Countdown to the introduction of a norovirus vaccine

February 17, 2012 in Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Noroviruses are believed to make up half of all food-borne disease outbreaks in the United States, causing incapacitating (and often violent) stomach flu. These notorious human pathogens are responsible for 90 percent of epidemic nonbacterial outbreaks of gastroenteritis around the world.

On Friday, February 17, 2012, Charles Arntzen, ASU Regents' professor, and professor in the Center for Infectious Diseases and at the Biodesign Institute will deliver a lecture entitled Countdown to the Introduction of a Norovirus Vaccine. The talk will take place during the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual meeting in Vancouver, BC.

Arntzen's lecture is part of a special topical seminar: Norovirus—The Modern Scourge of Food and Family.

The seminar title is well chosen—noroviruses are extremely contagious, readily passing from person to person, particularly among those living in the closed quarters of dormitories, nursing homes, child care centers, military bases, and cruise ships. Infections can result from contact with virus particles dispersed in the air or from the ingestion of even tiny quantities of contaminated food. Further, even vigorous hand washing or the use of alcohol wipes or gels may be ineffective in combating norovirus transmission. Noroviruses can persist in a transmissible state for days or weeks even in those who are asymptomatic or are recovering from the disease.

Arntzen will speak about the prospects for a successful vaccine to prevent norovirus infection, based on Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), which are able to mimic actual noroviruses, stimulating a robust immune response, without producing disease symptoms. Due to the frequent mutation of noroviruses, vaccine candidates will need to be adaptable for alternate strains of the pathogen—much the way current vaccines for influenza are modified to keep pace with viral evolution. New strategies for formulating and biomanufacturing such vaccines offer renewed hope for norovirus vaccine development in the near future.

Provided by Arizona State University search and more info website

5 /5 (2 votes)  

Rank 5 /5 (2 votes)
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Resistance to last-line antibiotic makes bacteria resistant to immune system

Bacteria resistant to the antibiotic colistin are also commonly resistant to antimicrobial substances made by the human body, according to a study in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microb ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 3 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Report: NPS hantavirus response followed policy

(AP)—Federal investigators probing the hantavirus outbreak blamed for three deaths at Yosemite National Park recommend that design changes to tent cabins and other lodging run by private concessionaires first be reviewed ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 9 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

New test better detects elephantiasis worm infection

A new diagnostic test for a worm infection that can lead to severe enlargement and deformities of the legs and genitals is far more sensitive than the currently used test, according to results of a field ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 10 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

SARS-like virus claims new life in Saudi

A Saudi man who had contracted the coronavirus has died, raising the death toll in the kingdom from the SARS-like virus to 16, the health ministry announced on Monday on its Internet website.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 11 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Telerehabilitation allows accurate assessment of patients with low back pain

A new "telerehabilitation" approach lets physical therapists assess patients with low back pain (LBP) over the Internet, with good accuracy compared with face-to-face examinations, reports a study in the May 15 issue of Sp ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 11 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


New immune system discovered

(Medical Xpress)—A research team, led by Jeremy Barr, a biology post-doctoral fellow, unveils a new immune system that protects humans and animals from infection.

Early-life traffic-related air pollution exposure linked to hyperactivity

Early-life exposure to traffic-related air pollution was significantly associated with higher hyperactivity scores at age 7, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital ...

The compound in the Mediterranean diet that makes cancer cells 'mortal'

New research suggests that a compound abundant in the Mediterranean diet takes away cancer cells' "superpower" to escape death. By altering a very specific step in gene regulation, this compound essentially re-educates cancer ...

Do salamanders hold the solution to regeneration?

Salamanders' immune systems are key to their remarkable ability to regrow limbs, and could also underpin their ability to regenerate spinal cords, brain tissue and even parts of their hearts, scientists have ...

Scientists identify molecular trigger for Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have pinpointed a catalytic trigger for the onset of Alzheimer's disease – when the fundamental structure of a protein molecule changes to cause a chain reaction that leads to the death of neurons ...

Practice makes perfect? Not so much

Turns out, that old "practice makes perfect" adage may be overblown. New research led by Michigan State University's Zach Hambrick finds that a copious amount of practice is not enough to explain why people ...