Virus Level could Predict Cervical Cancer Risk

Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. If it is caught and treated early, it is curable in most cases.// The Pap smear is the standard screening method for the disease. It is used to detect unusual, precancerous changes in cervical cells. Two strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV) are associated with an increased chance of getting the cancer, but not all women who...

Spirulina may be the next immune boost on the block

News is out that Spirulina may be the wonder drug we are all looking out for. According to Journal of Medicinal Food, Spirulina , significantly increases the cytokine production in cultured immune system cells. To evaluate the effects of spirulina on the immune system, immunologists at UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center collected blood samples from 12 healthy volunteers and i...

Ebola Virus - 'Outbreak' Claims More Lives In Uganda.

The curse of Uganda – the deadly Ebola virus in its latest outbreak has claimed around 156 lives by December 5th according to Health Ministry officials in Kampala. More shocking is the fact that the dead include many health workers including doctors & nurses. But what shocked the nation was the death of Dr. Mathew Zukeviya, who was a prominent doctor spearheading the fight against Ebola...

Experimental treatment for Ebola Virus Shows promising results in mice

Scientists at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, have said that an experimental treatment for the deadly Ebola virus has shown promising results in mice. In the study, researchers led by Dr. Manish Gupta took antibodies from the immune systems of mice that had survived infection with the deadly Ebola virus and injected them into other Ebola-free mice...

Virus Combats Brain Tumour

Malignant glioma is an aggressive kind of brain tumour that does respond to treatment. Reseachers have now come out with a partial solution and answer for such a catastrophe. It was found that Reo virus, a common inhabitant of gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract, not known to cause any harmholds promise as a treatment for this deadly form of brain cancer. Dr.Peter A Forsyth, of...

Virus killer

A ribozyme, an enzyme that can be used to kill the deadly Hepatitis E virus has been designed by Indian scientists.The ribozyme had been designed using the viral clones and would kill the virus by cutting RNA. The efficacy of the ribozyme was being tested on animals. The cloned virus could also be used for diagnostic purposes to detect the presence of Hepatitis E virus.// <b...

Minor mutations in HIV virus

Researchers at massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), published a study-- HIV can mutate key proteins in order to hide from an immune attack. But once these mutations occur they persist. When HIV attacks, the cell alerts the immune system by displaying viral protein fragments on the surface. This is a suicide signal to kill the infected cell. The immune response that is generated depend...

CCR5 Mutation Confers Immunity Against HIV But Not Against West Nile Virus Illness

A research conducted by Philip M. Murphy, M.D., and colleagues say that mutation in CCR5 (cell surface protein) protects people against HIV infection but increases the risk of developing West Nile virus (WNV) illness. // West Nile virus (WNV) illness is caused due to a mosquito-borne virus. This research as conducted at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)...

Infertility in relation with virus

German scientists reveal that a virus is possibly resposible for infertility.The virus is called adeno-associated virus (AAV) and was found in samples of testicular tissue taken from men whose semen was abnormal. The virus was found in these men far more frequently than in those with normal semen. Dr Jorg Schlehofer, from the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum in Heidelberg, which condu...

Birds breed viruses

It has been known for some time that a wide range of influenza viruses circulate in wild birds.However, only two types have ever been known to infect humans. These are two subtypes of the influenza A virus known as (H5N1) and (H9N2). The first human case of the disease was reported in Hong Kong in mid-May . The outbreak - of the H5N1 sub-type - went on to kill six people and infect 12...

Hidden influenza virus protein found

For nearly 20 years, scientists have laboured under the assumption that the influenza virus comprises only 1- protein molecules that form its structure and carry out its activities. However, in Nature Medicine researchers report finding a new, “hidden” influenza virus protein.This protein may kill immune system cells that fight the virus, thereby contributing to the virus’s potency, the r...

Pain Killers Keep the Virus Away

You take aspirin for pains and to prevent heart attacks, but the little white pill may also help keep your immune system strong. A new study says aspirin and related painkillers may block the replication of a common// virus linked to potentially deadly infections in people with AIDS and other immune disorders. The presence of the microbe, called human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), in cells...

Hepatitis E virus made impotent

A ribozyme, an enzyme that can be used to kill the deadly Hepatitis E virus has been designed by Indian scientists. The ribozyme had been designed using the viral clones and would kill the virus by cutting RNA.// The efficacy of the ribozyme was being tested on animals. The cloned virus could also be used for diagnostic purposes to detect the presence of Hepatitis E virus. <br...

Measles Suppresses AIDS Virus

HIV-positive children ill with measles may get a temporary respite from the virus that causes AIDS. Levels of HIV are suppressed while measles infection rages, the team found. "We were surprised by these findings, because we expected to see HIV replication increase, not decrease with measles//," Dr. William Moss, who led the study, said. He said measles usually suppresses the immune syste...

Mutating viruses helps produce antibodies

Scientists at the University of California reported that, a rapidly mutating gene in a virus that preys on bacteria may help lead to a new way to create artificial antibodies. This surprising mechanism may even be found in humans and other life, suggesting a new way of generating biological diversity.// Jeff Miller, author of this study, the viruses are a treasure trove of fascinating b...

Flesh-eating virus

Health officials in Glasgow have issued an alert after two cases of a rare flesh-eating bug were diagnosed among drug users. They said the cases of necrotising fasciitis had come to light in the last week during routine checks of drug addicts.// Injecting drug users are more vulnerable to the potentially fatal illness, sometimes known as 'flesh-eating disease', because it commonly enters...

Virus connection to cervical injury

According to a recent study in Texas there's a firm connection between viral infection and pre-cancerous lesions on the cervix. Previous research has shown that infection with human papillomavirus (HPV)// may increase the risk of cervical cancer. A group of almost 8,500 women with no history of abnormal cervical cell growth were followed for ten years. They had a cervical smear at the...

Implication of virus in colon cancer

Researchers in a study observed that human cytomegalovirus could be involved in the development of colon cancer. Although some people have a genetic predisposition to colon cancer, the majority of cases arise for no obvious reason.// Researchers at the University of Alabama US, have now exposed a link between viral infection and colon cancer. First, they report on laboratory studies t...

Colon cancer linked with common virus

A virus that is found up more than 85% of the population has turned up in colon cancer samples. The JC virus is expansive, affecting nearly the entire human population from childhood onwards. //It's imparted in the air, and maybe also through contaminated food and water. Normally the JC virus is completely harmless, but in people with weak immune systems it has been known to increase the...

Virus Helps Remove Brain Cancer

Researchers at University of Texas have tested a novel "viral smart bomb" therapy that can completely eradicate brain tumors in mice, while leaving normal brain tissue alone. The Delta-24-RGD therapy, becomes the first treatment for the deadliest brain cancer, the malignant glioma. It is a new-generation "replication-competent oncolytic" adenovirus therapy in which a therapeutic virus spr...

Origin Of SARS Virus Discovered

Recent findings from the University of Hong Kong andthe Shenzhen Disease Prevention and Control Center,have indicated that workers caught the virus fromanimals. The findings are observed form a study conducted on ten random workers at the market in Guangdong. About five out of the ten were found to have SARS antibodies, proving the presence of infection. But as none of them reported to be...

New Molecule that can stop the growth of Viruses

New research shows a molecule that stops the growth of the AIDS virus in the blood may also inhibit the growth of other viruses.// Researchers say alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) -- a protein in the blood -- deactivates cells, stopping viruses from multiplying. In order for cells to grow, they must be in an active state. They say the concept is “...kind of like cutting a computer virus off fr...

The Possibility Of Fighting HIV with Another Virus Questioned

New research shows one virus could help fight another. Researchers say the little-known virus GBV-C, also known as // hepatitis G , may hold a key to helping researchers devise new strategies against HIV. Researchers analyzed results from the Multicenter Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Cohort Study, in which investigators followed a large group of HIV-infected men in the United Sta...

New Virus : A Threat In the Future?

Scientists say there is a new virus called simian foamy virus (SFV) that can be transferred from primates to humans.// While it’s not clear what type of health effects SFV will have on humans, researchers recommend a reduction in the hunting and consumption of bushmeat to prevent the spread to humans. To understand this threat, scientists studied 1,800 people from nine rural communities...

Identifying Virus Found To Be Essential for HIV Patients

Before the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy HAART, the cytomegalovirus was a major problem for AIDS patients, causing opportunistic// infections that spread out of control and led to faster progression of the disease and shorter time to death. Researchers assessed CMV status in about 375 people infected with HIV using a standard test. Investigators followed the patie...

Good News for HIV Patients Also Suffering From Hepatitis C Virus

Researchers conducting a large clinical trial of people infected with both HIV and hepatitis C have some positive news to report. // According to their study, patients who are treated with a newer combination of drugs are significantly more likely to rid their bodies of HCV than those who receive standard therapy. The finding is important because as many as 300,000 of the estimated 1 mil...

Screening Of Blood Samples For Viruses

Routine screening of blood samples for viral RNA among organ and tissue donors who show no signs of sickness may reduce risk of disease // transmission among transplant recipients, say researchers according to a new study. Testing for the presence of blood antibodies to diseases such as HIV or hepatitis C is the usual method of screening. However, this method is limited. Some donors may b...

Stopping The Growth Of Viruses

New research shows a molecule that stops the growth of the AIDS virus in the blood may also inhibit the growth of other viruses.// Researchers say alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) -- a protein in the blood -- deactivates cells, stopping viruses from multiplying. In order for cells to grow, they must be in an active state. They say the concept is “...kind of like cutting a computer virus off fr...

Stopping The Growth Of Viruses

New research shows a molecule that stops the growth of the AIDS virus in the blood may also inhibit the growth of other viruses.// Researchers say alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) -- a protein in the blood -- deactivates cells, stopping viruses from multiplying. In order for cells to grow, they must be in an active state. They say the concept is “...kind of like cutting a computer virus off fr...

Cancer Causing Herpes Virus At Last May Have A Cure

Twin studies in the Journal Of Clinical Investigations show that certain form of herpes virus called Kaposi sarcoma– // associated herpes virus (KSHV) that can cause cancer, may be treated with by glycyrrhizic acid (GA) for total recovery. KSHV is a form of herpes virus that can cause cancer by lying suppressed in the infected cells of the affected person. Numerous vaccines are being de...

Chances are high for Avian Influenza virus altering its form

In a release from World Health Organization (WHO) the apex medical body warns the people of South East Asia against // rapid spread of the avian influenza or bird flu virus in the area. It has also urged the medical bodies in these areas to provide full information to WHO regarding new cases of the disease. The inclusion of every available detail of the disease including their closeness...

Transfer Of Rabies Virus Possible From Organ Donor To Recipient

In a study published in New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers have reported that rabies encephalitis may be spread from infected organ donor //to organ recipient. There had been report of four organ recipients (kidneys, Liver, and arterial segment) from a common donor dying of rabies encephalitis in US. The researchers conducted reviews of medical records of the donor and rece...

Ebola-like virus is on the way to cause epidemic in Angola

As the death toll from the virus like Ebola rises in the country of Angola, people had been warned not to visit the country in Africa// for at least a week. The number of people who are affected by the virus till date is 132. According to the statistics available at World Health Organization, the two third of those affected by the virus are children. The virus which was...

Promising cure for West Nile Virus

West Nile virus that spreads through mosquito bites, among other things, did not had a proper cure till date.// In the recent issue of Nature Medicine scientists have shown a successful treatment on mice suffering from West Nile virus. The researchers have developed an antibody that can successfully fight the virus. The antibody is derived from human beings who develop this antibody...

Virus to treat brain tumor

Researchers have identified a virus that targets and kills a type of brain tumor.// A strain of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) can successfully target and kill glioblastoma, which is one of the deadliest forms of brain tumors. Glioblastoma is a form of brain tumor that is resistant to modern medical or surgical procedures. Researchers of Yale School of Medicine had taken n...

Virus that does not cause disease can kill cancer cells

Adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) can kill cancer cells of cervical, breast, prostate//, and squamous cell cancers in six days in laboratory conditions. Penn State College of Medicine researchers who had conducted the study reported that the virus kills multiple types of cancer cells and yet is not known to cause any harm to the human beings. The adeno-associated virus t...

Two New Human Papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines to prevent cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of female cancer mortality worldwide, with 288,000 deaths annually. About 510,000 cases are // reported each year, 80% of them in developing countries. Two new vaccines are undergoing trial to prevent HPV infections, which causes cervical cancer. These vaccines must be given to girls before they are sexually active. The new vaccines are man...

New discovery made about the Nipah Virus

Two research teams working independently have identified how the Nipah and Hendra viruses// infect the human cells to cause infections. Hendra virus belongs to the virus family of Paramyxoviridae. It is known to cause an outbreak of respiratory and neurological disease in animals and humans. Nipah virus also belongs to the same family of virus and causes diseases like encephalitis and...

High-Dosage of Epirubicin and Cyclophosphamide may cause AML

Adjuvant chemotherapy with epirubicin and cyclophosphamide for early breast cancer// patients increased the risk of Acute myeloid leukemia or Myelodysplastic syndrome. Recent study published in Journal of clinical oncology reports that early breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy with higher than standard cumulative doses of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide have an increased ris...

Virus makes Hodgkin’s disease more deadl

A herpes virus that causes infectious mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), has long been thought to contribute to the development of Hodgkin's disease. But no one has carefully studied the possible link between EBV and Hodgkin's survival, according to researchers led by Dr. Christina A. Clarke from Northern California Cancer Center in Union City. This virus is believed...