Virus Weekly articles from November 2003

Virus Weekly archives from November 2003

TaqMan PCR assay improves detection of opportunistic RSV infection.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A TaqMan polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay provides rapid and accurate detection of opportunistic respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. RSV "accounts for the majority of respiratory...

Canadian SARS committee releases final report.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Canadian government should create a new Agency for Public Health, invest in public health systems at all levels, and initiate a national Network for Communicable Disease Control to ensure that...

Real-time PCR best choice for CMV monitoring in ATL patients.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are the best choice for CMV monitoring in ATL patients. In a recent study, scientists in Japan "analyzed the efficiency of the quantitative...

Valacyclovir inhibits EBV replication in HIV-associated HLP.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Valacyclovir can suppress EBV activity in patients with HIV-related HLP. In a recent study from the United States, "Nineteen cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated oral hairy...

Target-membrane-inserted fusion protein of Semliki Forest virus visualized.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Investigators report the visualization of the target-membrane-inserted fusion protein of the Semliki Forest virus by combined electron microscopy and crystallography. According to a study from the...

DNA vaccine coding for Kunjin virus RNA protects mice against West Nile virus.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A DNA vaccine coding for the full-length infectious Kunjin virus RNA protected mice against the New York strain of West Nile virus. According to recent research published in the Proceedings of the...

Virus delivered nitroreductase/CB1954 acts synergistically with 5-FU on cancer.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The enzyme-prodrug combination nitroreductase/CB1954 creates cancer cell apoptosis by the caspase pathway, and acts synergistically with 5-fluorouracil. According to published research from England,...

Interferons alpha and beta act on p53; do have antitumor, antiviral activities.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Interferons alpha and beta collaborate with p53, effecting tumor suppression and antiviral effects; new types of interferon or better targeted delivery may be clinically effective. "In the recent...

Plasmid-driven siRNAs useful for controlling viral pathogen gene expression.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Plasmid-driven siRNAs offer extensive control over the gene expression of viral pathogens. In a recent study from St. Louis, "Short interfering double-stranded RNAs (siRNAs) expressed under the...

Adeno-associated virus looks promising for different cardiac gene therapies.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Adeno-associated virus looks promising for different cardiac gene therapies. "Intracardiac gene transfer and gene therapy have been investigated with different vector systems. Here we used...

HPV DNA testing has a role in predicting cervical intraepithelial lesions.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- HPV DNA testing has a role in predicting cervical intraepithelial lesions. According to recent research from the United States, "Human papillomavirus (HPV) is widely accepted as the primary agent...

Advanced genomic technologies used as focus of alliance.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cenetron Diagnostics, Ltd., a leading provider of molecular diagnostic services, announced it has signed a 5-year strategic alliance agreement with Roche Diagnostics to establish itself as a Molecular...

Alliance will focus on infectious, parasitic disease research.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Invest U.K., the British government's worldwide inward investment agency, announced that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has signed a formal memorandum of understanding with...

Proteins that interact with CAEV Tat identified in humans.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Proteins that interact with CAEV Tat have been identified in humans "Using the yeast two-hybrid system," scientists in Israel "screened a human placenta cDNA library and identified two proteins...

Sociability may reduce the probability of catching the common cold.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Sociability, but not the quality of it or health practices, may reduce the probability of catching colds. "There is considerable evidence that social relationships can influence health, but only...

Glycolytic enzyme plays key role in L-nucleoside analog efficacy.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An enzyme crucial for the efficacy of L-nucleoside analogs has been identified. These drugs represent "a new class of clinically active antiviral and anticancer agents," scientists in the United...

High IgG levels against murine leukemia virus are found in human psoriasis.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Human endogenous retroviruses of the murine leukemia virus family may be the cause of psoriasis as IgG is high in patients, but are highly prevalent in humans. "Increasing evidence suggests that...

EBV mononucleosis with thrombocytopenia can have anti-platelet autoantibodies.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- EBV mononucleosis can cause immune thrombocytopenia, with autoantibodies to platelet glycoproteins present. "In this study, we detected autoantibodies to platelet glycoproteins GPIIb/IIIa and...

Persistent pediatric gastroenteritis may be due to astrovirus serotype-3.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Persistent pediatric gastroenteritis may be due to astrovirus serotype-3. "The relationship between cases of persistent diarrhea and the levels and type of human astrovirus was investigated,"...

China clinical trials completed for antibody tests.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Calypte Biomedical Corporation (CYPT), the developer and marketer of the only two U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved HIV-1 antibody tests that can be used on urine samples, as well as an...

Highly virulent X4-tropic CRF02.AG HIV isolate cloned.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A highly virulent, T-cell-tropic CRF02.AG HIV isolate from Africa has been cloned. "Based on our previous analysis of HIV-1 isolates from Cameroon," scientists in Germany "constructed a full-length...

SHIV Nef ITAM deletions linked to loss of virulence in macaques.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Deletions in the ITAM motif of simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) Nef protein cause of loss of virulence in macaques. According to published research from France, "SHIVsbg, expressing Vpu,...

Dimeric derivatives of peptide HIV integrase inhibitors show improved efficacy.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Dimeric derivatives of peptide HIV integrase inhibitors show improved efficacy over their parent agents. In a recent study from the United States, "Dimers of known HIV-1 integrase inhibitory...

Modified HIV PIs active against drug-resistant virus, but lack bioavailability.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A series of modified HIV PIs are highly active against PI-resistant strains, but have limited bioavailability. According to published research from Merck Research Laboratories, "Transposition of...

Plasma-derived HIV should be used for drug resistance genotyping.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Plasma-derived HIV should be used for viral genotyping to determine drug resistance. "HIV-1 genotype assays using plasma viruses have been widely applied for detection of resistant viruses in...

Genetic therapy options for HIV patients reviewed.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gene therapy options for HIV patients have been reviewed. "Despite the tremendous success of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) introduced nearly eight years ago for the treatment of...

HIV sensitivity to RANTES neutralization can mark disease progression.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- HIV sensitivity to RANTES neutralization can be used to help mark disease progression. "In approximately half of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1-infected individuals, the development of...

Reduced NCR expression underlies NK cell dysfunction during HIV infection.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Reduced NCR expression underlies NK cell dysfunction during HIV infection "Signals leading to NK cell triggering are primarily mediated by natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCR) upon binding to...

CSF analysis vital for diagnosis of opportunistic CNS infections in HIV patients.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- CSF analysis is vital for the diagnosis of opportunistic CNS infections in HIV patients. "In up to 50% of all human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients, the nervous system is clinically involved,"...

Oral epithelial cells can be infected with HIV in vitro.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cultured oral epithelial cells are vulnerable to HIV infection. "Epithelial cells lining the oral cavity are exposed to HIV-1 through breast-feeding and oral-genital contact," scientists in the...

Some HIV-2 strains don't use normal HIV coreceptors.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Some HIV-2 strains don't use the normal HIV coreceptors for cell entry. "In vivo, human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) infection reveals several unique characteristics when compared to HIV-1...

Mathematical model predicts effects of microbicide-based HIV prevention efforts.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A novel statistical technique can be used to predict the effects of microbicide-based HIV prevention efforts. In a recent study, scientists in the United States developed "a simple mathematical...

Yeast model aids study of CCR5 activation.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A yeast model has enabled a detailed characterization of CCR5 signaling. "CCR5 is a G protein-coupled receptor for RANTES, MIP-1alpha, MIP-1beta, and MCP-2 that functions as the front line...

Efavirenz analog binding to K103N HIV mutants determined.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The factors that determine efavirenz analog binding to mutant HIV RT have been identified. In a recent study from the United States, "Monte Carlo-extended linear response (MC/ELR) calculations"...

Female HIV patients have higher risk of antiretroviral-induced ATAs.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Female HIV patients have higher risk of antiretroviral-induced adipose tissue alterations (ATAs) compared to their male counterparts. In a recent study from Italy, ATAs "were clinically assessed in...

Improved method for aryl beta-diketo acids developed.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A novel oxalylation technique may lead to increased production of anti-HIV beta-diketo acids. According to published study results from China, "An improved and efficient oxalylation of aryl methyl...

Birth order in twins has no effect on HIV transmission risk.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Contrary to previous reports, birth order in twins has no effect on HIV vertical transmission risk. In a recent study, scientists in the United States "examined birth order and delivery route as...

Virosome hepatitis A vaccine efficacious in young children in Nicaragua.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Results from a randomized placebo-controlled trial indicate that a virosome hepatitis A vaccine is efficacious in young children in Nicaragua. "Immunization of young children could control hepatitis...

Hepatitis C-positive grafts are useful for orthotopic liver transplantations.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hepatitis C-positive grafts are useful for orthotopic liver transplantations. According to recent research from the United States, "hepatitis C (HCV)-positive liver grafts have been increasingly...

Solution measurement of DNA curvature in papillomavirus E2 binding sites.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists report the results of solution measurement of DNA curvature in papillomavirus E2 binding sites. "'Indirect readout' refers to the proposal that proteins can recognize the intrinsic...

The HTLV-1 virus depends on TAXREB803 for Tax gene transactivation.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The HTLV-1 virus depends on TAXREB803 for Tax gene transactivation. "Expression of the human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) genes is transcriptionally activated by the cognate oncoprotein...

Crystal structure of LIR-1 shows how host, viral type MHC-I binding occur.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The crystal structure of LIR-1 shows how it binds to MHC-I's HLA-A2 and the cytomegalovirus homolog UL18. "Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor 1 (LIR-1), an inhibitory receptor expressed on...

Multiple methods should be used in norovirus diagnosis.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Multiple techniques are needed for accurate diagnosis of norovirus (NV) infection. These pathogens "are transmitted by fecally contaminated food, vomit, and person-to-person contact," scientists in...

Amphotericin B lipid complex safe, effective for HIV visceral leishmaniasis treatment.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A lipid formulation of amphotericin B is safe and effective for the treatment of VL in HIV patients. "Optimal treatment for HIV-related visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has still to be established,"...

MedImmune expands intranasal-vaccine program.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- MedImmune, Inc., (MEDI) has induced a protective immune response against three of the most serious childhood respiratory viruses in a study incorporating intranasal-vaccine technology similar to that...

Genetic analysis of reassortants of strains of influenza B virus reported.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists have published the results of a genetic and phenotypic analysis of reassortants of high growth and low growth strains of influenza B virus in a recent issue of the journal Vaccine. ...

HTLV-I-induced apoptosis gene modulation underlies myeloneuropathy.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Modulation of apoptosis gene function in the spinal cord appears to underlie HTLV-I-induced myeloneuropathy. "Apoptosis of the spinal oligodendrocytes is the main factor linked to the pathogenesis...

Hepatitis C virus NS5A expression antagonizes liver cancer cell apoptosis.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hepatitis C virus NS5A expression antagonizes liver cancer cell apoptosis. "Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells with butyrate can induce apoptosis irrespective of hepatitis B virus...

Human papillomavirus infections can be cleared in women, HPV16 rate is slower.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Human papillomavirus infections can be cleared in women, HPV16 rate is slower. "Little is known about the factors that influence clearance of human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of...

Ohio company wins NIH contract to manufacture Parvovirus vaccine.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Meridian Bioscience, Inc., (VIVO) of Cincinnati, Ohio, has been awarded a contract to manufacture clinical-grade recombinant-protein Parvovirus-B19 vaccine for the U.S. National Institutes of Health....

Vaccine developer receives patent for delivery platform.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioVex Limited announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in relation to one of its core patents. The patent relates to the use of herpes simplex...

Poliovirus type 2 vaccine elicits strongest immune response in children.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The poliovirus type 2 vaccine elicited a stronger immune response than did type 1 or 3 in Finnish children. "A total of 32 unimmunized children (median age 5 months) living in an orphanage in...

Crm1 and Tap are essential human nuclear RNA-export factors.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Crm1 and Tap are essential human nuclear RNA-export factors. According to a study from the United States, "To maximize the production of progeny virions, several viruses have evolved mechanisms...

Chicago to use LinksPoint VectorWatch to identify West Nile virus activity.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- LinksPoint announced that the Chicago (Illinois) Department of Public Health (CDPH) has begun utilizing its LinksPoint VectorWatch geographic risk-modeling system to aid in the prevention of West Nile...

Ibis program receives $6 million grant from the CDC.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ISIS) confirmed that its Ibis program received a 3-year grant for up to $6 million from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and apply its...

Antibodies show some healthy adults can have respiratory syncytial virus.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A small percentage of healthy human adults appear to become infected with respiratory syncytial virus each year. According to recent research from Spain, "The titers of anti-human respiratory...

Animal trade workers in China have higher levels of SARS antibodies.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Evidence is accumulating that SARS jumped the species barrier from animals to humans, but the natural reservoir for SARS or the animal responsible for spillover to humans is still unknown. A high...

Researchers neutralize SARS virus in non-human tissue cultures.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A team of scientists from the Massachusetts Biologic Laboratories (MBL) of the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) in Jamaica Plain and at the Medical School's Worcester campus, in...

Low-dose short-course ganciclovir effective as post-SCT CMV prophylaxis.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Limited ganciclovir regimens are safe and effective for CMV prophylaxis in stem cell graft recipients. According to scientists in St. Louis, "In contrast to allogeneic bone marrow transplantation...

SCT conditioning doesn't affect post-transplant CMV risk.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The type of conditioning used prior to stem-cell transplantation does not affect the risk of post-transplant CMV infection. "Since the incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections after...

Grant to confirm efficacy of pathogen-inactivation technology on plasma.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), in conjunction with the Small Business Administration, has provided a $750,000 small business innovation...

Phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate effective treatment for scrapie.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate was effective at preventing and treating scrapie in mice. "The transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) diseases are rare, neurodegenerative diseases that include...

p53 is upregulated by the interferon-alpha/beta response to viral infection.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The IFN-alpha/beta immune response to virus upregulates p53, which produces cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. According to a study from the United States, "interferon-alpha/beta proteins are vital...

Endogenous avian virus in chick-derived vaccines does not cause disease.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Endogenous avian virus in chick-derived vaccines does not cause disease in vaccine recipients. According to published research from the United States, "Virions incorporating endogenous avian virus...

T cells, B cells, monocytes appear to undergo apoptosis with VZV infection.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- T cells, B cells, and monocytes appear to undergo apoptosis when infected with varicella-zoster virus. "Varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a member of Herpesviridae, subfamily alpha-Herpesviridae, is...

Primary T lymphocytes are low producers of replication-competent retrovirus.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Primary T lymphocytes are low producers of replication-competent retrovirus. "The presence of replication-competent retrovirus (RCR) in retroviral-based gene therapy products poses a potential...

Hepatitis E virus genotype IV is indigenous to a single Chinese city.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hepatitis E virus genotype IV is indigenous to a single Chinese city. "We sequenced the RNA genome of hepatitis E virus (HEV) recovered from an acute hepatitis patient living in Changchun, China....

Animal VP7 genes detected among rotavirus isolated from children in Mexico.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers report the unexpected detection of animal VP7 genes among common rotavirus strains isolated from children in Mexico. According to recent research published in the Journal of Clinical...

GeneScan RT-PCR assay to detect common respiratory viruses developed.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have developed a GeneScan reverse transcription-PCR assay for detection of six common respiratory viruses in young children hospitalized with acute respiratory illness. According to a...

Novel JCV genotype highly prevalent in Italy.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A novel JC virus (JCV) genotype is highly prevalent in Italy. According to published research from scientists in Milan, JCV "is an unique virus, but eight different JCV genotypes and various...

Second study initiated with Neugene antisense drug.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AVI BioPharma, Inc., (AVII) announced it would begin a second clinical study evaluating its Neugene antisense drug AVI-4020 in patients with West Nile virus (WNV). The new study will allow expanded...

MAGI assay improves HIV detection in female genital secretions.
November 4, 2003... 2003 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The MAGI assay improves detection of HIV in female genital secretions. "Infectious human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is difficult to detect in female genital secretions by standard virus...

Novel flu treatment eliminates symptoms in mice.
November 11, 2003... 2003 NOV 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Imperial College London researchers report that they have developed a novel strategy for effectively treating the symptoms of the most deadly type of flu. Working with influenza A virus, they...

Researchers create viral model of MS.
November 11, 2003... 2003 NOV 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Many researchers believe that seemingly innocuous viruses harbored by most of us since childhood could be critical triggers for causing multiple sclerosis (MS). They will now have a practical way to...

Antiretroviral activity of BMS-378806 characterized.
November 11, 2003... 2003 NOV 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The antiretroviral activity of BMS-378806 has been characterized. "BMS-378806 is a recently discovered small-molecule human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) attachment inhibitor with good...

Quercetin lowers pulmonary oxidative stress in flu patients.
November 11, 2003... 2003 NOV 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Quercetin ameliorates pulmonary oxidative stress in flu patients. According to published research from India, "Influenza virus infection, induced experimentally in mice, was associated with marked...

Nucleoside antimetabolites influence the steady state of HCV replicons.
November 11, 2003... 2003 NOV 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nucleoside antimetabolites influence the steady state of HCV replicons. "Treatment with antimetabolites results in chemically induced low nucleoside triphosphate pools and cell cycle arrest in...

Medical Services to participate in live testing with the military in China.
November 11, 2003... 2003 NOV 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Medical Services International, Inc., (MSITF) has agreed to participate in a live testing program with a military hospital in the northern military district of the People's Republic of China. The...

Drugmaker cuts costs on HIV/AIDS medications.
November 11, 2003... 2003 NOV 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has reduced the not-for-profit prices of its HIV/AIDS medicines for qualifying countries and organizations. It has also extended the voluntary license granted to Aspen...

Novel gp41 crystal structure licensed from Cornell Research Foundation.
November 11, 2003... 2003 NOV 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Locus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held pharmaceutical company focused on developing small-molecule therapeutics, has licensed from Cornell Research Foundation a proprietary crystal structure of...

New antiviral agents from marine-derived fungus reported.
November 11, 2003... 2003 NOV 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers report the discovery of new antiviral agents from a marine-derived fungus of the genus Scytalidium. "Marine micro-organisms represent an underexplored resource for the discovery of...

Guillain-Barre syndrome, myelodysplasia can occur together and may be linked.
November 11, 2003... 2003 NOV 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Guillain-Barre syndrome, myelodysplasia can occur together and may be linked. According to a study from England, "We report on three cases of Guillain-Barre (GBS) occurring in patients with...

Epstein-Barr virus can be used to effectively immortalize human B lymphocytes.
November 11, 2003... 2003 NOV 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Epstein-Barr virus can be used to effectively immortalize human B cells. "Several methods have been developed for the immortalization of B lymphocytes by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). We developed an...

Gene therapy incorporating retroviral constructs should be used with prudence.
November 11, 2003... 2003 NOV 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gene therapy incorporating retroviral constructs should be used with prudence. According to recent research published in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, "to improve...