— Early sign of Alzheimer's reversed in lab — One of the earliest known impairments caused by Alzheimer's disease - loss of sense of smell - can be restored by removing a plaque-forming protein in a mouse model of the disease,…
— Parental controls on embryonic development? — When a sperm fertilises an egg, each contributes a set of chromosomes to the resulting embryo, which at these very early stages is called a zygote. Early on, zygotic genes are inert,…
— Newly discovered heart stem cells make muscle and bone — Researchers have identified a new and relatively abundant pool of stem cells in the heart. The findings in the December issue of Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press publication, show that…
— BUSM researchers develop blood test to detect membranous nephropathy — Research conducted by a pair of physicians at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Centre (BMC) has led to the development of a test that can help diagnose…
— New hip implants no better than traditional implants — New hip implants appear to have no advantage over traditional implants, suggests a review of the evidence published on bmj.com today…
— Action needed to improve men's health in Europe — Policies aimed specifically at men are urgently needed to improve the health of Europe's men, say experts on bmj.com today…
— Probiotics reduce infections for patients in intensive care — Traumatic brain injury is associated with a profound suppression of the patient's ability to fight infection. At the same time the patient also often suffers hyper-inflammation, due…
— High blood sugar levels in older women linked to colorectal cancer — Elevated blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.…
— Engineered botulism toxins could have broader role in medicine — The most poisonous substance on Earth - already used medically in small doses to treat certain nerve disorders and facial wrinkles - could be re-engineered for an expanded role in helping…
Milestone biodefence publication by Elsevier journal Vaccine
Last week during the 'Vaccines for Biothreats and Emerging and Neglected Diseases Symposium' in Galveston TX, USA, the Elsevier journal Vaccine released a supplement dedicated to vaccines for biodefence. This publication provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview on vaccines that have been developed against a diverse group of human and veterinary pathogens, including Bacillus anthracis, smallpox, and blue tongue.
Biodefence has traditionally been associated with defence against biological warfare agents with an emphasis on military applications. However, the events of October 2001 involving envelopes containing anthrax spores sent through the US Postal Service radically changed our thinking about biodefence. We now recognise the need for biodefence to protect both civilian and military populations against biothreat agents. As research continues to develop biodefence countermeasures, it is clear that vaccines are a critical component of the portfolio to control biothreats.
In their editorial in the supplement, the US Guest Editors Alan Barrett (University of Texas Medial Branch), Shan Lu (University of Massachusetts), and Greg Poland (Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group) state that, 'the progress in development of vaccines for biothreat agents has been remarkable due to the combined efforts of academia, biotechnology companies, larger pharma, governments, and regulatory authorities, and it is our hope that this supplement may serve as a milestone for this process and a useful reference for people interested in knowing the current status of biodefence vaccine development.'
The supplement was launched at the 3rd in a series of symposia around the theme of, 'The Changing Landscape of Vaccine Development,' organised by the Sealy Centre for Vaccine Development at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston TX, USA in conjunction with the James W. McLaughlin Fellowship Fund (www.utmb.edu/scvd/).
The symposium Co-Chair and Co-Guest Editor of the Vaccine Supplement, Alan Barrett judged the conference a great success and said: 'By focusing on the progression of biodefence vaccine development from bench to bedside the symposium very successfully brought together experts from industry, academia and government to discuss the latest developments in discovery, preclinical development, clinical trials and vaccine acceptance.'
Or subscribe for our Newsletter, a free e-mail publication. It is published practically every day.
MTV survey cranks up the volume on loud music's impact on hearing
New method may accelerate drug discovery for difficult diseases like Parkinson's
Caffeine reverses memory impairment in Alzheimer's mice
Site for alcohol's action in the brain discovered