First glimpse of DNA binding to viral enzyme
UPTON, NY -- Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have produced the first molecular-scale images of DNA binding to an adenovirus enzyme -- a step they believe is essential for the virus to cause infection. The images, which appear on the cover of the October 2004 issue of Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, show ho...Viral suspect for amphibian decline traced to human spread through bait
What do Smallpox, AIDS, SARS, Monkeypox, West Nile Virus, Chestnut Blight, Dutch Elm Disease, Sudden Oak Death Syndrome, Sea Otter Mortality and Avian Flu have to do with the world-wide disappearance of frogs and salamanders, otherwise known as "Amphibian Decline"? And with bait shops?...... These diseases and their pathogens, with the unsuspecting support of humans and our global activities, all...X marks the spot: Vector insertion is viral specific
(Philadelphia, PA) - Retroviruses are one of the most common vehicles for delivering therapeutic payloads via gene therapy in animal models of disease and human patients. Viruses integrate into host DNA to replicate, but exactly where they insert themselves has become a topic of increasing importance. This is of special concern when integration is near an oncogene that may lead to uncontrolled, c...Retroviral gene therapy? ASLV, HIV, and MLV show distinct target site preferences
Many diseases (including inherited disorders like cystic fibrosis to cancer) have a genetic component and gene therapy holds the promise of restoring compromised genes with their healthy counterparts. That promise was quashed when a teenager -- Jesse Gelsinger -- suffering from a rare hereditary liver disorder died after participating in an experimental gene therapy trial in 1999. In another case...Viral proteins may prevent bacterial infections
KEY BISCAYNE, FL August 5, 2004 --Researchers from Rockefeller University are enlisting proteins produced by viruses in a novel strategy that may someday help prevent bacterial infections in hospitals and nursing homes. ... ...Bacterial viruses, or bacteriophage, worm their way into bacterial cells, copy themselves and then, as an exit strategy, produce enzymes that quickly destroy the bacterial...Plant respiration not just an evolutionary leftover, study shows
A biological process in plants, thought to be useless and even wasteful, has significant benefits and should not be engineered out -- particularly in the face of looming climate change, says a team of UC Davis researchers....... ....... Over the past two hundred years, scientists...Researchers develop better understanding of immune response to viral infection
An appropriate response by the immune system to viral infection is absolutely critical for survival. A new research study published in the July issue of Immunity sheds light on the complex and well-orchestrated signals that are mobilized in response to infection with cytomegalovirus....... Cells infected with a virus secrete substances called interferons. Interferon serves to protect other cells...Canada, US launch collaborative research programs for circulatory and respiratory health
The leading federal health research agencies in Canada and the United States -- the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- have formed a partnership to advance research of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. ... ...Three research programs are being launched collaboratively between CIHR's Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (...Indoor mold, building dampness linked to respiratory problems and require better prevention
WASHINGTON -- Scientific evidence links mold and other factors related to damp conditions in homes and buildings to asthma symptoms in some people with the chronic disorder, as well as to coughing, wheezing, and upper respiratory tract symptoms in otherwise healthy people, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. However, the available evidence does not support...Chronic respiratory symptoms prevalent among Alaska natives
(NORTHBROOK, IL, May 10, 2004) Chronic respiratory symptoms are prominent among Alaska Native children in the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta (YK delta) region of Alaska, with symptoms varying greatly within the geographic location. ... ...In a study published in the May issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, 40 percent of Alaska Native (AN) and American Ind...Kiratisin wins 2004 Dade MicroScan Young Investigator Award
WASHINGTON, DC--APRIL 23, 2004--Pattarachai Kiratisin, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand, is the 2004 recipient of the Dade MicroScan Young Investigator Award, presented by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). Established in 1991 and supported by Dade MicroScan, Inc., the award honors Kiratisin for his out...New papillomavirus target could lead to specific antiviral drugs for precancerous cervical lesions
BOSTON -- Harvard Medical School researchers have uncovered a missing link in our understanding of how human papillomaviruses gain their foothold in the rapidly dividing cells of the skin and mucous membranes. The discovery, reported in the April 30 Cell, could lead to new treatments for a host of human papillomavirus-related conditions, from the nuisance of plantar and genital warts to life-thre...Sick Kids researchers look at viral triggers for multiple sclerosis in children
TORONTO - Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids) have shown an association between paediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) and the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), indicating that exposure to the virus at a certain time in childhood may be an important environmental trigger for the development of MS. This research is reported in the April 21, 2004 issue of JAMA (The Journal of the American...The catch 22 of immune response to AIDs viral infection
A strong antigen-specific T-cell response to HIV infection is important for controlling virus replication; however, because HIV selectively infects and replicates in CD4 T cells, increased number of these cells in response to viral infection may also be detrimental as these cells provide fuel for the infection to grow. ...... In the March 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Mark F...Viral immunosuppression: Not just a game of hide and go seek
When facing an immune response, viruses can either attempt to elude them or confront them. Dendritic cells (DCs) play a pivotal role in bringing forth the immune response by stimulating T cells. In the March 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Noemi Sevilla and colleagues from the Scripps Research Institute demonstrate that a lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) strain can supp...A viral cure for type 1 diabetes
Viruses can both cause and prevent autoimmune disease. In order to understand this dualism, Matthias von Herrath and colleagues from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology in California exposed prediabetic mice to viral infections. In the January 2 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation the authors report that infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) during the...Researchers identify key player in respiratory memory
MADISON - By studying the "memory" of the respiratory system, a group of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have identified a key player - a protein called BDNF that's involved in learning - responsible for the body's ability to keep breathing properly, despite the challenges it may face. ......The findings, published Dec. 14 in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience, could p...Purdue biologists expose the inner workings of viral machine
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University scientists have peered inside a virus and visualized for the first time how it produces and exports genetic materials into a host cell, an advance in fundamental research that also could have implications for the development of antiviral agents. ......Using improved microscope technology, a team including Purdue's Timothy S. Baker and a colleague at Harvar...Budding viral hijackers may co-opt cell machinery for the getaway
When retroviruses like HIV infect cells, they take over the cell's machinery to manufacture new copies of themselves. Research published this week in the top-tier open access journal, Journal of Biology, shows that to escape from cells, retroviruses may once again hijack cellular components, in this case molecules normally used to engulf material from the cell's surroundings in a pocket formed fr...Retroviral protein triggers proliferation of immune cells
Columbus, Ohio Scientists here have found that a protein in the retrovirus known as human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) can cause immune cells to divide and proliferate, helping the virus spread through the body.... ...The protein, known as p12, was formerly thought to be unimportant during infection, causing scientists to regard it as a nonessential "accessory gene."... ...This new...NIEHS-funded researchers find low-level ozone increases respiratory risk of asthmatic children
New evidence gathered in a study funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences suggests that asthmatic children who use maintenance medication are particularly vulnerable to the effects of ground-level ozone, even at levels well below the federal standard set by the Environmental Protection Agency.... ... Their research results were published Oct. 8 in the Journal of the Ame...Respiratory-pacing device found beneficial in heart failure
Fort Lee, NJ -- September 22nd, 2003 Heart failure patients witnessed a significant improvement in disease symptoms and markers of the underlying pathology using an experimental non-invasive treatment device, inTone , according to two studies presented this week at the 2003 Heart Failure Society of America annual conference in Las Vegas....... "We have long known about the beneficial effects of...Duke ecologist finds devastation, hope in Iraqi marshes
DURHAM, N.C. -- An expedition by Duke University wetlands expert Curtis Richardson to evaluate damage to Iraq's storied Mesopotamian Marshlands revealed an environmental disaster of vast proportions. However, he also found the potential for restoring a significant portion of the marshes and with them the Marsh Arab culture. ... On his June 16-26 trip, he encountered dust-bowl-level desiccation wi...Purdue researchers expose 'Docking Bay' for viral attack
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Imagine a virus and its cellular target as two spacecraft - the virus sporting a tiny docking bay that allows it to invade its victim. Purdue University researchers have taken a close-up picture of one virus' docking bay, work that could have implications for both medicine and nanotechnology.... ...Using advanced imaging techniques, an international team of biologists led b...SARS information for antiviral drug design released by Protein Data Bank
NEW BRUNSWICK/PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Protein Data Bank (PDB), an international resource for biomedical research with facilities at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, has released to the public a three-dimensional crystal structure of the SARS virus main protease enzyme. Its availability to medical researchers worldwide is crucial because this enzyme is considered the primary target fo...Respiratory manifestations may be secondary to inflammation in cystic fibrosis patients
July 29, 2003 -- Bethesda, MD -- Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is one of the most frequent lethal chromosomal hereditary disorders in Caucasian populations and occurs in approximately one in every 3,500 births. Caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, a defective cAMP-dependent chloride ion conductance occurs. In patients with CF, lung disease is the major cause of s...Fibroleukin at fault in viral hepatitis
Unlike other virus-induced diseases, acute and chronic liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus are not the result of direct viral-induced tissue destruction, but rather a consequence of the host immune response to the virus. Two such responses to viral hepatitis B infection are the deposition of fibrin and thrombosis within the small blood vessels of the liver. Activated endothelial cells a...UT Southwestern researchers find immune system stages for eliminating viral infections, cancer cells
DALLAS June 9, 2003 Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have partially uncovered the stages in the elimination of viral infections and cancer cells by the human immune system, a finding that may lead to better treatments for certain cancers. ......Their work appears in an upcoming issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and is currently available online....Exposure to pollution before viral infection linked to more serious asthma attacks
Children with asthma at risk of viral infection from flu or the common cold could also be at an increased risk of severe asthma attacks if they have been exposed to nitrogen dioxide pollution from sources such as vehicle exhausts or gas cookers.... ...A link between exposure to the air pollutant nitrogen dioxide and respiratory disease has been suggested. Viral infections are the major cause of...Turning foe into friend with lentiviral vectors
Currently, there is no vaccine available that is able to cure cancer. The success of an antitumor vaccine will depend on its ability to induce robust and sustained tumor-specific immune responses. There is evidence to suggest that antitumor vaccination can induce such responses and even tumor regression. However, to date these regressions have not been long-lasting. Researchers at the Ludwig Inst...Researchers find viral protein that mimics its way into cells
COLUMBUS, Ohio Researchers unraveling the biochemistry of a... cancer-causing retrovirus here have found a protein produced by the... virus that has an uncanny resemblance to a key cell protein found in... certain immune cells that helps control calcium signaling....... The scientists believe that HTLV-1......Pheromones in male perspiration reduce women's tension, alter hormone response
PHILADELPHIA -- Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania and the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia have found that exposure to male perspiration has marked psychological and physiological effects on women: It can brighten women's moods, reducing tension and increasing relaxation, and also has a direct effect on the release of luteinizing hormone, which affects the length and timi...LSUHSC research shows drug blocks enzyme that activates bacterial and viral toxins
New OrleansA paper published in the December, 2002 issue of Infection and Immunity by a research team at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center in New Orleans provides clear evidence that the lethal toxins of such infectious bacteria as Pseudomonas and anthrax can be blocked by a drug developed at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. The compound, called D6R (hexa-...Newly revealed viral structure suggests a continuum in the evolution of viruses
PHILADELPHIA - An international team of scientists led by researchers at The Wistar Institute has combined two different imaging techniques to uncover the molecular-level framework of a common bacteriophage, a virus that infects bacteria. The results, reported in the October issue of Nature Structural Biology, suggest that viruses developed a continuum of progressively more complex architectural...World Trade Center clean-up workers report acute respiratory problems
Many workers who cleared debris from the site of the World Trade Center attack of September 11 reported acute respiratory symptoms, according to a health assessment conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The investigators believe the respiratory problems may be associated with exposure to dust and airborne contaminants at "Ground Zero." Since the investigators only look...Ira Rubinoff honored by the Association for Tropical Biology
The Association for Tropical Biology honored Dr.Ira Rubinoff for "exceptional service in the fields of tropical biology and conservation" at its 2002 Annual Meeting in Panama (July 29-August 2). "Six billion people inhabit the earth", Rubinoff remarked as he accepted honorary ATB membership: "we are struggling both scientifically and politically to determine how enormous developments associated w...Antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected children can stop neurological damage
DALLAS July 24, 2002 Treating HIV-infected children with antiretroviral therapy can stop and potentially even reverse neurological damage caused by HIV, doctors from UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas report in an international study....... Neurological symptoms are often one of the first signs HIV has progressed to AIDS in children. ...... In the July 2002 issue of the Journal of Pediatr...UCR scientists discover a novel adaptive antiviral defense mechanism in animals
Scientists at the University of California, Riverside have grabbed the cover of the May 17 issue of Science with research about "RNA silencing," a novel adaptive antiviral defense in the animal kingdom. Shou-Wei Ding, assistant professor of plant pathology, discovered that when animal cells are attacked by a virus, the cells use RNA silencing to protect themselves from the virus. The discovery...LSU researcher studies the effect of viral infection on allergic airway diseases in horses
BATON ROUGE LSU researchers in the School of Veterinary Medicine have begun a study to investigate the effect of viral infections on the immune response of neonatal foals, specifically if exposure to influenza virus reduces the risk for developing recurring airway obstruction later in life.... ... "This study is an evolution of many things we've been investigating to understand equine airway dis...