(Press-News.org) It is estimated that 38 million people worldwide are currently infected with HIV and that 4.1 million more are added each year. For scientists to design treatment therapies that are effective over the long-term it is essential to learn more about how the virus mutates and develops resistance to medications.
New, groundbreaking research by University of Victoria biomedical engineer Stephanie Willerth has significantly advanced the understanding of HIV and how to treat it.
"The virus mutates at a very high rate which is very problematic for HIV patients because the virus eventually develops resistance to medications,'' explains Willerth, a faculty member with UVic's Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Division of Medical Sciences.
Willerth and her team studied approximately 15,000 different versions of the virus—something that has never been done before. This information has allowed them to locate the specific genes of the virus that were resistant to the drugs—knowledge that could ultimately help researchers develop more effective treatments for HIV.
Willerth says that the methods she used can be applied to other difficult-to-treat viruses such as swine flu, Ebola, influenza or even staph infections.
"To study all of these different versions we have to replicate them millions of times, especially when it comes to complex viruses like HIV," explains Willerth. "Because this research method requires a large amount of genetic material and there are obvious risks of duplicating highly contagious viruses, scientists have avoided doing this. Our research was unique because of the method we used—we isolated the genetic material from HIV, so that it was no longer alive, before we replicated it."
After replicating the virus from a small sample obtained from a long-term HIV patient who had developed drug resistance to their treatment, Willerth and her team studied its genetic make-up using "next generation" DNA sequencing—a new method that allows researchers to study millions of molecules at a time.
INFORMATION:
Willerth conducted this post-doctorate research at the University of California Berkeley Lab. Her research findings are available at http://bit.ly/hD7KuO
Media contacts:
Stephanie Willerth (Mechanical Engineering) at willerth@uvic.ca or 250-721-7303
UVic biomedical engineer 'outsmarts' HIV
2010-12-11
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Sign languages help us understand the nature of metaphors
2010-12-11
(Washington, DC) – A recent study of the use of metaphors in spoken language and various sign languages shows that certain types of metaphors are difficult to convey in sign language. The study, "Iconicity and metaphor: Constraints on metaphorical extension of iconic forms," to be published in the December 2010 issue of the scholarly journal Language, is authored by Irit Meir of the University of Haifa. A preprint version is available on line at:
http://lsadc.org/info/documents/2010/press-releases/meir.pdf.
Dr. Meir's research sheds new light on the interrelations between ...
News tips from the Quarterly Review of Biology
2010-12-11
The December issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology is now available. The issue features articles on the nature of individual organisms, evolution observed in the lab, play behavior across animal species, and a criticism of intelligent design creationism. Abstracts are available at http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/qrb/current.
What is an Individual?
For organisms like fish, mice, and people, it's not hard to distinguish between individuals. However, for colonial creatures like corals and anemones, and for organisms like slime molds and bacteria, the line separating ...
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's 2010 AGU tip sheet
2010-12-11
SAN FRANCISCO – Scientists from the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will present their research at the 2010 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, which runs Monday, Dec. 13 through Friday, Dec. 17 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco.
SPLAT unearths complex view of airborne particles
Measuring individual particles instead of the average reveals a complex landscape
Climate researchers trying to characterize aerosol particles – tiny bits of organic molecules, sulfate, dust, soot and more – are limited to measuring averages, ...
Perfect Breath Authors Team with BreathSlim To Advance the Power of Breathing
2010-12-11
Alfred Lee and Don Campbell, authors of the internationally acclaimed book, Perfect Breathing: Transform Your Life One Breath at a Time (Sterling Publishing/New York City), today announced that the makers of BreathSlim , a revolutionary new breathing device that trains users to breathe correctly to fully utilize the power of oxygen, will begin excerpting relevant sections of Perfect Breathing to help users better understand the tremendous impact mindful breathing has on health, well-being and performance.
"We are excited about the potential of teaming up to share these ...
Staff Virtual Accelerates Operational Efficiency with New Phone System
2010-12-11
Staff Virtual, a leading provider of Virtual Assistants (VAs), provisioning turnkey offshore team development, is pleased to announce new improvements to the company's phone system, and high-speed Internet connections located in our Manila, Philippines offices.
Staff Virtual's new phone system, powered by Enzu, is a flexible, cloud-based, multi-extension business phone system with advanced voice and fax functionality, always-on digital-line service, unlimited calling and full-featured phones that arrive pre-configured and ready for use. Staff Virtual chose Enzu, an ...
BBB Gives Excellent Rating for TonerGreen.com
2010-12-11
TonerGreen, the online printer supplies store that produces eco-friendly, U.S.-made and non-patent infringing ink and laser toner cartridges, has just been given an excellent rating by Better Business Bureau, also known as BBB.
Better Business Bureau or BBB is a well-known organization that monitors and keeps records of every business that it grants accreditation. A business with a good rating or grade from BBB means that it has great products and customer service, assuring buyers that they are getting more than their money's worth. Furthermore, BBB makes sure that it ...
EmeraldFish.com: A Treasure Trove of Luxuries for Modern Living Launches Today
2010-12-11
Emeraldfish.com, the new boutique shopping experience for women and men desiring beautiful, functional and contemporary objects from Italy, France, Germany, Pakistan, Korea and many other countries for modern living, is officially launched today. With today's announcement, EmeraldFish.com online shoppers now have access to a luxurious travel trunk in the form of a distinctive site comprising elements of design, style, and cultural appreciation. Emeraldfish.com merchandise is priced between $25 to $2500, and scaled to every budget level giving shoppers access to beautiful ...
Manuka Honey as a Natural Cold and Flu Remedy
2010-12-11
It is no secret that honey helps to soothe the throat and ease the effects of certain illnesses during the cold and flu season. However, one type of honey is being used more successfully than ordinary honey. It has been discovered that Manuka Honey from New Zealand contains healing properties not found in other types of honey, making it extremely effective in treating a wide spectrum of health conditions.
Manuka Honey's famed antibacterial properties are now being used in hospitals to ward off antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria that cause potentially life threatening ...
Tonerboss.com Gives Free Shipping for All Orders $49 or More This Christmas Season
2010-12-11
Tonerboss, the leading HP laser toner cartridge expert, is always providing high quality premium compatible laser toner cartridges and ink cartridges at an affordable price. Exciting promos and discounts are being offered to make sure that Tonerboss shoppers would receive a hundred percent customer satisfaction.
For this Christmas Season, Tonerboss.com is giving away free shipping for all orders of premium compatible laser toners and ink cartridges that would reach the amount of $49 and above. This is one of the greasest offers an e-commerce printer supply store like ...
New England Burials At Sea LLC introduces the Chelsea Maritime Clock Program 2011 Spring Collection
2010-12-11
New England Burials At Sea (NEBAS) Founder, Captain Brad White recently chose the Chelsea Clock Company of Boston, MA to be the exclusive supplier of renowned ships clocks to families who select sea burial services. White said, "Chelsea Clocks are the finest clocks and have been made in America for the last 114 years. Chelsea's are known as timekeepers of the sea for the US military and have graced ocean yachts and also stood watch at meetings between heads of state. These clocks are treasured by passionate collectors and are cherished from one generation to the next. From ...