Guest guest Posted July 15, 2000 Report Share Posted July 15, 2000 unlike the typhoids (typhoid a, typhoid b, para-typhoid a, para-typhoid b .. . ), there are many more viruses that can now be isolated and blamed for liver inflammations. Ready for para-hepatitis-zz ?? gary On Sat, 15 Jul 2000 12:59:31 -0700 Sheri Nakken <snakken@...> writes: > Do you think they'll get all the way to Z with hepatitis? Then what? > > http://www.epimmune.com/epi-flash.html > > [image] > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > > EPIMMUNE ANNOUNCES NOVEL VACCINE CANDIDATE FOR THE PREVENTION > AND > TREATMENT OF HEPATITIS C > > San Diego, CA, February 29, 2000 -- Epimmune Inc. (Nasdaq: EPMN) > today announced the identification of a novel vaccine candidate > for the prevention and treatment of hepatitis C at the Keystone > Symposia scientific meetings in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The > Company > has pioneered a new approach to vaccine development using > epitopes, which are small fragments (peptides) from protein > antigens that trigger an immune response. > > Currently, there is no approved vaccine for prevention or > control > of hepatitis C, a potentially fatal liver disease caused by the > hepatitis C virus. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that > 3.9 million Americans have been infected with HCV, and 2.7 > million > are chronically infected. Worldwide, the number is 170 million > people -- more than 5 times as many as persons infected with > HIV, > the virus that causes AIDS. > > “Epimmune has a unique process for identifying, from pathogens > or > cancerous cells, epitopes that can be used to create vaccines > for > a number of serious diseases that are not currently being > addressed,” said Alessandro D. Sette, Ph.D., Vice President and > Chief Scientific Officer of Epimmune. “By combining select > epitopes from the hepatitis C virus, we have designed a vaccine > that will, in effect, ‘train’ the immune system to recognize > multiple, conserved (non-mutating) regions of the virus and > mount > a strong cell-mediated attack.” > > “An emerging consensus in the scientific community is that a > strong cellular immune response may be a key element in the > ability that some people possess to spontaneously clear, or > recover from, acute hepatitis infection,” explained Dr. Sette. A > similar phenomenon is observed in so-called “long-term > non-progressors,” or those HIV-infected individuals who maintain > an AIDS-free status for long periods even without treatment. > > “Epimmune’s vaccine objective is to mimic the specificity, > breadth > and magnitude of response believed to control infection,” said > Chesnut, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Research and > Development of Epimmune. “Data to date indicate that > epitope-based > vaccines may uniquely offer the ability to generate these immune > responses.” > > Cellular immunity involves specialized white blood cells called > T > lymphocytes, or T cells, which recognize epitopes when they are > displayed like “flags” on the surface of infected or diseased > cells. T-cell activation requires that the epitopes bind to and > be > displayed by proteins called HLA class I and class II molecules, > which hold the epitopes for recognition by the T-cell receptor > protein at the cell surface. > > A significant hurdle to clear in vaccine design is viral escape. > Viruses, like hepatitis C and HIV, rapidly mutate, or change > their > genetic makeup, and thereby evade the immune system. Previous > research by Epimmune scientists and collaborators has shown that > these mutations occur within epitopes that are normally > recognized > by T cells. “An essential part of our vaccine strategy is to use > computer analysis to select epitopes from regions of the viral > genome that are highly conserved, or where mutations seldom > occur,” said Dr. Sette. > > Epimmune has developed the Epitope Identification System (EIS?) > to > rapidly identify these conserved antigen-specific epitopes from > the genetic material of tumor-associated antigens or infectious > agents (viruses, bacteria, parasites). The identified epitopes > include those that bind HLA class I molecules, which are > recognized by cytotoxic T cells, and those that bind HLA class > II > molecules, which are recognized by helper T cells. An EpiGene? > vaccine is then synthesized that combines these select epitopes > from multiple antigens associated with the target indication. > The > HCV vaccine candidate includes conserved, high binding epitopes > from multiple viral proteins. > > Dr. Sette also presented data demonstrating that hepatitis C and > HIV EpiGenes are capable of eliciting potent cellular immunity > in > transgenic mice, which have been genetically modified to express > HLA class I and II molecules. > > The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an intracellular pathogen that > takes over replication machinery within an infected cell, > effectively turning the cell into a “virus factory.” > Hepatocytes, > or liver cells, in humans are the targets of HCV, and chronic > infection can lead to life-threatening conditions including > cirrhosis (scarring), liver cancer, and end-stage liver disease > (liver failure), making HCV the leading indication for liver > transplantation. HCV is spread by contact with blood of an > infected person, and intravenous drug users who share needles > represent the highest-risk group for infection. > > Epimmune is developing novel vaccines for infectious diseases > and > cancer, building on its expertise and intellectual property in > the > field of T-cell recognition and activation. In the cancer field, > Epimmune is collaborating with G.D. Searle & Co., a wholly-owned > subsidiary of Monsanto Co., to develop immune stimulating > products > for the treatment of breast, colon, lung and prostate cancers. > Epimmune is also pursuing development of therapeutic vaccines > for > hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV, and prophylactic vaccines for > hepatitis C, HIV and malaria. For more information on Epimmune, > access www.epimmune.com. > > This press release includes forward-looking statements that > reflect management’s current views of future events. Actual > results may differ materially from the above forward-looking > statements due to a number of important factors, including but > not > limited to the risks associated with the Company’s patent rights > (including the scope of any patents that issue and the Company’s > ability to enforce its patents and other proprietary rights), > the > Company’s ability to develop vaccines using epitopes, > achievement > of research and development objectives by the Company and any > collaborator, the timing and cost of conducting human clinical > trials, the regulatory approval process, and the possibility > that > testing may reveal undesirable and unintended side effects or > other characteristics that may prevent or limit the commercial > use > of proposed products. These factors are more fully discussed in > Cytel Corporation’s Form 10-K for 1998 and other periodic > reports > filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. > > ### > > Copyright © 1999 Epimmune Inc., All rights reserved. > > -------------------------------------------------------- > Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA > Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA 95959 > http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm > ANY INFO OBTAINED HERE NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS MEDICAL OR LEGAL > ADVICE. THE > DECISION TO > VACCINATE IS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE. > Well Within's Earth Mysteries & Sacred Site Tours > http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin > International Tours, Homestudy Courses, ANTHRAX & OTHER Vaccine > Dangers > Education, Homeopathic Education > KVMR Broadcaster/Programmer/Investigative Reporter, Nevada City CA > CEU's for nurses, Books & Multi-Pure Water Filters > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Check out Tupperware's Special Offers! > Limited Time Only! > 1/6335/10/_/489317/_/963690899/ > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Hepatitis C Vaccine POSTED: 12:47 pm EDT April 18, 2006 HEPATITIS C: Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral disease that can cause liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. The hepatitis C virus is spread by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person's blood. Many people with the virus have no symptoms and are unaware of the need to seek treatment. Hepatitis C infects an estimated 150 million to 200 million people worldwide. It is the leading cause of liver transplants. DIAGNOSIS: Hepatitis C virus causes approximately 10,000 deaths annually and is responsible for almost half of the 4,000 liver transplants each year. Few people are able to clear the virus from their blood, which is necessary to be completely recovered. Over 70 percent of the cases reported each year become chronic, which means liver enzyme levels remain elevated for at least six months after the initial acute infection. The enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) are released when liver cells are injured or die. Elevated ALT and AST levels may appear and disappear throughout the course of the infection. The majority of people who are infected with the hepatitis C virus don't even know because of the silent nature (absence of symptoms) of the disease. Some people may even harbor this virus for 20 or more years before they discover they have it. An estimated 4 million Americans are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus. The death rate is expected to triple within the next 20 years. NEW VACCINE: Researchers from Saint Louis University are testing an investigational vaccine for the first time in humans that could prevent infection for the virus. The successful development of such a vaccine would represent a major step in combating this growing health problem. "There is currently no licensed vaccine to protect against the hepatitis C virus," Sharon Frey, M.D., principal investigator for the study and associate professor of internal medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, says. "Our research is important because infection with hepatitis C virus is a major health problem throughout the world." The purpose of the research is to study the safety and effectiveness of four different strengths of the Chiron Corporation's investigational hepatitis vaccine. "This is the first time this hepatitis vaccine will be tested in humans," Frey says. "A vaccine to prevent the infection would be an important breakthrough in controlling the spread of the hepatitis C virus." http://www.wftv.com/health/8798399/detail.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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