University of Arizona researchers have identified genes within the human Cytomegalovirus, which could lead to targeted therapies that prevent disease caused by reactivation of the virus.
The Human Cytomegalovirus is one of eight human herpes viruses, which causes chicken pox, shingles and mononucleosis. 60-90% of people carry three to four herpes viruses most of time. Most people are infected with the human Cytomegalovirus early in life and have no symptoms or even knowledge of the infection.
People know viruses like influenza better because they get sick. After a patient recovers from the flu, his relationship with that virus is essentially over. But with latent Cytomegalovirus, the person could carry it forever. There are absolutely no symptoms of the human Cytomegalovirus and no way to cure the virus.
The human Cytomegalovirus is an exceptionally stealthy virus. The virus remains in the body in a latent state that can later reactivate, causing life-threatening problems in people with compromised immune systems. Further, a baby infected prior to birth can have devastating birth defects.
When an infected person has a compromised immune system, like in cases of organ or stem cell transplant, HIV infection and some intensive chemotherapy regimens in cancer patients, the virus can be fatal. The human Cytomegalovirus is also the leading cause of infectious disease-related birth defects, causing Downs Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and Spina bifida.
There is no vaccine for the human Cytomegalovirus and the only drugs existing currently target cells that are actively replicating the virus, but leaving the latent cells untouched. The groundbreaking discovery at the University of Arizona identified the mechanisms that determine latency, which could lead to targeted therapies to prevent the human Cytomegalovirus-related disease.
Professor Felicia Goodrum is one of leading researchers in this investigation. She is an associate professor in the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson Department of Immunobiology and UA Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology as well as a member of the UA BIO5 Institute.
In her recent papers in the Journal of Virology, she states, “this novel treatment could either force the virus to reactivate and then clear it out, or prevent reactivation all together. This is a huge medical success.”
The successes in life science research at the University of Arizona, Tucson help the university attract a significant number of research funds from both private industries and public institutes. In 2013 the University of Arizona received more than $74 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health and more than $31 million as of June 2014. The university receives a total of $600 million annually in research funding.
The University of Arizona, Tucson is home to a number of groundbreaking life science studies and is a desirable marketplace for laboratory supply companies. If you are a lab supply company interested in networking with academic researchers in Arizona, Biotechnology Calendar, Inc. invites you to the 12th Annual BioResearch Product Faire™ Event on December 4th 2014. This event provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate your products and services and deliver lectures to academic researchers.
Last year the BioResearch Product Faire™ Event at the University of Arizona, Tucson attracted 148 attendees. Of these attendees:
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Biotechnology Calendar, Inc. is a full service event marketing and planning company. We have been producing on-campus, life science research tradeshows nationwide for the past 21 years. We plan and promote each event to bring the best tools and equipments to the best research campuses across the nation. There are more than 60 BioResearch Product Faire™ Events available in 2014. Please read the National Show Schedule for 2014.