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ScienceDaily (Nov. 25, 2012) Doctors now use cancer-killing viruses to treat some patients with lethal, fast-growing brain tumors. Clinical trials show that these therapeutic viruses are safe but less effective than expected.

A new study led by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center -- Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC -- James) shows that the reason for this is in part due to the patient's own immune system, which quickly works to eliminate the anticancer virus.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, show that the body responds to the anticancer virus as it does to an infection. Within hours, specialized immune cells called natural killer (NK) cells move in to eliminate the therapeutic virus in the brain.

The researchers discovered that the NK cells attack the viruses when they express specific molecules on their surface called NKp30 and NKp46. "These receptor molecules enable the NK cells to recognize and destroy the anticancer viruses before the viruses can destroy the tumor," says co-senior author Dr. Michael A. Caligiuri, director of Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center and CEO of the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, and a senior author of the study.

"When we blocked those receptors, the virus has more time to work, and mice with these brain tumors live longer. The next step is to block these molecules on NK cells in glioblastoma patients and see if we can improve their outcome," says Caligiuri, who is also the John L. Marakas Nationwide Insurance Enterprise Foundation Chair in Cancer Research. This study of cancer-cell-killing, or oncolytic, viruses is an example of the value of translational research, in which a problem observed during clinical trials is studied in the laboratory to devise a solution.

"In this case, clinical trials of oncolytic viruses proved safe for use in the brain, but we noticed substantial numbers of immune cells in brain tumors after treatment," says senior author and neurosurgeon Dr. E. Antonio Chiocca, who was professor and chair of neurological surgery while at Ohio State University.

"To understand this process, we went back to the laboratory and showed that NK cells rapidly infiltrate tumors in mice that have been treated with the therapeutic virus. These NK cells also signal other inflammatory cells to come in and destroy the cancer-killing virus in the tumor."

The study used an oncolytic herpes simplex virus, human glioblastoma tumor tissue and mouse models, one of which hosted both human glioblastoma cells and human NK cells. Key technical findings include:

"Once we identify the molecules on glioblastoma cells that these NK cell receptors bind with, we might be able to use them to identify patients who will be sensitive to this therapy," Caligiuri says.

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Patient's own immune cells may blunt viral therapy for brain cancer

Following the allegations of murder of his neighbor Gregory Faull, Anti-virus pioneer John McAfee has decided to help finding the actual murderer, and has started blogging for the same. Faull was shot dead on Saturday, 10 November, for which police wanted to interview McAfee as a material witness. But McAfee said he doesnt trust the authorities, whom he alleged poisoned his dogs and wish to kill him.

McAfee established a blog named The Hinterland, which has been confirmed authentic by Chad Essley, one of his friends. He wrote a criticizing post on his blog about the systematic roundup of his friends and associates, since Faulls homicide. He also wrote that the police arrested his housekeeper, his British bodyguard, the bodyguards wife, a taxi driver who ferried McAfee away from his property, and McAfees best friend in Belize. As all this caused enough of trouble to McAfee, later he came up with another post stating,

I also needed to do my own investigation, since the police only seemed to be investigating my whereabouts. My safety is contingent on the truth being discovered. I today announced on NBC Television that I am offering a $25,000 reward for the capture of the person or persons responsible for Mr. Fauls [sic] murder.

He also said that he watched the police dig up his four dogs that had been poisoned and buried; they cut off the heads and re-buried the bodies. Further expressing his views, he wrote,

If I am captured, this blog will continue. I have pre-written enough material to keep this blog alive for at least a year. In addition, the administrator, Chad, will continue to monitor comments. He will administer the reward and post any information received. In truth my continued involvement from this point is irrelevant.

As of now, both McAfee and Samantha, his 20-year-old girlfriend are on the run, claiming harassment by police, but continue to keep the blog updates of the activities. Over the past few years, McAfees behavior had grown very peculiar. He had distanced himself from expatriates and began hanging around some of the most notoriously known gangsters of Belize. May be this is the reason that authorities want to investigate with him.

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John McAfee Blogs and Offers Reward for Finding Neighbor’s Killer

Nov. 21, 2012, 12:47 p.m.

The vaccine against the deadly Hendra virus is now available for use on horses nationally.

Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig said this morning that the vaccine was being made available across the country for the first time after an initial roll-out in high risk areas in Queensland and New South Wales.

The vaccine is the result of almost 20 years of research, millions of dollars and close to 100 researchers.

It is hoped that the vaccine will stop the spread from horses to humans of the bat-borne virus, which has claimed the lives of four people and 80 horses since it was first identified in Brisbane in 1994.

It is so important for both the vet community plus the horse-owning community to have this breakthrough, Senator Ludwig said.

The federal government contributed $3 million to the research and development of the vaccine by Pfizer, CSIRO, local vets and the US defence force.

The vaccine will not be subsidised by the government.

Its important that horse owners talk to their vets about the vaccine because it is important that we have to break that cycle between bats who then pass it to horses, and then horses who then become sick with virus pass it to humans, Senator Ludwig said.

So at this early stage if we can vaccinate horses against the virus it cant transmit to humans, or at least the risks are minimized.

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Hendra vaccine now available nationwide

More than 1,300 people infected with mosquito-borne disease in Madeira Hospital treatment for 89 people since early October but no deaths so far Dengue fever is caused by a bite from a mosquito infected with the virus

By Jenny Hope and Jill Reilly

PUBLISHED: 08:44 EST, 21 November 2012 | UPDATED: 20:15 EST, 21 November 2012

Experts have warned that Europe faces a sustained outbreak of dengue fever the worst in almost 100 years.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said yesterday that the continent is experiencing its first sustained transmission of dengue fever, which is carried by mosquitoes, since the 1920s.

Six Britons have been confirmed as suffering from the disease after contracting it on the holiday island of Madeira.

Infection: More than 1,300 people infected have been with the mosquito-borne disease in the Portuguese island of Madeira

A further 19 cases have been found elsewhere in Europe among travellers returning from the island.

Since the outbreak began in early October, 1,357 cases of dengue fever have been reported in Madeira, including 669 laboratory-confirmed cases and 688 probable cases.

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Killer Dengue fever outbreak reaches Britain after holidaymakers spread it across Europe

FEDERAL Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig has welcomed the national availability of a new vaccine to protect horses and humans from contracting the deadly Hendra virus.

But the Minister declined an opportunity to ride a horse named First Kiss during a photo opportunity at a media launch at Parliament House in Canberra yesterday, where the vaccines uptake was strongly encouraged.

The vaccine was described as a major breakthrough in breaking the cycle of the disease being transferred from bats, to horses and then to humans working with or around horses.

The Federal government contributed $3 million in seed funding towards developing the vaccine in partnership with the CSIROs animal health experts and pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

The vaccine is expected to cost from $130 to $220 per dose.

Minister Ludwig said the vaccine was immediately available and would help curb the widespread risk of Hendra virus to horses and in particular protect animal handlers.

The fundamental breakthrough here is that we do have a vaccine now, he said.

Before this there was no vaccine so people were at risk and veterinarians were at significant risk of dealing with horses or sick horses during the period where there may be Hendra virus around.

The vaccine was initially released three weeks ago into higher risk areas in QLD and NSW but uptake is also being encouraged nationally, due to widespread presence of the disease.

Minister Ludwig said any future marketing of the vaccine was a commercial opportunity for Pfizer to pursue.

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New Hendra vaccine hits ground running