Posts Tagged ‘viruses’
Newly Discovered Antibody Defeats 91 Percent of HIV Strains
One of the antibodies suppresses 91 percent of HIV strains, more than any AIDS antibody ever discovered, according to a report on the findings published in the Wall Street Journal. The antibodies were discovered in the cells of a 60-year-old African-American gay man whose body produced them naturally. One antibody in particular is substantially different from its precursors, the Science study says.
The antibodies could be tried as a treatment for people already infected with HIV, the WSJ reports. At the very least, they might boost the efficacy of current antiretroviral drugs.
A vaccine for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, would likely work by activating the body's own ability to produce antibodies that would ward off the disease. The latest discovery is more promising than a trial in Thailand last year in which scientists said an HIV vaccine reduced the chances of infection by just 30 percent. That study had also been plagued with controversy because in one analysis, the results were not statistically significant.
The WSJ says the new discovery -- involving scientists from the National Institutes of Health, Harvard Medical School, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Columbia University -- is part of a renaissance in HIV vaccine research, which will be in focus later this month in Vienna, home to this year's International AIDS Conference.
It is welcome news for the the 33 million people the United Nations estimated were living with AIDS at the end of 2008.
The WSJ outlines the painstaking method the team used to find the antibody amid the cells of the African-American man, known as Donor 45. First they designed a probe that looks just like a spot on a particular molecule on the cells that HIV infects. Then they used the probe to attract only the antibodies that efficiently attack that spot. They screened 25 million of Donor 45's cells to find just 12 cells that produced the antibodies.
Scientists have already discovered plenty of antibodies that either don't work at all or only work on a couple HIV strains. Last year marked the first time that researchers found "broadly neutralizing antibodies," which knock out many HIV strains. But none of those antibodies neutralized more than about 40 percent of them, the WSJ says. The newest antibody, at 91 percent neutralization, is a marked improvement.
Still, more work needs to be done to ensure the antibodies would activate the immune system to produce natural defenses against AIDS, the study authors say. They suggest three test methods that blend the three new antibodies together -- in raw form to prevent transmission of the virus, such as from mother to child; in a microbicide gel that women or gay men could use before sex to prevent infection; or as a treatment for HIV/AIDS, combined with antiretroviral drugs.
If the scientists can find the right way to stimulate production of the antibodies, they think most people could produce them, the WSJ says.
Study Turns Up Viral Key That Might Lead to Universal Flu Treatment
The influenza A virus contains eight individual single-stranded RNA segments, each of which has to make protein as well as new segments, in processes called transcription and replication. The multitasking strands must prioritize their work, so they must start with transcription and move on to replication. Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York figured out how to prevent RNA from starting the replication process. Their results were published June 1 online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Using a novel process called deep sequencing, the team found a small viral RNA segment, or svRNA, that is integral to the change. Inhibiting the svRNA from doing its work stymies replication, and therefore slows the spread of the virus.
Even better, influenza A shares this trait with its viral cousins, influenza B and C, meaning the svRNA switch can be used to stop all kinds of flu -- even the H1N1 flu. As an added bonus, if the virus is prevented from replicating, it stays in transcription mode and produces more proteins. This helps the body's immune system build up its defenses, according to Benjamin tenOever, an assistant microbiology professor at Mount Sinai and a study author.
The process used to make this discovery is also groundbreaking, the researchers say. The deep sequencing allowed the scientists to obtain millions of small RNAs from cells in an unbiased fashion, according to a Mount Sinai release.
The next step is to find a way to introduce RNA "antagonists" to inhibit the svRNA's switch function, tenOever says. That's still a long way off, but the knowledge that RNA can be switched off means that a universal flu treatment is a possibility.
Darpa’s Genetic Diagnostic Suite Will Know You’re Sick Before You Do
The sensor detects changes in gene expression that occur in people exposed to viruses like the common cold, flu, or the respiratory syncytial virus.
Led by Dr. Geoffrey Ginsburg, director of Duke's Institute for Genome Science & Policy, the team identified 30 genetic markers that are activated by viruses. In some cases, the changes occurred hours or days before symptoms started.
This approach would let doctors and public-health officials make quick diagnoses before someone even appears sick. Current tests look for presence of the actual pathogen, but that takes longer and doesn't work until a person has symptoms, Ginsburg says.
The team started human trials last year, monitoring 80 people in four studies. Healthy people were exposed to three viral strains, and their blood, urine and saliva were then tested for specific gene signatures that would characterize illness, DangerRoom reports.
The next step is to analyze an ongoing study of Duke freshmen living in dorms. Participants were asked to file daily reports about their health and provide blood and other samples as requested, according to a university news release.
Darpa provided $19.5 million to fund the study, seeing potential in a system that can evaluate military personnel before they're deployed. An early-warning system could also help quarantine troops before they can infect others.
The research could lead to public-health benefits well beyond the military, however. The team also found that genetic signatures for viral infections are different from those triggered by bacterial infections. Definitive information about a patient's ailment can make antibiotic-resistant superbugs less likely, if fewer doctors prescribe antibiotics when they're not necessary.
What's more, public health agencies could use the technology to isolate outbreaks of influenza virus, possibly stemming pandemics before they can spread.
Tiny Buckyballs Could Put Fast-Spreading Cancer Cells into Suspended Animation
But their effect in normal cells may prove toxic for the body
This is a first-time finding for buckyballs, which are nanoparticles the size of a virus and consist of 60 carbon atoms each. But experts have been warning about the possible risks of nanotechnology already found in many consumer products and types of research.
Toxicologists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico exposed human skin cells to several types of buckyballs. One tris configuration of buckyballs had three molecular branches coming off the main structural body in one hemisphere, a hexa configuration had six branches arranged in a symmetrical pattern, and the last was a plain buckyball.
The cells exposed to the tris buckyballs entered the suspended animation state, which could lead to problems with normal organ development and possibly disease in a living organism. The tris configuration may also interfere with the body's normal immune response against viruses.
That lead the researchers to suggest that any nanomaterials using buckyballs should use the non-toxic hexa configuration. But they're excited about possibly turning the tris buckyballs into a weapon for halting the spread of cancer cells or delaying the onset of Parkinson's or Alzheimer's in nerve cells.
It's all some heavy stuff to consider for such small nanoparticles. You can put yourself into a cheerier state of mind with this video by artist Alyce Santoro showing how to make a large buckyball replica out of ice cream cones.
What are Virtual PCs, and What Can I Do With Them?
Say you want to open a file you downloaded from a questionable source, kick the tires on a new operating system like Linux, or even run an older OS from the familiar environment of your main desktop. If anything goes awry in your virtual machine, you can reset it to a previous state or just delete it altogether, with no harm to your system. You could even run a separate operating system as a virtual machine just to use that one killer app that’s not available on your OS of choice.
Free applications like Microsoft’s Windows Virtual PC (micro soft.com), VMware Player (vmware.com) and the open-source app VirtualBox (virtualbox.org) are great for getting your feet wet. Setting them up is a similar process to installing a regular operating system. Once you’ve done it, it will seem like you’ve got a real, separate computer living inside your system.
Panda Security has released a special anti-virus for netbooks
Panda Security has announced the launch of a new product Panda Antivirus for Netbooks. It is ultra-light security solution designed specifically for low-power netbooks and mini-notebooks. This product is easy to install, consumes very little system resources and has been tested on the most common configurations netbooks. Panda Antivirus for Netbooks contains all the necessary modules of protection:
- PC Optimization for the detection and destruction of various threats (viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, etc.).
- Protects instant messengers (MSN, Yahoo Messenger, etc.).
- Enhanced proactive protection against new threats.
- Personal firewall for protection against hackers.
- WiFi-screen that protects your wireless network from intruders.
- Anti-phishing filter to protect against online fraud.
- Protection from Trojans for safe work with banks and online stores.
Panda Antivirus for Netbooks contains proven technology USB-vaccination, which can block the spread of malware from USB-devices. In addition this product includes a new heuristic engine in combination with genetic signatures which working together with scanning technology from the cloud of Collective Intelligence offer a high level of protection against new malware and Trojan horses, carrying the theft of personal information.
For convenience Panda Antivirus for Netbooks released not in the traditional boxed product but as a DVD-box inside which there is a USB flash drive which is due to the lack of staffing netbooks CD / DVD-drive. After installing an antivirus on your netbook users can use flash drive to store all their information.