PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Insight into HIV immunity may lead to vaccine

2011-05-08
(Press-News.org) Latest insights into immunity to HIV could help to develop a vaccine to build antibodies' defences against the disease, a University of Melbourne, Australia study has found.

By investigating the action of the human antibodies called ADCC, in people with HIV, researchers were able to identify that the virus evolves to evade or 'escape' the antibodies.

Professor Stephen Kent of the University of Melbourne and one of the senior authors on the paper said ADCC antibodies have been strongly implicated in protection from HIV in several vaccine trials but their action was poorly understood.

"These results show what a slippery customer the HIV virus is, but also shows that these ADCC antibodies are really forcing the virus into changing, in ways that cause it to be weaker," he said.

"It also implies that if good ADCC antibodies were available prior to infection, via a vaccine, we might be able to stop the virus taking hold. This is the holy grail."

The group at the University of Melbourne's Department of Microbiology and Immunology analysed blood samples of people with HIV and found their virus had evolved to evade or 'escape' the ADCC antibodies against HIV they are making to try to control their virus.

The team led by Dr Ivan Stratov and Professor Kent employed a novel technology developed in their laboratory to find where ADCC antibodies were attacking the virus. They then looked at how the sequence of the virus had mutated over time to avoid the immune response.

"There is an urgent need to identify effective immunity to HIV and our studies suggest ADCC responses supply significant immune pressure on the virus," Dr Ivan Stratov, a clinician and researcher said.

The group is now working on designing HIV vaccines to induce ADCC antibodies that make it more difficult for the virus to escape.

The work was published in the prestigious international journal PNAS.

INFORMATION:

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Chemistry curbs spreading of carbon dioxide

2011-05-08
The presence of even a simple chemical reaction can delay or prevent the spreading of stored carbon dioxide in underground aquifers, new research from the University of Cambridge has revealed. The findings may have implications for carbon sequestration in saline aquifers – one of the many methods being explored to mitigate rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Depending on the strength of the reaction between dissolved CO2 and porous rock, the new research shows that distinct scenarios of CO2 transport may occur in deep saline rock formations. Jeanne Andres, a Schlumberger ...

Pentagonal tiles pave the way towards organic electronics

2011-05-08
For additional information please contact: Genevieve Maul, Office of Communications, University of Cambridge Tel: direct, +44 (0) 1223 765542, +44 (0) 1223 332300 Mob: +44 (0) 7774 017464 Email: Genevieve.maul@admin.cam.ac.uk Notes to editors: 1. The paper is entitled "Weak intermolecular interactions in an ionically bound molecular adsorbate: Cyclopentadientyl/Cu(111)" and will be published in Physical Review Letters on Friday, 06 May. 2. Authors of the work: - Surface, Microstructure and Fracture Group, Physics Department, Cambridge (http://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/research/smf/) Holly ...

The Effect of Bankruptcy on Credit Scores

2011-05-08
The Effect of Bankruptcy on Credit Scores People who are mired in debt often dread the thought of filing for bankruptcy protection and the effect it will have on their credit scores. Many in this situation fear that they will never be able to obtain a loan, get a credit card or that they will be turned down for jobs, all because of a poor credit score. As a matter of course, bankruptcy can have a serious effect on your credit score. It can lower your score by nearly 240 points. How much it will drop will depend on the type of debts you have and your prior credit history. ...

Computers sing to a better tune

2011-05-08
Music producers have for decades had electronics tricks at their disposal for improving a recorded vocal performance. They can add a little reverb or echo to bolster a weak rendition, use effects such as phasing and delay to add color to the vocal, fix duff notes with auto-tuning or even reprogram a whole melody line in software. In recent years, voice synthesis for converting text to spoken word has improved considerably but combining that technology with auto-tuning capability allows computers to "sing". Software, such as Vocaloid, can successfully create lead vocals ...

Rice U. study: Daily deal promotions beneficial for certain kinds of startups

2011-05-08
In the first-of-its-kind analysis of Groupon's impact on a startup company, a new Rice University study found that the daily deal promotion was beneficial even though it had no material impact on the company's profits when unredeemed Groupons were not accounted for. When those unredeemed Groupons were factored in, the company had a substantial 30 percent increase in profits. Having run the Groupon promotion, the company – Houston-based startup Gourmet Prep Meals (GPM) – had greater exposure and earned revenues almost 140 percent higher than it would have earned had it ...

Florida Legislature Looks at Better Criminal Identification Procedures

2011-05-08
Florida Legislature Looks at Better Criminal Identification Procedures TV crime programs tend to suggest that every aspect of solving a crime lends itself to forensic science, as if CSI has been reduced to a magical formula. But in many criminal investigations, identification of the alleged perpetrator is still dependent on the recollections of eyewitnesses. And all too often, a false identification can lead to a prosecution of the wrong suspect in a homicide, sexual assault or theft case, all due to a convergence of unfortunate circumstances. Florida legislators ...

From a bucket of seawater, new understanding of the ocean

2011-05-08
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – From a bucket of seawater, scientists have unlocked information that may lead to deeper understanding of organisms as different as coral reefs and human disease. By analyzing genomes of a tiny, single-celled marine animal, they have demonstrated a possible way to address diverse questions such as how diseased cells differ from neighboring healthy cells and what it is about some Antarctic algae that allows them to live in warming waters while other algae die out. Debashish Bhattacharya, professor of ecology, evolution and natural resources in Rutgers' ...

Mars Express sees deep fractures on Mars

Mars Express sees deep fractures on Mars
2011-05-08
Newly released images from ESA's Mars Express show Nili Fossae, a system of deep fractures around the giant Isidis impact basin. Some of these incisions into the martian crust are up to 500 m deep and probably formed at the same time as the basin. Nili Fossae is a 'graben' system on Mars, northeast of the Syrtis Major volcanic province, on the northwestern edge of the giant Isidis impact basin. Graben refers to the lowered terrain between two parallel faults or fractures in the rocks that collapses when tectonic forces pull the area apart. The Nili Fossae system contains ...

Bard Avaulta Surgical Mesh Lawsuits

2011-05-08
Bard Avaulta Surgical Mesh Lawsuits Implantable medical devices from artificial hips to heart values have made it possible for people to have healthier, longer and more productive lives. There can be a dark side to these devices, however, as sometimes they are more harmful than helpful. For example, in October 2008, the FDA issued a warning regarding the potential danger of surgical meshes after receiving more than 1,000 adverse-event reports. Since the FDA warning, a number of women have filed product liability lawsuits against C.R. Bard, Inc. and other mesh manufacturers ...

Leading experts call for urgent action to avoid stroke crisis across Asia-Pacific region

2011-05-08
Experts from medical and patient communities call on national policymakers in the Asia-Pacific region to take urgent action against preventable strokes that strike millions of people with atrial fibrillation (AF) each year Countries in the Asia-Pacific region carry a disproportionate share of the burden of stroke with millions of people affected; a burden that will grow as life expectancy rises1 AF, the most common, sustained abnormal heart rhythm, increases the risk of stroke five-fold and is responsible for 15-20% of all strokes, and for 20% of all ischaemic strokes ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Breakthrough study reveals bumetanide treatment restores early social communication in fragile X syndrome mouse model

Neuroscience leader reveals oxytocin's crucial role beyond the 'love hormone' label

Twelve questions to ask your doctor for better brain health in the new year

Microelectronics Science Research Centers to lead charge on next-generation designs and prototypes

Study identifies genetic cause for yellow nail syndrome

New drug to prevent migraine may start working right away

Good news for people with MS: COVID-19 infection not tied to worsening symptoms

Department of Energy announces $179 million for Microelectronics Science Research Centers

Human-related activities continue to threaten global climate and productivity

Public shows greater acceptance of RSV vaccine as vaccine hesitancy appears to have plateaued

Unraveling the power and influence of language

Gene editing tool reduces Alzheimer’s plaque precursor in mice

TNF inhibitors prevent complications in kids with Crohn's disease, recommended as first-line therapies

Twisted Edison: Bright, elliptically polarized incandescent light

Structural cell protein also directly regulates gene transcription

Breaking boundaries: Researchers isolate quantum coherence in classical light systems

Brain map clarifies neuronal connectivity behind motor function

Researchers find compromised indoor air in homes following Marshall Fire

Months after Colorado's Marshall Fire, residents of surviving homes reported health symptoms, poor air quality

Identification of chemical constituents and blood-absorbed components of Shenqi Fuzheng extract based on UPLC-triple-TOF/MS technology

'Glass fences' hinder Japanese female faculty in international research, study finds

Vector winds forecast by numerical weather prediction models still in need of optimization

New research identifies key cellular mechanism driving Alzheimer’s disease

Trends in buprenorphine dispensing among adolescents and young adults in the US

Emergency department physicians vary widely in their likelihood of hospitalizing a patient, even within the same facility

Firearm and motor vehicle pediatric deaths— intersections of age, sex, race, and ethnicity

Association of state cannabis legalization with cannabis use disorder and cannabis poisoning

Gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia and future neurological disorders

Adoption of “hospital-at-home” programs remains concentrated among larger, urban, not-for-profit and academic hospitals

Unlocking the mysteries of the human gut

[Press-News.org] Insight into HIV immunity may lead to vaccine