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Tactics of new Middle East virus suggest treating by altering lung cells’ response to infection

By Guest PostJune 7, 2013Healthacute, antiviral reaction, China, DNA, Environment, flu virus, h7n9 influenza virus, host, human coronavirus, human coronavirus emc, immune response, killing the virus, laurence josset, lisa e gralinski, lung cell gene, lung cells, mbio, michael g katze, middle east virus, pathogen interactions, respiratory syndrome virus, response to infection, rna, sars, sudhakar agnihothram, tactics, university of washington, vineet d menachery, virologist

A new virus that causes severe breathing distress and kidney failure elicits a distinctive airway cell response to allow it to multiply. Scientists studying the Human Coronavirus-Erasmus Medical Center, which first appeared April 2012 in the Middle East, have discovered helpful details about its stronghold tactics.

Their findings predict that certain currently available compounds might treat the infection. These could act not by killing the virus directly but by keeping lung cells from being forced to create a hospitable environment for the virus to reproduce. The researchers caution that their lab and computer predictions would need to be tested to see if the drugs work clinically. (more…)

Powerful New Approach to Attack Flu Virus

By Guest PostMay 29, 2012Scienceadaptable virus, avian flu, biopharmaceutical industry, dna deep sequencing, flu epidemics, flu virus, H1N1, H5N1, Israel, kurt stepnitz, la jolla, michigan state university, mutations, nature biotechnology, new approach, pandemic influenza viruses, protein, rehovot, san diego, Science, scripps research institute, smallpox, subtypes, swine flu, therapeutic proteins, tim whitehead, university of washington, weizmann institute

EAST LANSING, Mich. — An international research team has manufactured a new protein that can combat deadly flu epidemics.

The paper, featured on the cover of the current issue of Nature Biotechnology, demonstrates ways to use manufactured genes as antivirals, which disable key functions of the flu virus, said Tim Whitehead, assistant professor of chemical engineering and materials science at Michigan State University.

“Our most potent design has proven effective on the vulnerable sites on many pandemic influenza viruses, including several H1N1 (Spanish flu, Swine flu) and H5N1 (Avian flu) subtypes,” said Whitehead, the paper’s co-lead author. “These new therapeutics are urgently needed, so we were especially pleased to see that it neutralizes H1N1 viruses with potency.” (more…)

When Viruses Infect Bacteria

By Guest PostJuly 9, 2011Sciencebacterial dna, bacteriophages, coevolution of a virus and its host, flu virus, human hosts, in vitro, microfluidic technology, national science foundation, phages, plant hosts, prophage, rob phillips, termite, termite hindgut, tobacco mosaic virus, viral dna, virus bacterium interactions, viruses, viruses infecting bacteria

*Looking in vivo at virus-bacterium associations sets stage for better understanding of such interactions in human health*

Viruses are the most abundant parasites on Earth. Well known viruses, such as the flu virus, attack human hosts, while viruses such as the tobacco mosaic virus infect plant hosts.

More common, but less understood, are cases of viruses infecting bacteria known as bacteriophages, or phages. In part, this is due to the difficulty of culturing bacteria and viruses that have been cut off from their usual biological surroundings in a process called in vitro. (more…)

Tag Archives: flu virus

Tactics of new Middle East virus suggest treating by altering lung cells’ response to infection

Powerful New Approach to Attack Flu Virus

When Viruses Infect Bacteria