Interferon: A naturally occurring substance that interferes with the ability of viruses to reproduce. Interferon also boosts the immune system.
There are a number of different interferons. They fall into three main classes : alpha, beta, and gamma. All are proteins (lymphokines) normally produced by the body in response to infection. The interferons have been synthesized using recombinant DNA technology.
The goal of interferon therapy is to eradicate a virus from an infected person. Using interferon, for example, to eradicate the hepatitis B or C virus will, it is hoped, prevent the future development of cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. This may require months and even years of interferon treatment and may not be effective in many patients.read more
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Hepatitis C Infection Increases Lymphoma Risk
People with the liver disease hepatitis C have an almost 30 percent higher risk of developing lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system. For a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma called Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia, the risk is almost 300 percent higher.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Thomas Giordano, an assistant professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said: “If I had hepatitis C, this would be one more piece of evidence that might make me consider treatment, though hepatitis C treatment can be difficult and is often unsuccessful.”read more
The study’s lead author, Dr. Thomas Giordano, an assistant professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said: “If I had hepatitis C, this would be one more piece of evidence that might make me consider treatment, though hepatitis C treatment can be difficult and is often unsuccessful.”read more
What is the scope of the hepatitis C problem?
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the most significant health problems affecting the liver. More than 4 million Americans (1.3% of the U.S. population) and 170 million individuals in the world (3% worldwide) are infected with hepatitis C virus. The prevalence (number of cases in a population at a specific time) of hepatitis C virus infections varies in different parts of the world. For example, the prevalence of hepatitis C virus in Scandinavia is less than 0.5% of the population, whereas the prevalence in Egypt is over 20%. In the U.S. and Western Europe, the complications of hepatitis C virus chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis are the most common reasons for liver transplantation.read more
Serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers
Serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers are the most important data for epidemiological screening and clinical diagnosis of HBV infection, especially in endemic areas. We compared the results of the Roche Modular Analytics E170 assay, the Abbott Architect i2000 assay, and an immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HBV surface antigen (anti-HBs), HBV e antigen (HBeAg), and anti-HBV e antigen (anti-HBe). A number of serum samples (264, 263, 224, and 202 for HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, and anti-HBe, respectively) were studied. For samples giving discrepant results for HBeAg between methods, real-time PCR assays were performed. The concordance rates among the three methods were high for HBsAg (100%) and HBeAg (94.6), but low for anti-HBs (91.6%) and anti-HBe (82.2%). For anti-HBs, which could be measured quantitatively by the Modular E170 and Architect i2000 procedures, discrepant results were observed at low levels of anti-HBs. For anti-HBe, the positive rate was highest with Modular E170 (60.9%) followed by the IRMA kit (54.1%) and Architect i2000 (51.0%). This study shows substantial differences between the assay results by the three methods, which should be taken into account in determinations of serum HBV markers. read more
Researchers find hepatitis B clues in old northern blood
A Canadian research scientist is using frozen blood samples, taken two decades ago from thousands of people across the North, in hopes of revealing new clues about hepatitis B.
"It's providing us with a snapshot in time of what has occurred with hepatitis B virus."said Dr. Carla Osiowy, a research scientist with the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
Osiowy said she has found a new sub-genotype — a strain within a strain — of hepatitis B among people in Nunavut, related to a strain found in Japan. She said this particular strain produces a milder form of the disease in which those infected carry the virus but are otherwise healthy.read more
"It's providing us with a snapshot in time of what has occurred with hepatitis B virus."said Dr. Carla Osiowy, a research scientist with the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
Osiowy said she has found a new sub-genotype — a strain within a strain — of hepatitis B among people in Nunavut, related to a strain found in Japan. She said this particular strain produces a milder form of the disease in which those infected carry the virus but are otherwise healthy.read more
Beachgoers Beware: Study Reveals Sand Contains Fecal Bacteria
Microbes that result in beach closures and health advisories when detected at unsafe levels in the ocean also have been detected in the sand, according to a recent study by a team of Stanford scientists.
Published in the July 1 issue of Environmental Science and Technology, the study found that sand at beaches all along the California coast contained some level of fecal indicator bacteria. Moreover, when the researchers looked closely at the sand quality at a popular beach in Monterey, Calif., they found evidence of human waste—raising doubt about the commonly held belief that some fecal indictor bacteria occur naturally in the sand and are therefore benign.
if ingested or absorbed through an open wound, pathogens in the water can trigger more severe ailments, including dysentery and hepatitis.read more
Published in the July 1 issue of Environmental Science and Technology, the study found that sand at beaches all along the California coast contained some level of fecal indicator bacteria. Moreover, when the researchers looked closely at the sand quality at a popular beach in Monterey, Calif., they found evidence of human waste—raising doubt about the commonly held belief that some fecal indictor bacteria occur naturally in the sand and are therefore benign.
if ingested or absorbed through an open wound, pathogens in the water can trigger more severe ailments, including dysentery and hepatitis.read more
Sinovac
Sinovac Biotech Ltd. is a China-based biopharmaceutical company that
focuses on the research, development, manufacture and commercialization of
vaccines that protect against human infectious diseases. Sinovac's vaccines
include Healive(TM) (hepatitis A), Bilive(TM) (combined hepatitis A and B)
and Anflu(TM) (influenza). Sinovac is currently developing human vaccines
against the H5N1 strain of pandemic influenza, Japanese encephalitis and
SARS. Additional information about Sinovac is available on its website,
http://www.sinovac.com . To be added to our distribution list, please
email: info@sinovac.com.read more
focuses on the research, development, manufacture and commercialization of
vaccines that protect against human infectious diseases. Sinovac's vaccines
include Healive(TM) (hepatitis A), Bilive(TM) (combined hepatitis A and B)
and Anflu(TM) (influenza). Sinovac is currently developing human vaccines
against the H5N1 strain of pandemic influenza, Japanese encephalitis and
SARS. Additional information about Sinovac is available on its website,
http://www.sinovac.com . To be added to our distribution list, please
email: info@sinovac.com.read more
Medical Services To Retail VScan Hepatitis Test Kits
VScan Hepatitis Test Kits
Medical Services International's distributor in Hong Kong will begin retailing its VScan Hepatitis B and C test kits in Hong Kong and surrounding areas.
The amount of VScan HIV test kits that are being sold on a retail level continues to increase on a quarterly basis. Adding Hepatitis B&C to the existing marketing plan will significantly increase the distributors volume. The southeast Asia market continues to be an excellent market for the company. It is anticipated that over 500,000 VScan test kits will be sold on a retail basis in the next year.
read more
Medical Services International's distributor in Hong Kong will begin retailing its VScan Hepatitis B and C test kits in Hong Kong and surrounding areas.
The amount of VScan HIV test kits that are being sold on a retail level continues to increase on a quarterly basis. Adding Hepatitis B&C to the existing marketing plan will significantly increase the distributors volume. The southeast Asia market continues to be an excellent market for the company. It is anticipated that over 500,000 VScan test kits will be sold on a retail basis in the next year.
read more
Can-Fite Successfully Completes Preclinical Trials With Its Second Drug Candidate CF102
PETACH TIKVA, Israel | August 20, 2007 | Can-Fite BioPharma (TASE:CFBI), a biotechnology company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, announced today the successful completion of preclinical trials with CF102, the second molecule in the Company’s development pipeline, which is the basis for a drug indicated for the treatment of liver cancer and hepatitis.
The Drug is Indicated for the Treatment of Patients With Liver Cancer and Patients Infected With Hepatitis.
CF102 belongs to a chemical class of substances called nucleosides, known to act as antiviral agents. Laboratory studies conducted by the Company in collaboration with a leading laboratory at Temple University in Philadelphia show that CF102 is also active against the hepatitis virus. The number of individuals infected with hepatitis B and C worldwide is 350 million and 170 million, respectively, and these numbers are rapidly increasing in recent years. The market share is currently about USD 3 billion annually due to lack of appropriate treatments.read more
DJ euro adhoc: Intercell AG / other / Intercell´s therapeutic Hepatitis C vaccine meets primary endpoints in Phase II interim analysis
Vienna, Austria, 20 August 2007. Today, Intercell AG (ICLL) announced the analysis of Phase II interim data for its peptide-based therapeutic Hepatitis C vaccine (IC41) in an exploratory clinical study targeting treatment-naïve Hepatitis C patients. The vaccine comprises eight T-cell antigens and Intercell´s first-generation poly-arginine adjuvant (IC30). It is designed to stimulate T-cell responses against viral protein structures conserved throughout the major HCV genotypes, in order to reduce viral load in the blood of chronically infected patients.
The current study comprises 50 patients chronically infected with Genotype 1 of the Hepatitis C virus, which is known to be very difficult to treat with Interferon/Ribavirin standard therapy. The patients enrolled in the study have not received any other therapy and were given 8 intradermal injections of the IC41 vaccine in bi-weekly intervals for 14 weeks. This intensified vaccination schedule was derived from a recent optimization study aimed at improving the vaccine´s T-cell immune response. The desired outcome of the ongoing study is the demonstration of a constant and sustained decline in HCV viral load that is increased by reiterative vaccinations during the treatment period.
read more
The current study comprises 50 patients chronically infected with Genotype 1 of the Hepatitis C virus, which is known to be very difficult to treat with Interferon/Ribavirin standard therapy. The patients enrolled in the study have not received any other therapy and were given 8 intradermal injections of the IC41 vaccine in bi-weekly intervals for 14 weeks. This intensified vaccination schedule was derived from a recent optimization study aimed at improving the vaccine´s T-cell immune response. The desired outcome of the ongoing study is the demonstration of a constant and sustained decline in HCV viral load that is increased by reiterative vaccinations during the treatment period.
read more
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