Acise Technology Limited

Pharmacists are asked to advise all customers requesting any OTC cough and cold product that these medicines should not be utilised in infants and children less than 2 years of age.

There have been a number of overseas reports of serious adverse effects among infants and children given non-prescription cough and cold medicines. The main cause of misadventure in the USA using the use of cough and cold medicines in children appears to be misuse, medication error, accidental overdose, accidental exposure and concurrent use of multiple products, rather than consequences from usage in accordance with the directions.

These events have led to reviews of the safety and efficacy of the use in children of medicines containing any of the following active ingredients:

- The antihistamines: brompheniramine maleate, chlorpheniramine maleate and diphenhydramine hydrochloride
- The antitussives: dextromethorphan hydrobromide and pholcodine
- The expectorants: guaifenesin and ipecacuanha
- The decongestants: phenylephrine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride

Recent announcements have also been produced by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) that cough and cold medicines should no longer be utilized to treat children less than 2 years of age.

Several reviews of the evidence indicate that there’s a lack of efficacy, and taken together with the risks in the use of these products in children much less than two years of age, there is no overall well being benefit.

Therefore, the TGA considers that products containing these ingredients should not be administered to children much less than 2 years of age.

The TGA is advising sponsors that the labels of OTC cough and cold medicines sold in Australia should include the advice “Do not use in children under two years of age “.

The TGA has advised the sponsors of cough and cold medicines previously approved in Australia for use in children aged under 2 years to cease labelling of these products for use in that age group.

Where labelled for use in older children, these products could continue to be sold for use in children more than two years of age.

Changes to the labelling of current products might take some time to be fully implemented.

Pharmacists are asked to advise all customers requesting any OTC cough and coldproduct that these medicines should not be employed in infants and children much less than 2years of age.

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia

three.8 (five votes)two (two votes)

Annual flu vaccinations are very effective at preventing acute respiratory illness and making sure that existing breathing problems don’t get any worse, according to investigation published in the April issue of IJCP, the UK-based International Journal of Clinical Practice.

A study of 87 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – a major trigger of ill wellness and death – discovered that having the annual flu vaccine reduced overall problems by more than two-thirds.

The vaccinations had been particularly powerful at providing protection for patients with severe COPD, where the incidence of extra respiratory problems fell by threequarters. “COPD can be a serious lung disease that causes breathing problems and is responsible for a significant number of outpatient and emergency department visits as properly as inpatient hospital stays” says lead author Dr Balakrishnan Menon from the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute in the University of Delhi, India.

“It has increased by 40 per cent since 1942 and is now the world’s fourth leading cause of death and twelfth leading cause of disability. The World Well being Organization (WHO) predicts that by 2020 it is going to become the third leading trigger of death and rise significantly in the disability stakes to fifth place.

“Most of the healthcare costs associated with COPD are due to problems that worsen the condition and infections caused by the influenza virus are major culprits. “Despite the WHO’s recommendation that all patients with COPD should receive the annual flu vaccine, the injection is not employed as widely as it could be, especially in developing countries.

“Our research suggests that this could be leading to higher levels of respiratory problems and that these extra healthcare fees could be avoided by improving the uptake of this simple preventative measure.”

The 87 male patients, who had an average age of just under 65, were monitored for a year before and after they received the vaccine. All had been diagnosed with COPD, but none of them had previously received the flu vaccine.

After the patients received the vaccine, the overall incidence of acute respiratory illness and acute exacerbation of COPD fell by 67 per cent, with 24 patients experiencing them before they received the vaccinee and eight experiencing them in the post-vaccination period.

The effectiveness of the vaccine varied, depending on how badly men and women suffered from the disease. People with mild or moderate COPD saw a 60 per cent reduction in overall incidence and folks with severe COPD enjoyed a 75 per cent reduction. Outpatient visits fell by 50 per cent after vaccination and there was also a 70 per cent reduction in the number of study participants who had been hospitalised.

During the two-year study period patients attended monthly check-ups and received the same level of medication, healthcare and lifestyle advice. Any respiratory problems were also carefully monitored.

The researchers had been careful to ensure that no other factors clouded the results so that they could observe the impact of the influenza virus more efficiently. This included having an all male study group. Fewer women met the study criteria, mainly since they were much less likely to smoke ??????” 83 per cent of the men in this study had been current or former smokers.

“Influenza viruses are a major trigger of death and serious illness in elderly people, particularly if they suffer from COPD” concludes Dr Menon.

“Our study was undertaken in a population where uptake of the vaccine is traditionally low and it had a marked impact on the men who received it. This could also explain why our 67 per cent reduction was higher than the 32 to 45 per cent falls reported by previous studies carried out in populations where the vaccine is more common.

“We believe that our analysis underlines the importance of increasing vaccine use worldwide, especially in patients with COPD and in areas where the flu vaccination rate is low.

“It is clear that annual flu vaccinations have a major role to play in bringing down the number of preventable deaths and hospital admissions that occur every year in patients with chronic lung illnesses.”

“Comparison of outpatient visits and hospitalisations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, before and after influenza vaccination”. Menon et al. IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice. 62.4, pp 593-598.

IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice was established in 1946 and is editedby Dr Graham Jackson from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.It provides its global audience of clinicians with high-calibre clinical papers, includingoriginal information from clinical investigations, evidence-based analysis and discussions on thelatest clinical topics. The journal is published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd, part of theinternational Blackwell Publishing group. http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/ijcp

About Wiley-Blackwell

Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of theacquisition of Blackwell Publishing Ltd. by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and its merger withWiley’s Scientific, Technical, and Medical organization. Together, the organizations havecreated a global publishing business with deep strength in each major academic andprofessional field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes roughly 1,400 scholarly peerreviewedjournals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal. For moreinformation on Wiley-Blackwell, please visit http://www.blackwellpublishing.com orhttp://interscience.wiley.com

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

five (1 votes)

Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) stated that it has received positive outcomes from an immunogenicity study in ferrets inoculated with the company’s trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine candidate. These findings will enable Novavax to complete its planned investigational new drug (“IND”) application to support initiation of a Phase II clinical trial targeted to start inside the third quarter of this year.

Inside the study, ferrets were inoculated using the company’s trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine containing a mixture of 3 virus-like particles (VLPs) representing the H3N1, H1N1, and B virus strains. The vaccine induced protective antibody levels against every single of the 3 strains represented within the vaccine in 100% of ferrets receiving a dose of 15 mcg/strain which is the standard dose for currently licensed split and subunit influenza vaccines. The vaccine candidate also induced protective antibody titers against a drifted strain in roughly 50% of ferrets inoculated. A separate toxicology study conducted in rabbits showed the trivalent vaccine was well tolerated with no unexpected side effects. The ferret and toxicology studies were conducted in collaboration with Dr. Ted Ross at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Vaccine Study and Bridge Laboratories, Gaithersburg, Maryland, respectively.

“Novavax’ influenza programs are moving forward rapidly as planned,” said Dr. Penny Heaton, Novavax’ Chief Medical Officer and VP of Development. “In addition towards the positive outcomes from our seasonal influenza vaccine candidate announced nowadays, the dose-ranging study of our H5N1 pandemic flu vaccine is enrolling as projected based on the favorable interim safety and immunogenicity analyses conducted last December. We plan to have the final doses selected for late stage development for both the pandemic and seasonal flu vaccine programs by the second half of this year,” Dr. Heaton stated.

“These results assistance on-going development of our trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine and keeps us on track to commence human trials of this vaccine candidate within the third quarter of 2008,” said Rahul Singhvi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Novavax, Inc. “We will have two vaccines in Phase II development by the second half of this year.”

The company is also preparing its seasonal VLP vaccine candidate for head-to-head human studies against a marketed flu vaccine beginning inside the fourth quarter of 2008. Virus-like particles have been created for each and every of the 3 new flu vaccine strains recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) for the upcoming 2008-2009 season. Historically, it is not common for CDC to recommend changing all three strains of the seasonal influenza vaccine, even so, even with this recommendation, Novavax has been able to construct the corresponding VLPs inside six weeks of the announcement. We believe that the ability of Novavax to respond quickly to emerging flu strains using its proprietary recombinant VLP technology could significantly differentiate Novavax from other flu vaccine companies.

About Novavax

Novavax, Inc. is actually a clinical stage biotechnology firm, creating novel vaccines to address a broad range of infectious illnesses worldwide employing advanced proprietary virus-like particle (VLP) technology. The Company produces these VLP based very potent, recombinant vaccines utilizing a brand new, efficient manufacturing solution.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements herein relating to future monetary or organization efficiency, conditions or techniques along with other financial and company matters, which includes expectations relating to future revenues, operating expenditures, and clinical developments are forward-looking statements within the which means of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Novavax cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which alter over time. Variables that may trigger actual results to differ materially from the outcomes discussed inside the failure by Novavax to secure and maintain relationships with collaborators; risks relating towards the early stage of Novavax’s item candidates under development; uncertainties relating to clinical trials; outcomes of further animal and human testing may lead to information inconsistent with previously announced data or with our expectations; risks relating towards the commercialization, if any, of Novavax’s proposed item candidates; dependence on the efforts of third parties; dependence on intellectual property; competition for clinical resources and patient enrollment from drug candidates in development by other companies with greater resources and visibility, and risks that we may lack the economic resources and access to capital to fund our operations. Further information on the elements and risks that could have an effect on Novavax’s enterprise, monetary conditions and outcomes of operations, is contained in Novavax’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are accessible at http://www.sec.gov. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Novavax assumes no duty to update forward-looking statements.

Novavax, Inc.
http://www.novavax.com

4 (2 votes)

Scientists from all over the world have teamed up to track the way the seasonal flu virus travels from its origins in East and Southeast Asia to exactly where it fizzles out in South America. They hope the discovery will support to improve flu vaccines by making it easier to anticipate how the virus evolves.

The discovery is to be published within the 18 April 2008 edition of Science and may be the work of scientists in the University of Cambridge as well as the World Well being Organisation (WHO) Global Influenza Surveillance Network. The Network comprises 100 labs in 80 countries around the globe.

Scientists have established that since 2002, new “seed strains” of the the typical type A (H3N2) human flu virus arise each year in what the study authors describe as the “East and Southeast Asian circulation network”, which includes countries in tropical, subtropical, and temperate zones, spanning Malaysia, western Indonesia, Korea and Japan.

According to the World Well being Organization (WHO), about 5 to 15 per cent of the world’s population catches the flu every year, resulting in 3 to five million serious instances and between quarter and half a million deaths. Some 300 million people are vaccinated each year against seasonal flu.

In February and September every year, WHO specialists, numerous of whom co-authored this study, meet to select the strains of flu to use in preparing the coming season’s vaccine. They base their selection on what they consider to be the strains that are most likely to pose the greatest threat.

A significant challenge in making this selection is not knowing exactly what migration pattern the flu virus strains follow, which until now has been somewhat of a mystery. There have been several theories, such as the virus follows the seasons, or it circulates continuously in the tropics and breaks out now and again, or that it migrates out of China.

Cambridge epidemiologist and study co-author Colin Russell and colleagues examined 13,000 global samples of the type A (H3N2) virus that were collected in between 2002 and 2007 by the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network.

By analysing the samples they identified which strains in A (H3N2) caused one of the most illness in each and every of the five years at every point of their journey worldwide. They also determined the path of that journey, which starts in East and Southeast Asia, then six to nine months later reaches Europe and North America. Several months after that the virus strains travel to South America, and rarely return to their origins in Asia, stated the authors.

Scientists don’t know why, but flu epidemics typically occur during winter in temperate regions within the northern and southern hemispheres, and in tropical regions they mostly break out during the rainy season. These two diverse types of region overlap in East and Southeast Asia, which the authors suggest give the flu virus the chance to keep circulating all year round, giving rise to new strains that break out and travel around the world.

Corresponding author Derek Smith, also from the University of Cambridge said:

“Flu epidemics appear to be driven by seasonal elements such as winter, or rainy seasons. So there can be cities that are only 700 miles away from every single other, such as Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, which have epidemics six months apart.”

“There is a lot of variability like this in East and Southeast Asia, so lots of opportunity for an epidemic in 1 country to seed an epidemic to another nearby country, like a baton passed by runners in a relay race,” he added.

On the whole, said the authors, the seasonal flu vaccine is successful at protecting the 300 million folks that are vaccinated each year, since the vaccine selection specialists hit on the right combination of subtypes. But every now and again a new strain emerges after the selection is created.

Smith stated the goal of the collaborative effort is to increase the capability to predict the new strains every year, and this study was another step in that direction, and particulary:

“Highlights the importance of ongoing collaborations and surveillance in East and Southeast Asia, and expanding these collaborations in the future,” said Smith.

A key approach used in the study was the analysis of genetic and “antigenic” data. The initial comes from studying the genetics of the virus itself, and the second comes from studying immune system reactions to the virus, and how each alter as the virus evolves on its journey around the globe.

To map the evolutionary trajectory of the virus, the authors utilized an innovative personal computer based quantitative technique referred to as “antigenic cartography”, created by researchers at Erasmus Medical Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory as well as the University of Cambridge.

Using this strategy scientists can compare thousands of viruses at a time and map the differences between them in such a way that they can trace their evolutionary path more than time.

Dr Elias A Zerhouni, director of the US National Institutes of Wellness, whose Pioneer Award programme co-sponsored the study, stated:

“By applying an innovative strategy to map differences in seasonal influenza strains worldwide, Smith and his colleagues have offered crucial insights into patterns of influenza virus spread that could greatly improve surveillance and vaccine strain selection.”

Zerhouni added that this investigation showed the value of “supporting exceptionally inventive approaches to major challenges in biomedical and behavioural research”.

The importance of worldwide timely colloboration among the several scientists within the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network cannot be under-emphasized. The flu virus evolves so quickly that the scientists are essentially “tracking its evolution in real time”, said Smith.

“Because flu evolves so quickly, flu science and public wellness necessarily go hand in hand,” he added.

“The global circulation of seasonal influenza A(H3N2) viruses.”
Science, To be published early on-line on 18 April 2008.

Click here for Science.

Click here to learn more about seasonal flu (WHO factsheet).

Source: University of Cambridge press release, WHO.

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Nowadays

3 (1 votes)

AirInSpace, a leading supplier of mobile devices that “catch and kill” harmful and resistant biological particles from the air, announced that its partner, Montreal-based Air Information Inc. (ADI), has been certified by the airworthiness branch of Transport Canada to manufacture and market ADI’s JetAir? Bio-Protection System (BPS), enterprise jet version. The BPS is based on AirInSpace’s patented Plasmer? technology, which also is becoming used within the International Space Station (ISS), and in hospitals under the brand name HEPA-MD?.

Certification of the BPS establishes the airworthiness of the product so that ADI’s customers may possibly proceed with aircraft BPS installations, initially on Bombardier? Global Series aircraft. ADI previously announced the definitive outcomes of avian flu testing on its Bio-Protection System. Conducted at the Laboratoire de Virologie et Pathog??n????se Virale in Lyon, France, the tests showed a complete reduction of avian flu viruses by the BPS-i.e., from a high concentration of virus at its inlet to an undetectable level exiting the unit.

“At a time of increasing worries inside the aviation industry relating to on-aircraft exposure to emerging risks like the avian flu, we are very pleased to be able to confirm the availability of a solution that will enhance the wellness and security of the traveling public to new levels,” stated Jean-Pierre Lepage, President of Air Data. “One of the main breakthroughs associated with AirInSpace’s cold plasma technologies is its ability not only to remove biological contaminants from cabin air but also to destroy them completely. In the case of avian flu, this really is particularly important, given the capability of this specific organism to remain potent for several days within the external environment.”

“Air Data’s JetAir? BPS provides a quantum leap in airplane air purity, protecting each passengers and crew from a wide range of air contaminants, especially biological threats such as SARS and avian flu,” stated Laurent Fullana, CEO of AirInSpace. “We are extremely pleased that the BPS resolution utilizes our patented cold plasma ionic interaction technologies as pioneered in space and utilized these days to protect astronauts on the International Space Station as well as patients and staff in more than 100 international hospitals. The inactivation and germicidal effects of our plasma technology have been demonstrated even against among the most resistant microorganisms: Bacillus atrophaeus spores, an anthrax surrogate.”

About Air Data Inc. (ADI)

Since 1990, Air Information has manufactured and supplied the aircraft market having a wide range of specialized avionics equipment and cabin air quality improvement systems, which includes humidification, precision landing, air data computers and airborne sensors. Major customers include Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer and Gulfstream, as well as major airlines such as Singapore Airlines, JAL, Emirates, Qantas and numerous others. For more, please visit http://www.jetair.aero.

About AirInSpace

Founded in 2002, AirInSpace offers an innovative range of products and services to address the require for microbial decontamination of air in hospitals along with other environments.

http://www.airinspace.com

five (1 votes)

According towards the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this year’s seasonal flu vaccine has only been 44 per cent powerful. And depending on how you look in the effectiveness in the different strains, it would appear overall to be the least successful vaccine for since the 1997-98 flu season when the vaccine effectiveness was essentially zero, the CDC told a press conference.

The 44 per cent effectiveness figure comes from a CDC study whose findings are published in this week’s issue of the federal agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), dated 17th April 2008.

The 44 per cent figure will be the overall vaccine effectiveness for influenza type A (H3N2), and influenza type B. Type A H3N2 constitutes the majority of the strains circulating so far this year.

When broken down, the effectiveness of the trivalent inactivated vaccine (flu shot) in preventing medically attended laboratory confirmed influenza for type A (H3N2) was discovered to be 58 per cent, but for type B the effectiveness was found to be zero. So this year, the vaccine has essentially offered no protection against the type B strain.

The study was carried out at the CDC Marshfield clinic in Wisconsin, involving patients enrolled from January 21st to February 8th of 2008 who lived in and about Marshfield, Wisconsin.

Dr Dan Jernigan, Deputy Director, CDC Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Illnesses (NCIRD), briefed reporters in a web conference yesterday.

He stated that most of the flu viruses circulating this year have been “less than optimally matched to the viruses inside the vaccine”. He said the main strains circulating this year had been type A H3N2, type A H1N1, and type B. He said that type A H3N2 constituted the majority of the strains circulating this year, and within those, 70 per cent had been a series of strains referred to as A-Brisbane10/ 2007.

Jernigan said that although the Brisbane strain had “drifted”, it was still “somewhat related” to A-Wisconsin strain, which is in this year’s vaccine. Of the type B, over 90 per cent are of the B Florida strain, which belongs to the Yamagada lineage, that is quite various to the Victoria lineage that is in this year’s flu vaccine.

The figure of 44 per cent means that the individuals inside the study who received this year’s flu shot were 44 per cent much less likely to have laboratory diagnosed influenza than those inside the study who did not receive the flu shot. This figure is high enough to justify continuing to promote the public well being message that people should be vaccinated, stated Jernigan.

However, he pointed out that due to the fact of the much less than optimal level of protection offered by the vaccine this year, health professionals along with the public must consider taking what he known as the “three pronged approach” to protect against the flu this year.

The “three pronged approach” consists of 1st, get vaccinated, second take each and every day precautions such as covering your cough and washing your hands to prevent spreading of germs, and third, take anti-viral drugs, as suggested by your doctor.

Jernigan warned that if the B strains become dominant within the rest of this season, health care professionals should be prepared for an increased risk of vaccine failure and consider using anti-virals earlier to treat and avoid illness in folks at higher risk of flu complications.

The Wisconsin study mentioned within the MMWR report was based on laboratory information, that is only part of the picture when assessing the effectiveness of the vaccine. Jernigan stated the CDC was beginning to get early figures that showed “substantial cross protection against the predominant virus within the United States this season”, and this showed that “continuing to promote vaccination is beneficial even when some of the laboratory information may well indicate a much less than optimum match”.

A record number of Americans had been vaccinated against the flu this year. About 113 million doses of flu vaccine had been delivered by drug firms in the US this year, more than ever before, and about 10 million more doses than last season, Dr Jeanne Santoli, Deputy Director, CDC Immunization Services Division, NCIRD told the news conference.

At the peak of the season this year, which was around the middle of February, flu deaths peaked to reach 9.1 per cent of all deaths in the US. This is similar to 4 years ago, when during the 2003-2004 season, flu deaths peaked at 10.4 per cent of all US deaths.

The flu epidemic is nonetheless ongoing inside the US, with six states, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, still experiencing widespread infection.

The strains included in a seasonal flu vaccine are decided each year, when globe authorities get together to anticipate the strains of flu that are most likely to circulate the globe within the coming flu season.

But, due to the fact of the lead times to produce the hundreds of millions of vaccine doses needed worldwide, it means the authorities must make the decision about the most likely strains months before we know which strains will really be circulating by the time the flu comes around. And during that time the risk is the fact that things can go very differently. Flu viruses mutate and the balance among the strains changes.

So there are “good” years, when the vaccine strains match the circulating strains (these are when the match is about 70 per cent efficient) and there are bad years, when the match can even be zero for some subtypes.

Depending on how you appear in the vaccine’s effectiveness, for instance taking just the overall vaccine effectiveness figure, it appears that this year’s effectiveness is the lowest since the 1997-1998 season, when overall effectiveness was about 50 per cent. This emerged during a question and answer session between Jernigan and reporters.

“Interim Within-Season Estimate of the Effectiveness of Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine – Marshfield, Wisconsin, 2007-08 Influenza Season.”
Centers for Illness Control and Prevention.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 17 April 2008.

Click here for CDC.

Source: CDC MMWR report, CDC web conference transcript (17 April).

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News These days

The Spanish flu outbreak of 1918 killed in between 30 and 50 million people. Inside the infected patients, the ultimate cause of death was acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This fatal condition is a massive reaction of the body during which the lung becomes severely damaged. ARDS can be induced by various bacterial and viral infections, but also by chemical agents. These could be toxic gases that are inhaled or gastric acid when aspirated. Once ARDS has developed, survival rates drop dramatically. Among patients infected with H5N1 bird flu, about 50 percent die of ARDS.

An international team of scientists has been addressing the underlying illness mechanisms for the past five years. The team involved researchers from leading institutions in Vienna, Stockholm, Cologne, Beijing, Hongkong, and Toronto as well as the US-army at Fort Detrick. The international effort was coordinated by Josef Penninger and Yumiko Imai of the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

A first breakthrough came in 2005 when IMBA-scientists identified ACE2 as the essential receptor for SARS virus infections and showed that ACE2 can protect from acute lung failure in illness models (Imai et al. Nature 2005; Kuba et al. Nature Medicine 2005). Based on these information, ACE2 is now under therapeutic development.

In a paper published by Cell this week, the authors describe an essential key injury pathway that is operational in multiple lung injuries and directly links oxidative stress to innate immunity. They also report for the first time a common molecular disease pathway explaining how diverse non-infectious and infectious agents such as anthrax, lung plague, SARS, and H5N1 avian influenza may cause severe and usually lethal lung failure with similar pathologies.

To identify these pathways, the researchers studied many tissue samples from deceased humans and animals. Victims of bird flu and SARS had been examined in Hongkong, and the US-army provided samples from animals infected with Anthrax and lung plague. Widespread to all ARDS samples was the massive amount of oxidation products discovered within the cells. Based on these findings, the scientists showed that oxidative stress will be the frequent trigger that ultimately leads to lung failure.

To elucidate the entire pathway, Yumiko Imai of IMBA developed several mouse models. She was now able to show that a molecule named TLR4 (Toll-like receptor 4) is responsible for initiating the critical signalling pathway. TLR4 is displayed at the surface of certain lung cells named macrophages, essential players of the body’s immune system. Once activated, TLR4 initiates an entire chain reaction which ends with the fatal failure of the lungs. Surprisingly, mice challenged with inactivated H5N1 avian influenza virus also dveloped the full reaction. On the other hand, mutant mice in which the function of TLR4 was genetically impaired were protected from lung failure in repsonse towards the inactivated virus.

Based on these findings, the researchers can now outline a typical molecular illness pathway: Microbial or chemical lung pathogens trigger the oxidative stress machinery. Oxidation products are intrepreted as danger-signals by the receptor TLR4. Subsequently, the body’s innate immune system is activated. This defense machinery in turn leads to a chain of reactions with severe and usually fatal lung damage as a consequence.

For Yumiko Imai, a Postdoc in Josef Penninger’s team and pediatrician by training, these outcomes are extremely satisfying. Her motivation to study ARDS is based on personal expertise in more than 10 years at a pediatric intensive care unit. a??I have seen so many children die from acute lung failure and felt utterly helpless”, Imai says. a??Since we identified a typical injury pathway, our hopes are high that we might be able to create a brand new and innovative strategy for tackling severe lung infections.”

###

The paper a??Identification of oxidative stress and Toll like receptor 4 signalling as a key pathway of acute lung injury” by Imai et al. is going to be published on April 18 in Cell, Vol. 133(2).

IMBA

The IMBA – Institute for Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, combines basic and applied investigation in the field of biomedicine. Interdisciplinary investigation groups function on function-related genetic troubles, particularly in relation to the manifestation of certain illnesses. The aim is to use the gained knowledge with an innovative approach to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases.

IMP – IMBA Analysis Center

The Analysis Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), established in 1988 by Boehringer Ingelheim, and also the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), which went into operation in 2003, have agreed on a close research collaboration. Under the name “IMP-IMBA Study Center”, the two institutes share most of the administrative and scientific infrastructure. Together, IMBA and IMP employ nearly 400 men and women from 30 different nations. Each institutes are members of the “Campus Vienna Biocenter”.

Source: Dr. Heidemarie Hurtl
Research Institute of Molecular Pathology

2.9 (41 votes)2.97 (29 votes)

The season of colds and flu is nearly here, and there are some simple ways to help avoid getting sick this winter.

AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, stated essentially the most successful way to aid protect against catching a nasty cold or the flu is good personal hygiene.

“Upper respiratory tract infections and influenza are transferred by small droplets and these are readily transferred as air borne when someone coughs or sneezes. If you can, try to avoid becoming in the line of fire,” Dr Capolingua stated.

“Other good tips for avoiding the flu are to keep fit and healthy, don’t smoke, get plenty of sleep and exercise, and eat a balanced diet.

“Staying healthy and not getting run down will help.”

Flu vaccines are readily available and free for everyone over the age of 65 years and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over 50 or between 15 and 49 years old who are medically at risk.

For every 1 else, your doctor will advise you to have a flu vaccine if you are at risk.

Pneumococcal vaccine is also offered to protect against probably the most common cause of bacterial respiratory tract infections and pneumonia. Ask your doctor.

“If you have already caught a cold or flu, covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough helps to decrease transfer,” Dr Capolingua stated.

“Dispose of utilized tissues or handkerchiefs, and washing your hands is critical. Try to avoid sharing personal items, clean any surfaces that you contaminate when you come into contact, and avoid close contact with other people.

“If you have the flu, get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, take paracetamol if appropriate, and stay home.

“Antibiotics will not assist with a viral infection, but if you are not getting better in a couple of days, please see your doctor,” she said.

“Special care must often be taken of children, the elderly, and those more susceptible due to chronic or debilitating illness or conditions.”

Dr Capolingua warned that cough and cold medicines should never be given to young children aged under two years without the advice of a doctor.

American Medical Association

three (32 votes)two.97 (33 votes)

Widespread vaccination likely will likely be the cornerstone of public-health measures for controlling an H5N1 bird-flu pandemic, say Andrea Gambotto, M.D., assistant professor of surgery in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and his colleagues, in this week’s edition of The Lancet. Nevertheless, any vaccines must be broadly protective and rapidly producible to be effective against H5N1, that is devastating in humans, the authors write in a journal Seminar. In this comprehensive “state of the science” report on bird flu vaccine analysis, the scientists note that the primary route of transmission for the H5N1 virus appears to be direct handling of or close contact with live poultry. Infection also is feasible through contact with the contaminated environment and by means of the gastrointestinal tract.

“A couple of feasible human-to-human transmissions of H5N1 influenza virus have been reported, which all involved lengthy, close and unprotected contact with infected patients,” the authors note. “Reports of clustering of human H5N1 virus infections within families, usually without crossing blood lines, may possibly suggest the presence of genetic elements which predispose to H5N1 virus or severe illness.”

In most circumstances, symptoms create within 4 days of exposure, and usually contain fever, cough, shortness of breath and X-ray evidence of pneumonia. Numerous patients also complain of diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Mortality exceeds 60 percent, and patients usually die of progressive respiratory failure. Diagnosis can be difficult since isolation of H5N1 is time-consuming and requires high-level biocontainment laboratory facilities. The preferred strategy for rapid diagnosis is reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays, several of which have been developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for diagnostic use in human beings, Dr. Gambotto and his colleagues note.

RT-PCR allows researchers to generate billions of copies of a tiny amount of a specified RNA sequence from biological samples within several hours for further sequencing and testing. Because RT-PCR can be produced to recognize specific known sequences, it can be utilized to identify RNA virus strains such as H5N1 avian influenza.

In addition, the authors highlight their concerns over genetic variants of the H5N1 virus, which they say give constant challenges towards the reliability of RT-PCR assay design. Because of these challenges, genetic sequence data of one of the most recent human and bird H5N1 isolates are essential.

“Improving accessibility of databases within the World Wellness Organization’s (WHO) influenza networks that are restricted, and in which such data is mostly stored, would aid with and improve the establishment and maintenance of reliable diagnostics in a lot of laboratories in countries affected by H5N1 influenza virus,” the authors write.

While WHO advises the use of the antiviral drug oseltamivir for treatment of human H5N1 infection, clinical encounter suggests the drug is not particularly effective for decreasing mortality overall (30 percent survival with oseltamivir versus 26 percent in untreated patients). Importantly, however, survival rates inside the oseltamivir patients were 53 percent when treatment was started within five days of infection, compared with 26 percent when treatment was started on day six or later. The authors also consider problems associated with inadequate drug concentrations and resistance.

For the Seminar, the authors discuss a number of protein- and gene-based H5N1 vaccines that have been tested in clinical trials so far, enumerating the advantages and disadvantages of every.

The frequent feature of protein-based vaccines appears to be the presentation of pre-formed proteins to the immune system that preferentially stimulate humoral immune responses and neutralizing antibodies. These contain inactivated influenza virus vaccines. An H5N1 type of this vaccine already has FDA approval, but the disadvantage is the fact that an adjuvant molecule is needed using the vaccine and there’s limited production capability. This inactivated influenza virus for H5N1 is already in clinics in preparation for a doable pandemic.

Gene-based vaccines let host cells to produce the viral proteins themselves, again inducing an immune response. Live but weakened influenza vaccine falls into this category, which already is licensed for human influenza virus vaccination.

“If H5N1 influenza viruses acquire the capacity for effective human-to-human transmission although retaining their characteristically high pathogenicity, the ensuing pandemic would be devastating,” Dr. Gambotto and his colleagues conclude. “Therapeutic approaches for control of the illness can be restricted, leaving widespread vaccination as the probable cornerstone of public-health measures for pandemic control. Continued research into influenza pathogenesis and development of broadly-protective vaccines that can be rapidly produced is needed in anticipation of an H5N1 influenza virus pandemic.”

In addition to Dr. Gambotto, other authors are Simon M. Barratt-Boyes, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Well being; Menno D. de Jong, M.D., Ph.D., Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Gabriele Neumann, Ph.D., and Yoshiro Kawaoka, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison.

http://www.medschool.pitt.edu