Virus Weekly articles from October 2002

Virus Weekly archives from October 2002

Down-regulation of cell signaling in HPV-infected cervical cells promotes malignancy.(human papillomavirus)
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A collaboration of scientists from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital have uncovered a key genetic event in the progression of malignant cervical cancer - and a potential new...

Virus that can infect both mice and humans is driven to extinction with cancer drug.
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- For decades, scientists have tried to figure out how to stop viruses from spreading. Their efforts have led to the development of drugs that can help to slow the spread of some infections and diseases...

Caveolin-1 can prevent viral protein expression.
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States have identified a protein that could act as a novel treatment for HIV infection. "Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is a major protein...

Graft T-cell depletion doesn't affect cytomegalovirus risk.
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Stem cell graft recipients' cytomegalovirus history is the best predictor of post-transplant infection, researchers say. "Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection...

Triangle announces reacquisition of product rights from Abbott.(Triangle Pharmaceuticals Inc., Abbott Laboratories)
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (VIRS) announced that it has reacquired from Abbott Laboratories (ABT) full product rights, including rights to all profits, for four drug candidates in clinical...

Mymetics registration statement effective.(stock)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Mymetics, Inc., (MYMX) announced that its registration statement on form S1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission has become effective, thereby registering the sale of up to 48,487,487...

Epidemiology of deadly mosquito-borne disease studied in Thai children.
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Virologists with the U.S. military are studying the epidemiology of dengue viruses in young school children in Thailand. They recently reported initial findings in two articles in the American Journal...

510 K filed with FDA for DNA-based group B strep test.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cepheid (CPHD) announced that its joint venture partner, Infectio Diagnostic (IDI), has issued a press release regarding its filing of a 510 K with the FDA for a group B streptococcus (GBS) test. ...

Viral DNA, end-stage liver disease heighten risk for drug-resistant mutants.
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Patients who undergo liver transplantation for hepatitis B-related liver disease face a greater risk of developing lamivudine-resistant mutations if certain...

Untranslated virus region ineffective for distinguishing hepatitis C subtypes.
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have concluded the 5' untranslated region of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome is insufficient for differentiating...

Type I interferon gene therapy protects against CMV-induced condition.(cytomegalovirus, myocarditis)
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Australia have reported on the efficacy of seven interferon subtypes in DNA gene therapy against cytomegalovirus-induced myocarditis. "Type I interferons (IFNs) are produced early in...

RPI realigns and restructures; reports Q2 results.(Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (RZYM) announced that after reviewing all of its research and clinical programs, the company will refocus its internal development activities on the most promising...

Vaccinia hyperimmune globulin contract awarded.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cangene announces that it has been awarded a contract by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop and supply a vaccinia immune globulin (VIg) for use in treating and...

Researchers document rare case of second HIV infection with different strain.
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Swiss researchers have documented a rare case of a patient contracting a second HIV infection years later with a different strain of the virus. Doctors once assumed that patients' natural immunity...

Study showed better virologic response in regimens containing Sustiva.
October 1, 2002... 2002 OCT 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Data from a large observational cohort study published in the journal HIV Clinical Trials showed that anti-HIV combination treatment regimens containing Sustiva (efavirenz) had a better virologic...

Newly found avian virus related to swine and human hepatitis E virus.
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - The newly discovered avian hepatitis E virus (avian HEV) shares a close genetic relationship with swine and human forms of the virus, scientists in the U.S....

Wild-type measles strain responsible for SSPE outbreaks in New Guinea.(subacute sclerosing panencephalitis)
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Genomic analysis revealed that outbreaks of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) in Papua, New Guinea, are caused by a wild-type measles virus,...

Interleukin-2 safe for patients with low HHV-8 viremia.(human herpesvirus 8)
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Supplemental interleukin-2 treatment is safe for most HIV patients coinfected with the virus responsible for Kaposi sarcoma, researchers in Italy say. "The...

Link to cervical lesions confirmed.(human papillomavirus )(Brief Article)
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is linked to an increased likelihood of cervical lesions in women, finds a study in the British Medical Journal. The study, which involved over 10,000...

Leukodepletion of platelet products has little impact on anticytomegalovirus efficacy.
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Removing white blood cells from platelet products adds little benefit for transfused stem cell graft recipients, researchers in the United Kingdom report. ...

Board recommends to breaking code of Coviracil pivotal trial early.
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (VIRS) announced positive findings from FTC-301, an ongoing pivotal phase III trial of Coviracil (emtricitabine), its nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor for the...

New compliance technology, The Pill Timer, shows promise.(Med Time Technology Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Preliminary findings suggest that HIV patients using Med Time Technology, Inc.'s The Pill Timer in conjunction with an adherence program improves patients' health dramatically. Lab results show...

Study emphasizes importance of genetic susceptibility to autoimmunity.
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genetic background, rheumatologists report, plays an important role in susceptibility to autoimmunity. "In previous studies we have established a link between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and an...

Epidemiologic study assesses human papillomavirus prevalence in China.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Human papillomavirus types 18 and 16 are the most common HPV infections in five regions of China, a recent study determined. "A large-scale epidemiologic survey on the prevalence of different types...

Vaccination now required for elementary, secondary school enrollment.(chickenpox vaccine)(Brief Article)
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New Mexico and Mississippi join 38 states (plus the District of Columbia) that now require the chickenpox vaccine for day care, public school, or both. In addition, several states now have similar...

Lipid Sciences reports second-quarter results.
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Lipid Sciences, Inc., (LIPD), a development-stage biotechnology company specializing in products for the treatment of major medical indications by removing lipids from plasma proteins, reported results...

Product R clinical trial results subject of published study.
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advanced Viral Research Corp. (ADVR) announced that the results of a randomized, controlled, and blinded clinical study of Product R therapy in patients with HIV/AIDS have been published in the journal...

Blood transfusions unlikely to transmit West Nile virus.
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Contracting the much-publicized West Nile virus through blood transfusion is extremely unlikely, researchers in the United States find. "Human West Nile...

MedImmune responds to FluMist complete response letter.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- MedImmune, Inc., (MEDI) announced that it has completed the submission of information requested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for FluMist (influenza virus vaccine live, intranasal), a...

NFID encourages Americans to follow CDC flu vaccination schedule.(National Foundation for Infectious Diseases )(U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention )
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- As influenza vaccination recommendations issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) go into effect, and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) has issued an...

Recent influenza A strains in Canada have evolved from two variants.
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Infectious disease researchers in Canada are delving into the evolutionary history of influenza strains in that country. "Limited information is available concerning the molecular drift of the...

Maternal vaccination could control RSV in at-risk children in Mozambique.(respiratory syncytial virus)
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers recommend that mothers of very young children at high risk of infection with respiratory syncytial virus should be vaccinated against the infectious pathogen. In a case-control study in...

First monoclonal antibodies could aid study, diagnosis of human caliciviruses.
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Microbiologists at the Baylor College of Medicine have reported the first monoclonal antibodies for any Sapporo-like viruses. N. Kitamoto and coworkers published their study in Journal of Clinical...

Delivery schedule established with CDC for vaccinia hyperimmune globulin.(United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(Brief Article)
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Further to the announcement of a 5-year supply and development agreement with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cangene announces that it has established a preliminary...

Cord blood recipients have high herpesvirus-6 infection risk.
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Stem cell grafts derived from umbilical cord blood can heighten recipients' risk of active human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection, researchers in Japan warn. ...

Transplants in HIV patients should proceed, but drug interactions a concern.
October 8, 2002... 2002 OCT 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- While historically surgeons have been reluctant to transplant patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), in recent years some centers have begun to accept patients with well-controlled HIV as...

Steroid and antiviral therapy more effective in treatment of SSNHL.(sudden-onset sensorineural hearing loss)
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Each year, 20 of every 100,000 Americans will incur sudden sensorineural hearing loss, characterized by hearing loss that is greater than 30 dB in three contiguous frequencies and that occurs over a...

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca a major complication of chronic hepatitis C.
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - The results of a population study have demonstrated significant numbers of Greek chronic hepatitis C patients are affected by keratoconjunctivitis sicca. ...

Nonhuman primate adeno-associated viruses considered for human therapies.
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Medical researchers may want to consider using portions of certain nonhuman primate adeno-associated viruses in their novel gene therapies, University of...

Enterovirus infection during pregnancy does not increase diabetes risk of the exposed fetus.
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Children born to women who contracted an enterovirus infection in the first trimester of pregnancy are not at any increased risk of developing type 1...

Triangle submits NDA for Coviracil.(Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc, new drug application)
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (VIRS) announced submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for marketing approval of Coviracil for the treatment of HIV...

Micrologix acquires antiviral product and technology portfolio.
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Micrologix Biotech, Inc., (MGIXF) has acquired a broad portfolio of antiviral technologies and product candidates formerly owned and/or being developed by Origenix Technologies, Inc. "These...

Human papillomavirus may evade immune system by suppressing NF-kappaB activity.
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Human papillomavirus infection, which can lead to cervical cancer, may be able to elude immune system activity by suppressing NF-kappa B, according to recent study findings. "Infection with...

Metal chelator inhibits wild-type and resistant CMV.(cytomegalovirus)
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Virologists in Germany are studying the effects of ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid against human cytomegalovirus. "Antiviral activity of the metal chelator ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) was...

Epidemiology of deadly mosquito-borne disease studied in Thai children.(dengue)
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Virologists with the U.S. military are studying the epidemiology of dengue viruses in young school children in Thailand. They recently reported initial findings in two articles in the American Journal...

HPV test manufacturer reports its 2002 revenue grew 43%.(human papillomavirus, Digene Corporation)
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Digene Corporation (DIGE) reported financial results for the fiscal 2002 fourth quarter and year ended June 30, 2002. For fiscal 2002, total revenue grew 43% to $48.8 million compared with $34.2...

Calypte to accelerate development of rapid HIV urine test.
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Calypte Biomedical Corporation (CALY) the developer and marketer of the only two FDA-approved HIV-1 antibody tests that can be used on urine samples, announced that based upon positive preliminary...

Governor signs bill for HIV testing.
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A bill that enables community-based, nonprofit organizations with "demonstrated expertise in...HIV testing services" to train urgently needed new HIV testing counselors was signed into law by Governor...

Company announces improved interferon alpha.(Nautilus Biotech)
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nautilus Biotech announced that it has developed a set of improved IFN-alpha molecules, engineered to have a substantially increased half-life in order to minimize side effects and maximize therapeutic...

Microscience now able to deliver DNA vaccines orally.
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Microscience - a British biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of vaccines - has entered into an exclusive license agreement with the University System of Maryland (USM). ...

Scholars make a case for mass vaccination.(Brief Article)
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Yale University researchers say mass vaccination in the event that the smallpox virus is released in the U.S. would result in many fewer deaths and eradicate more quickly any resulting epidemic than...

Pseudorabies virus may have potential as gene vector and oncolytic agent.
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Loma Linda University researchers say the pseudorabies virus could have applications as both a vector of gene therapy and as an anticancer agent. The pseudorabies virus (PrV) has a wide host range...

Mutation in viral reverse transcriptase impairs processivity, infectivity.
October 15, 2002... 2002 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Most nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors are ineffective against foamy virus (FV) replication due to resistance. Researchers report a serendipitous transcription event that...

New protease inhibitor held HIV at undetectable levels for 4 years.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study from the Feinberg School of Medicine has shown that the protease inhibitor lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra) suppressed HIV to undetectable levels and was well-tolerated through 4 years of...

New combination treatment reported more beneficial than standard therapy.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The New England Journal of Medicine (2002;347(13):975-982) carried the first published report showing that a combination treatment with peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) - a new long-acting interferon...

Novel assay detects seroconversion in all host species.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States have developed a novel assay that could aid field studies of the Ebola virus. "The natural host for Ebola virus, presumed...

Rabbit study shows intranasal delivery of vaccine effective against papillomavirus infection.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Intranasal delivery of a vaccine containing a recombinant Vesiculovirus expressing a papillomavirus protein protected rabbits against papillomavirus...

Research finds certain groups at risk for severe reactions from smallpox vaccine.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Smallpox vaccines could do more harm than good for people with AIDS or allergic skin diseases, according to research presented in the September 2002 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical...

Newly revealed viral structure suggests a continuum in the evolution of viruses.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An international team of scientists led by researchers at the Wistar Institute has combined two imaging techniques to uncover the molecular-level framework of a common bacteriophage, a virus that...

AIDS researchers split GSK award.(GlaxoSmithKline)
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Six HIV and AIDS researchers will split $500,000 as the 2002 recipients of the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Drug Discovery and Development Award. The unrestricted research award program is funded by GSK to...

Drug cuts transmission by half.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- People with genital herpes who worry about passing the virus to others should be offered a prescription drug that has been shown for the first time to reduce transmission, a researcher says. The...

HIV expert encourages Chinese health authorities to use HIV-1 urine test.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Calypte Biomedical Corporation (CALY), the developer and marketer of the only two FDA-approved HIV-1 antibody tests that can be used on urine samples, announced that HIV pioneer Luc Montagnier,...

Phase III study of Viread shows favorable lipid, mitochondrial DNA profile.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Lynn Yoffee, senior medical writer - Data from an ongoing phase III clinical trial suggest that Viread, Inc., (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) has favorable effects on serum lipid profiles and...

Innovative Australian HIV drug gets green light for further testing.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Virax Holdings Limited announced that its HIV drug development program has progressed to the next stage. An extension study of the treatment VIR201 will commence immediately to further assess the...

Positive results reported on interferon-alpha variants.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- GenOdyssee S.A., a biotherapeutics company specializing in discovering and developing drugs from functional genomics, announced preclinical results for its proprietary interferon (IFN) alpha variants...

CDC recommends universal childhood immunization against influenza.(U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Lynn Yoffee, senior medical writer - Although every flu season is unique, it's estimated that 10-20% of U.S. residents get the flu, and an average of 114,000 people are hospitalized for flu-related...

Still lessons to learn from vaccine failure in 1947 epidemic.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A look back at the flu vaccine failure in the U.S. in 1947 has implications for flu epidemiology today. "Although vaccine-induced immunity to influenza A virus is continually challenged by...

Prompt detection of influenza with rapid tests helps control disease spread, severity.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Lynn Yoffee, senior medical writer - Patients are often confused by symptoms of influenza compared with the common cold. In many cases their illness proceeds to severity before seeking medical...

Impact of v-GPCR signaling on host cell biology studied.(G protein-coupled receptor)
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Signaling by a G protein-coupled receptor expressed by Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus "may make different contributions to the pathogenesis of KSHV-related endothelial and lymphoproliferative...

Hemagglutinin protein of wild-type virus activates TLR2 signaling.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Pattern recognition via Toll-like receptors (TLR) by antigen-presenting cells is an important element of innate immunity. We report that wild-type measles virus, but not vaccine strains, activate...

Rapid diagnostic methods being developed for infectious diseases in children.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cepheid (CPHD) announced that it has been selected to participate in a program to develop rapid diagnostic methods for improving the diagnosis of infectious diseases in children. The project,...

Fusion protein-based vaccine protects against herpetic keratitis in mouse study.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Japan report that a fusion protein-based vaccine effectively prevented development of stromal herpetic keratitis in mice. The vaccine was made up of a fusion protein (gD-IL-2)...

Company to focus exclusively on Remune.(Immune Response Corp.)
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Signaling a move to restructure and reposition the company for potential product commercialization, The Immune Response Corp. (IMNR) announced a restructuring program and management changes aimed at...

Protective immunity after natural rotavirus infection points to vaccine need.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The high level of protective immunity against reinfection most children acquire after a primary rotavirus infection emphasizes the value of developing a rotavirus vaccine, researchers say. T.K....

Novel phage-based treatment effective against mycobacterial infections.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States have developed a novel technique for fighting tuberculosis and other mycobacterial infections. While effective treatment...

BioVex announces gene therapy, cancer vaccine agreements.
October 22, 2002... 2002 OCT 22 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioVex Limited announced that it has signed an agreement with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals permitting Wyeth to evaluate the utility of BioVex's NeuroVEX vectors that allow highly efficient and nontoxic gene...

Proto-oncogene c-kit needed for Kaposi sarcoma-related endothelial cell transformation.
October 29, 2002... 2002 OCT 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States have shed new light on the pathogenesis of an AIDS-defining cancer. "Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), the most frequent malignancy...

Synthetic RNA selects for human papillomavirus genes in infected cells.
October 29, 2002... 2002 OCT 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Synthetic RNA could hold the key to silencing pathogenic viruses that infect mammalian cells. Researchers have learned that short interfering RNA (siRNA)...

Novel agent effective against cytomegalovirus shedding.
October 29, 2002... 2002 OCT 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States and Europe say that a novel agent can safely reduce cytomegalovirus shedding in HIV+ men. "1263W94 [maribavir;...

Viral subtype marks clinical picture in chronic hepatitis B population.
October 29, 2002... 2002 OCT 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - An investigation of virus subtypes in Japanese infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) has yielded important information about clinical changes in those...

HLA haplotype key determinant of hantavirus infection risk.
October 29, 2002... 2002 OCT 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Human leukocyte antigen haplotype is a key determinant of hantavirus infection severity, researchers in Finland say. "The tumor necrosis factor...

Study reveals virus's escape route from host cells to the environment.(adenovirus)
October 29, 2002... 2002 OCT 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Your coworker has a cold. You know it is only a matter of time before the virus spreads to you and other colleagues, causing a spate of missed workdays. The ability to spread from person to person...

Grants to promote shared responsibility for HIV, pregnancy prevention.
October 29, 2002... 2002 OCT 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a series of grants that will combine innovative uses of existing tools with research and development of technologies that could offer important new...

Gene delivery technology company receives another patent for AAV platform.(adeno-associated virus)
October 29, 2002... 2002 OCT 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Targeted Genetics Corp. (TGEN) announced the issuance of another patent related to the company's leading adeno-associated virus (AAV) technology platform. U.S. Patent No. 6,436,392, titled...