(Report)
May 5, 2009... According to a study from Fuzhou, People's Republic of China, "Rice stripe virus (RSV) infects rice and causes great yield reduction in some Asian countries. In this study, rice cDNA library was screened by a Gal4-based yeast two-hybrid system...

New findings from Shahid Bahonar University describe advances in virology.
May 5, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Virus Genes, "The incidence and severity of tomato leaf curl disease (TLCD) is increasing worldwide. Here we assess the diversity and distribution within tomato producing areas of Iran of...

New virology study findings have been published by scientists at New Mexico State University.
May 5, 2009... "Over 4,950 asymptomatic weed samples from more than 20 weed species that are host plants for curtoviruses were collected from ten chile pepper fields in southern New Mexico (NM) during 2003, 2004 and 2005 to identify whether they were infected...

New virology study findings recently were reported by researchers at Zhejiang University.(Report)
May 5, 2009... According to a study from Hangzhou, People's Republic of China, "Previous studies have shown that isolates of tomato yellow leaf curl Thailand virus (TYLCTHV) originated from Thailand are bipartite begomoviruses, while all the seven TYLCTHV...

Research from Shandong Normal University yields new data on virology.
May 5, 2009... "Chicken anemia virus (CAV) is the pathogen of chicken infectious anemia. To clarify the driving force in CAV evolution, we have detected positive selection in the structural protein gene VP1 by using maximum-likelihood models," scientists in...

Scientists at University of Maryland publish new data on virology.
May 5, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is the causal agent of infectious bronchitis, which still remains one of the most important poultry diseases worldwide because of numerous serotypes and variants. A...

Study data from RWTH Aachen University update knowledge of virology.
May 5, 2009... "Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is a geminivirus species whose members cause severe crop losses in the tropics and subtropics. We report the expression of a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody that protected Nicotiana...

Research from Louisiana State University in the area of west nile virus published.
May 5, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Virus Genes, "West Nile virus (WNV) is a member of the Flaviriridae family, which can cause significant morbidity and mortality in birds, horses, and humans. The WNV-LSU-AR01 strain was...

Studies from Procter & Gamble Co. yield new information about bullous pemphigoid therapy.
May 5, 2009... Investigators publish new data in the report 'Clinical implications of aging skin: cutaneous disorders in the elderly.' According to recent research published in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, "Aging skin undergoes progressive...

New life sciences study results from University of Technology described.
May 5, 2009... A new study, 'Biotechnological production of L-ribose from L-arabinose,' is now available. "L-Ribose is a rare and expensive sugar that can be used as a precursor for the production of L-nucleoside analogues, which are used as antiviral drugs....

Research conducted at University of Pennsylvania has provided new information about life sciences.
May 5, 2009... Fresh data on life sciences are presented in the report 'Early bacterial colonization induces toll-like receptor-dependent transforming growth factor beta signaling in the epithelium.' According to recent research from the United States,...

Studies from Karolinska Institut, Department of Medicine in the area of life sciences described.(Report)
May 5, 2009... A report, 'The rat antigen-presenting lectin-like receptor complex influences innate immunity and development of infectious diseases,' is newly published data in Genes and Immunity. According to a study from Stockholm, Sweden, "Genetic...

Research in the area of respiratory tract infections therapy reported from P. Seksik and colleagues.
May 5, 2009... Fresh data on respiratory tract infections are presented in the report 'Incidence of benign upper respiratory tract infections, HSV and HPV cutaneous infections in inflammatory bowel disease patients treated with azathioprine.' According to...

New rotavirus research from Stanford University outlined.(Report)
May 5, 2009... Research findings, 'A model of exposure to rotavirus from nondietary ingestion iterated by simulated intermittent contacts,' are discussed in a new report. "Existing microbial risk assessment models rarely incorporate detailed descriptions of...

NSLIJ Scientists to Present EKC-Cide[TM] Study Results at the GTC-Bio Conference on Ocular Diseases and Drug Discovery.(Conference news)
May 5, 2009... NanoViricides, Inc. (OTC BB: NNVC.OB) (the "Company"), reports that Dr. Vivien Boniuk, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, associated with the North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System (NSLIJ), will be...

New understanding of dengue virus points way to possible therapies for dengue fever.
May 5, 2009... Doctors have no specific drugs to treat dengue fever, a viral illness spread by mosquitoes that sickens 50 million to 100 million people worldwide each year. Instead, the only treatments they can recommend for this painful and sometimes fatal...

Anadys Pharmaceuticals to Report First Quarter 2009 Financial Results.(Financial report)
May 5, 2009... Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANDS) announced that it will report first quarter 2009 financial results on Thursday, April 23, 2009, after the U.S. financial markets close (see also Pharmaceuticals). Anadys will hold a conference call...

Dr. Michael B. Cates Takes Leadership Role on AVMA's One Health Joint Steering Committee.
May 5, 2009... Dr. Michael B. Cates has become the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) representative on the One Health Joint Steering Committee, lending a powerful new voice to the One Health movement (see also Public Health). One Health is a...

Green Building Technologies to Soon Find Their Way into Domestic Buildings.(Report)
May 5, 2009... Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/d801e2/green_buildingsa) has announced the addition of Frost & Sullivan's new report "Green Buildings--A Detailed Technology Analysis" to their offering (see also Research and...

Have Hammer, Will Build: Application Process Opens for Fourth Annual Whirlpool Building Blocks Program With Habitat for Humanity.
May 5, 2009... Whirlpool brand and Habitat for Humanity are searching coast-to-coast for the team of volunteers who will join them in Atlanta for the fourth annual Whirlpool(R) Building Blocks program home-building blitz. From April 20 to May 8, 2009,...

Pandemic study of 1918-1919 outbreak provides background and death rates for 14 European countries.
May 12, 2009... A French study of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic, which analysed mortality rates in approximately three-quarters of the European population, has concluded that it is unlikely that the virus, often described as Spanish Flu, originated in...

Studies from McMaster University have provided new data on antivirals.
May 12, 2009... According to recent research from Hamilton, Canada, "Components of bacteria have been shown to induce innate antiviral immunity via Toll-like receptors (TLRs). We have recently shown that FimH, the adhesin portion of type 1 fimbria, can induce...

Research from J. Steel and co-authors reveals new findings on bird flu.
May 12, 2009... "Since 2003, more than 380 cases of H5N1 influenza virus infection of humans have been reported. Although the resultant disease in these cases was often severe or fatal, transmission of avian influenza viruses between humans is rare,"...

Studies from P.W. Yuan and colleagues reveal new findings on bird flu.
May 12, 2009... "The heterotrimeric influenza virus polymerase, containing the PA, PB1 and PB2 proteins, catalyses viral RNA replication and transcription in the nucleus of infected cells. PB1 holds the polymerase active site(1) and reportedly harbours...

Findings from University of Wisconsin provide new insights into Epstein-Barr virus.
May 12, 2009... "We identified binding sites for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) in the human genome using chromatin immunoprecipitation and microarrays. The sequences for these newly identified sites were used to generate a...

New research on Epstein-Barr virus from Northwestern University, Medical Department summarized.
May 12, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "Glycoprotein B (gB) homologues within the herpesvirus family display high sequence conservation, and a number of gB homologues contain a cleavage motif R-X-K/R-R recognized by the cellular protease...

Research on Epstein-Barr virus published by J.P. Jeon et al.
May 12, 2009... "EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) are used as a resource for human genetic, immunological, and pharmacogenomic studies. We investigated the biological activity of 20 LCL strains during continuous long-term subculture up to a...

Scientists at Northwestern University, Medical Department report research in Epstein-Barr virus.
May 12, 2009... "Latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) plays a key role in regulating viral latency and EBV pathogenesis by functionally mimicking signals induced by the B-cell receptor (BCR) altering normal B cell development,"...

Studies from H. Rosaline and co-researchers in the area of Epstein-Barr virus published.(Report)
May 12, 2009... "The development of methods to amplify nucleic acids has provided a way of identifying and quantifying infectious pathogens in infected pulp and periapical region. Recent studies have detected human herpes virus in periapical pathosis and...

Ingredient in Probiotic Sweetener Boosts Immune System.
May 12, 2009... Heartland Sweeteners LLC in conjunction with Ganeden Biotech has developed the world's first probiotic sweetener, Nevella(R) with Probiotics, which is designed to boost the immune system and promote digestive health. Additionally, according to...

New findings in herpes simplex virus described from University of Oklahoma.
May 12, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "Type I IFNs are potent antiviral cytokines that contribute to the development of the adaptive immune response. To determine the role of type I IFNs in this process in an infectious disease model,...

Research on herpes simplex virus detailed by scientists at Kinki University.
May 12, 2009... In this recent report published in the journal Current Eye Research, researchers in Osaka, Japan conducted a study "To examine the effects of COX inhibitors on suppressing HSV-1 reactivation in a mouse model. BALB/c mice were latently infected...

New herpesvirus study results from University of Birmingham described.
May 12, 2009... According to recent research from Birmingham, the United Kingdom, "Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human herpesvirus that persists as a largely subclinical infection in the vast majority of adults worldwide. Recent evidence indicates that an...

Report summarizes infectious mononucleosis study findings from T.R. Nielsen and co-researchers.
May 12, 2009... According to a study from Copenhagen, Denmark, " Both human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1*15 and Epstein-Barr virus infection presenting as infectious mononucleosis (IM) are recognized as risk factors for multiple sclerosis (MS). However, their...

Studies from N. Vanhoeven et al further understanding of influenza.(Report)
May 12, 2009... "Although highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses have yet to acquire the ability to transmit efficiently among humans, the increasing genetic diversity among these viruses and continued outbreaks in avian species underscore the need for...

Studies from University of Utrecht in the area of influenza described.
May 12, 2009... According to recent research from Netherlands, "Despite considerable research efforts, little is yet known about key epidemiological parameters of H5N1 highly pathogenic influenza viruses in their avian hosts. Here we show how these parameters...

New lupus data have been reported by scientists at University of Florida.
May 12, 2009... According to a study from the United States, " Systemic lupus erythematosus is characterized by production of autoantibodies to RNA or DNA-protein complexes such as small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs). A role of Epstein-Barr virus in the...

New Study Shows Supplementing With Probiotics May Ease Anxiety.(Report)
May 12, 2009... According to new research reported in the journal Gut Pathogens, supplements of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota may ease symptoms of anxiety in people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) (see also Michael Rosenbaum, M.D.). Thirty-nine...

New respiratory syncytial virus research from National Institutes of Health discussed.
May 12, 2009... "In addition to regulating autoimmunity and antitumor immunity, CD4(+) CD25(+) FoxP3(+) natural regulatory T (Treg) cells are global regulators of adaptive immune responses. Depletion of these cells with the anti-CD25 antibody PC61 prior to...

Research on respiratory syncytial virus reported by scientists at University of Sao Paulo.(Report)
May 12, 2009... According to a study from Sao Paulo, Brazil, "Human adenovirus (HAdV) and human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) are important etiologic agents of acute respiratory infections. In this study, a duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was...

The Villa Group Informs on Mexico Travel Plans in Wake of Swine Flu Outbreak.
May 12, 2009... The Villa Group is closely monitoring the recent swine flu outbreak in Mexico and has taken all appropriate steps to ensure the safety and health of all resort guests and employees. None of the Villa Group resort properties (located in Cabo San...

Research from Queensland University of Technology has provided new information about influenza.(Report)
May 12, 2009... Fresh data on influenza are presented in the report 'A nested real-time PCR assay has an increased sensitivity suitable for detection of viruses in aerosol studies.' "Influenza is commonly spread by infectious aerosols; however, detection of...

Recent findings in adenovirus described by researchers from University of Pittsburgh.
May 12, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "The antiviral activity of an established antibacterial CAP37 domain and its extracellular mechanism of action were investigated. CAP37-derived peptides modified to assess the importance of disulfide...

Research from University of Michigan, Medical Department has provided new information about adenovirus.
May 12, 2009... "Adenovirus fiber knobs are the capsid components that interact with binding receptors on cells, while an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence usually found in the penton base protein is important for the interaction of most adenoviruses with integrin...

Studies from University of Warwick have provided new information about adenovirus.
May 12, 2009... "Adenoviruses express up to 20 distinct mRNAs from five major late transcription unit (MLTU) regions, L1 to L5, by differential splicing and polyadenylation of the primary transcript. MLTU expression is regulated at transcriptional and...

Data from Louisiana State University provide new insights into antivirals.
May 12, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "Dicer ribonucleases of plants and invertebrate animals including Caenorhabditis elegans recognize and process a viral RNA trigger into virus-derived small interfering RNAs (PsiRNAs) to guide...

Research conducted by L.M. Sly and co-researchers has updated our knowledge about antivirals.
May 12, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Blood, "Gram-negative bacterial infections, unlike viral infections, do not typically protect against subsequent viral infections. This is puzzling given that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and...

Research from University of Murcia has provided new information about antivirals.(Report)
May 12, 2009... According to recent research from Murcia, Spain, "The IFNs and their receptors have existed in early chordates for similar to 500 million years and represent the early elements in innate and adaptive immunity. Both types I and II IFNs have been...