Recent journal publications

Authors: Brunner S, Herndler-Brandstetter D, Weinberger B, Grubeck-Loebenstein B Immunosenescence comprises a set of dynamic changes occurring to both, the innate as well as the adaptive immune system that accompany human aging and result in complex manifestations of still poorly defined deficiencies in the elderly population. One of the most prominent alterations during aging is the continuous involution of the thymus gland which is almost complete by the age of 50. Consequently, the output of naïve T cells is greatly diminished in elderly individuals which puts pressure on homeostatic forces to maintain a steady T cell pool for most of adulthood. In a great proportion of the human population, this fragile balance is challenged by persistent viral infections, especially Cytomegalov...

Authors: van Bergen J, Koning F Summary The killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) locus comprises a variable and rapidly evolving set of genes encoding multiple inhibitory and activating receptors. The activating receptors recently evolved from the inhibitory receptors and both bind HLA class I and probably also class I-like structures induced by viral infection. Although generally considered natural killer (NK) cell receptors, KIR are also expressed by a large fraction of effector memory T cells, which slowly accumulate during human life. These effector memory cells are functionally similar to NK cells, as they are immediate effector cells that are cytotoxic and produce IFN-gamma. However, different rules apply to NK and T cells with respect to KIR expression and function. Fo...

Viral Immunology Aug 2010, Vol. 23, No. 4: 443-447. (Source: Viral Immunology)

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In this report we demonstrate an HLA-A*0201 restricted CMV-specific CD8 T-cell response (designated YVL) that represents several percent of the CD8 T-cell subset, yet fails to bind tetrameric major histocompatibility complex (MHC) ligands. However, these tetramer-negative cells are both phenotypically and functionally similar to other CMV-specific CD8 T cells. YVL peptide-specific CD8 T-cell clones were generated and found to be of high avidity in both cytotoxicity and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) assays, and comparable with other CMV peptide-specific CD8 T-cell clones. However, under conditions of CD8 blockade, the response was almost nullified even at very high ligand concentrations. This was also the case in IFN-gamma experiments using peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with ...

In this study, we investigated the anti-HCMV activity of chemically sulfated derivatives of Escherichia coli K5 capsular polysaccharide. These compounds are structurally related to cellular heparan sulfate and have been previously shown to be effective against some enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. We demonstrated that two derivatives, i.e., K5-N,OS(H) and K5-N,OS(L), are able to prevent cell infection by different strains of HCMV at concentrations in the nanomolar range while having no significant cytotoxicity. Studies performed to elucidate the mechanism of action of their anti-HCMV activity revealed that these compounds do not interact with either the host cell or the viral particle but need a virus-cell interaction to exert antiviral effects. Furthermore, these K5 derivatives were a...

Source: BioSpace Area: News According to BioSpace, the US FDA has approved an increase in the length of therapy with valganciclovir (Valcyte®) in adult kidney transplant patients at high risk for cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease.    This supplemental approval was based on data from the multicentre, double-blind IMPACT study (n=326) showing that longer prophylaxis with valganciclovir (900mg daily) reduced the incidence of CMV disease in high-risk (donor CMV seropositive/recipient CMV seronegative) adult kidney transplant patients from 36.8% (for patients who received 100 days of treatment) to 16.8% (200 days) at one year after receiving a transplanted kidney (p<0.0001).  At two years, the respective results were 38.7% (63/163) versus 21.3% (33/155); p=0.0008.  The ...

Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved increasing the length of therapy with Valcyte (valganciclovir hydrochloride) in adult kidney transplant patients at high risk for cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease. The supplemental approval is based on data that showed longer prophylactic treatment with Valcyte reduced the incidence of CMV disease in high-risk adult kidney transplant patients from 36.8 percent (for patients who received 100 days of treatment) to 16... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

America's FDA has approved a longer length of therapy for a medication treating adult kidney transplant patients at high risk of cytomegalovirus disease (Source: Pharmacy Europe)

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FDA approved increasing the length of therapy with Valcyte (valganciclovir hydrochloride) in adult kidney-transplant patients at high risk for cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease, according to an Aug. 10 statement made by Genentech Inc. (Source: Drug Topics - Clinical News)

FDA approved increasing the length of therapy with Valcyte (valganciclovir hydrochloride) in adult kidney-transplant patients at high risk for cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease, according to an Aug. 10 statement made by Genentech Inc. (Source: Modern Medicine)

FDA approved increasing the length of therapy with Valcyte (valganciclovir hydrochloride) in adult kidney-transplant patients at high risk for cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease, according to an Aug. 10 statement made by Genentech Inc. (Source: Drug Topics - Pharmacy News)

Results of the CAPRISA 004 microbicide randomised trial recently electrified the AIDS 2010 Conference in Vienna, Austria. This groundbreaking safety and effectiveness study (funded by the US Agency for International Development [USAID]) showed that a vaginal gel containing 1% tenofovir significantly reduced a woman's risk of being infected with HIV or genital herpes. Tenofovir gel, used before and after sex, reduced the risk of HIV infection by 39% in the primary intent-to-treat analysis. The absolute difference in HIV-infection rates between the two groups was 3·5 infections per 100 women-years (5·6 vs 9·1 in the tenofovir and placebo groups, respectively). High adherence to the gel seemed to reduce the risk by 54% in an exploratory non-randomised comparison. Additionally, the pre/post...

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The FDA has approved an extended prophylactic dosing interval for valganciclovir HCl tablets in adult kidney transplant patients at high risk for cytomegalovirus disease. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- To protect against cytomegalovirus infections in kidney transplant patients, the FDA has okayed use of valganciclovir hydrochloride (Valcyte) for 200 days, doubling its original approved length of therapy. (Source: MedPage Today Public Health)

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Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), announced yesterday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved increasing the length of therapy with Valcyte (valganciclovir hydrochloride) in adult kidney transplant patients at high risk for cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease. The supplemental approval is based on data that showed longer prophylactic treatment with Valcyte reduced the incidence of CMV disease in high-risk adult kidney transplant patients from 36.8 percent (for patients who received 100 days of treatment) to 16... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Genentech Inc.’s drug Valcyte can be used longer in adult kidney transplant patients who are at high risk for cytomegalovirus disease, the Food and Drug Administration said. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Genentech Inc.’s drug Valcyte can be used longer in adult kidney transplant patients who are at high risk for cytomegalovirus disease, the Food and Drug Administration said. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 10, 2010 - Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved increasing the length of therapy with Valcyte (valganciclovir... (Source: Drugs.com - New Drug Approvals)

This study examined the relation between immune response to cytomegalovirus (CMV) and all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, and possible mediating mechanisms. Data were derived from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging, a population-based study of older Latinos (aged 60–101 years) in California followed in 1998–2008. CMV immunoglobulin G (IgG), tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin-6 were assayed from baseline blood draws. Data on all-cause and CVD mortality were abstracted from death certificates. Analyses included 1,468 of 1,789 participants. For individuals with CMV IgG antibody titers in the highest quartile compared with lower quartiles, fully adjusted models showed that all-cause mortality was 1.43 times (95% confidence interval: 1.14, 1.79) higher o...

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Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a human herpesvirus, and infection is widespread in the human population. Prevalence of seropositivity for human CMV increases with age. CMV establishes persistent infection in vascular arterial and venous endothelial tissue. It has been associated with atherosclerosis and graft rejection in heart transplant recipients. The antiviral drug ganciclovir prevents CMV disease in heart transplant patients, and valganciclovir and CMV immune globulin reduce rejection rates and cardiovascular disease. Human CMV infection has been associated with proinflammatory cytokine increases and nonresponsiveness to antiinfluenza vaccine in the elderly. Enhanced expression of proinflammatory cytokines has also been associated with enhanced mortality in the elderly. In this issue ...