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PARIS (AFP) — Scientists have mapped out the bit of molecular plumbing that allows the influenza virus to outwit front-line flu drugs, but disagree on exactly how it works, according to a pair of studies released Wednesday.

A detailed understanding of the tunnel-and-gate mechanism, called an ion-channel protein, could lead to new drugs that could block the reproduction of flu viruses inside host cells, the researchers said.

Some 500,000 people around the world die every year from seasonal Influenza A virus, which mutates slightly from one year to the next.

A virus is a sub-microscopic pathogen that can only reproduce inside a host cell. It is composed of discrete viral particles, each with its own RNA, called virions. Like DNA, RNA contains genetic code transferred during reproduction.

When a virion enters the lungs of a bird, a horse or a human, its membrane fuses …

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GENEVA (AFP) — AIDS patients who take effective retroviral drugs do not pass on the virus even through unprotected sex, Switzerland’s state commission on the disease claimed on Wednesday.

Couples were one partner is HIV positive do not need to use a condom to prevent transmitting the disease, as long as retroviral therapy is followed regularly and has suppressed the virus in the blood for at least six months, the Federal AIDS Commission said in a report.

The patient must also be free of any other sexually-transmitted disease.

“These findings come from four different studies,” said Bernard Hirschel, co-author of the report and an HIV/AIDS specialist at Geneva’s University Hospital.

The claim sparked concern against AIDS charities who noted that the scientific research is focused on heterosexual couples and vaginal rather than anal sex.

One of the research studies was carried out in Spain from …

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University of Utah researchers have used linkage analysis to show a likely genetic susceptibility to cold sore outbreaks. And they think they’ve narrowed the search for the genes responsible to six likely candidates in the area of chromosome 21.

The findings will be released Friday in The Journal of Infectious Diseases and the researchers hope it will ultimately lead to medications to treat outbreaks and reduce their frequency, said Dr. John D. Kriesel, the study’s corresponding author and research associate professor in the U. medical school’s Division of Infectious Diseases.

Maurine R. Hobbs, Ph.D., research assistant professor in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, is the study’s first author.

Cold sores, the most common recurring viral infection in people, are caused by type 1 of the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). Once an outbreak subsides, the virus stays “quiescent” within the nerve until it reactivates. It’s believed at least 40 percent of Americans will have at least one cold sore at some point. The virus also causes herpes keratitis, an eye infection that can damage the cornea and even cause blindness. HSV-2, the second kind of herpes simplex virus, is the primary cause of genital herpes.

Using families within the Genetic Reference Project as subjects, researchers analyzed blood of more than 400 people in 39 big Utah families to determine who had the HSV-1 virus. Then they asked them questions about their experience with cold sores, said Kriesel. They subdivided those with the infection into three groups based on frequency of cold sore outbreaks, then studied those at the extremes of the spectrum, who had either never experienced a cold sore or who had them at least twice a year.

Linkage analysis uses genetic markers in families to find regions on chromosomes that have disease genes. The markers are passed from parent to child along with the genetic mutation. So if they find markers shared by family members, the researchers can zero in on regions of chromosomes where the genes may lie. It’s the first whole- genome study of HSV to use that analysis.

The program said the odds are 1,000-to-1 that the area around chromosome 21 is involved in cold sore outbreaks.

They also wanted to determine the degree to which outbreaks are heritable, Kriesel said. Huntington’s disease is entirely genetic, although it’s not always passed on. Alcoholism and schizophrenia are both believed to be 20 to 40 percent heritable.

The researchers found that cold sore outbreaks are about 20 percent heritable. “That’s very significant, but it means about 80 percent of the disease is due to other stuff. Do you ski without sunscreen on your lips? Are you prone to febrile illnesses? What strain of virus did you get?” Kriesel said.

They believe, he said, that the individual’s own factors, the infection’s viral load and similar factors and the environment all play a role in expression of the disease.

“We think that for people who get frequent reactivations, it’s likely there are more than one susceptibility gene,” Kriesel said.

They plan to do genotypings within the candidate genes to see what else they can learn about cold sores and genetics. Three of the six genes, in particular, look promising.

Co-authors, besides Hobbs and Kriesel, are Mark F. Leppert, Ph.D., distinguished professor and co-chairman of the Department of Human Genetics; Brandt B. Jones (B.S., senior research scientist), Division of Infectious Diseases; and Brith E.M. Otterud (B.S., computer professional), Department of Human Genetics.

E-mail: lois@desnews.com

Copyright C 2008 Deseret News Publishing Co.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.

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Presentation Based on Series of Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware Vulnerabilities First Discovered by Nevis Labs in Late 2007

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Nevis Labs, the vulnerability and threat research arm of Nevis Networks, today announced that Feng Xue (aka SoWhat), a Technical Lead of Nevis Labs, will present a paper at the Black Hat Europe 2008 conference related to his research and recent discovery of a series of new vulnerabilities in anti-virus software, including one which could lead to a buffer overflow attack in Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware 2008. Nevis Labs was credited with finding vulnerabilities in a total of three commercial anti-virus packages in late 2007. The Black Hat talk titled, "Attacking Anti-virus," will focus on a broad range of possible anti-virus exploitations, auditing of anti-virus software, and the details of Nevis Labs’ research methodologies.

Black Hat Europe will be held March 25-28, 2008 in Amsterdam. Black Hat conferences attract the most prestigious names from the full spectrum of security thinkers and stays on the leading edge of new security trends as they emerge. Mr. Xue’s selection to be a speaker on the topic of attacking anti-virus software demonstrates Nevis Labs’ leadership position in this area, as well as the fact that desktop anti-virus systems alone are not enough to thwart today’s sophisticated malware.

"Our world-class threat detection lab maintains vigilant and continuous research for vulnerabilities worldwide," said Dominic Wilde, vice president marketing at Nevis Networks. "With this recent series of disclosures of vulnerabilities in anti-virus software, along with our presentation at Black Hat, we hope to communicate the limitations of relying solely on desktop security suites to stop malware since they are proven to introduce vulnerabilities themselves."

Nevis Labs is currently cooperating with several anti-virus vendors to patch vulnerabilities in their products. The details of these vulnerabilities will be disclosed once patches are released by the vendors. The Trend Micro patch credited to Nevis Labs is currently available at: http://esupport.trendmicro.com/support/viewxml.do?ContentID=1036464.

About Nevis Labs

Nevis Labs is a worldwide organization that provides round-the-clock monitoring, analysis and solutions for LAN security threats. The company’s security experts conduct their own research into vulnerabilities in Operating Systems as well as monitoring public sources of information on threats. Nevis Labs produces signature updates for Nevis products as well as updating its endpoint verification software to ensure the latest updates for anti-virus, OS patches and anti-spyware software are recognized. These updates are provided to Nevis customers on a continuous basis.

About Nevis Networks

Nevis Networks is a market leader in secure switching and identity-based policy enforcement appliances. The company’s LANenforcer product family transparently enforces identity-based policies in real time within the network fabric, tightly controlling who can access a company’s network and what resources they are permitted to use. Cross-industry customers, ranging from financial services, healthcare, education and defense contractors deploy Nevis LANenforcers to protect sensitive network resources and assets, and significantly reduce the overall costs and time to resolve security breaches and conduct network audits. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, CA, with additional R&D centers in Pune, India and Beijing, China.

COPYRIGHT 2008 Business Wire
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

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Study Reveals Trane CleanEffects(TM )Removes More Than 99 Percent of the Influenza A Virus</p>

TYLER, Texas — During flu season and throughout the year, families are exposed to viruses that circulate in the air they breathe indoors, so taking measures to prevent illness makes sense. Getting a flu shot, eliminating germs on surfaces through cleaning, and washing hands often are important steps to avoid getting the flu. Yet, many people are still susceptible to the virus in the air in their home. The main way influenza viruses are spread is from person-to-person in respiratory droplets of coughs or sneezes1. Now, first-of-its-kind research conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, in collaboration with scientists at Environmental Health and Engineering Inc., (EH&E) shows that Trane CleanEffects(TM), a whole-house air filtration system, removes more than 99 percent of the common flu, or influenza A virus from the filtered air.

Because of the similarities among types of influenza viruses, Harvard and EH&E researchers concluded that Trane CleanEffects will remove more than 99 percent of other forms of the virus, including influenza B, influenza C and avian influenza (also a strain of influenza A virus) from the filtered air.

The tests involved releasing the common flu virus into the air inside a test heating, ventilation and air conditioning duct. The removal efficiency was calculated from the amount of the common flu virus measured in air samples collected before and after passing through the Trane CleanEffects system.

"By removing the vast majority of the common flu virus from a home’s re-circulated air, the average airborne concentration of the virus in the home is reduced, thereby lowering airborne exposure to the virus for household occupants," said Dr. David MacIntosh, instructor at the Harvard Extension School, and principal scientist at EH&E.

Trane has received Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) registration from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Trane is the clear industry leader in EPA compliance for FIFRA as the first whole-house air cleaner to obtain a FIFRA registration number.

"In a home with central forced air and a conventional 1-inch filter, the average virus particle would recirculate through the home about seven times before depositing on a surface or being transported outdoors. That’s more than enough time to breathe in the virus, and cleaning the air in your home is an important step to improve the health of your home environment," said MacIntosh.

"People with allergies and asthma are potentially at a greater risk of catching the airborne flu virus. Additionally, patients with asthma may have a more severe course of the flu because of their underlying airway damage. For this reason, we recommend that anyone with asthma take all measures to prevent acquiring the flu. These test results are very important because they demonstrate that installing a whole-house air cleaner, such as Trane CleanEffects, can add another layer of protection against the flu for patients with allergies and asthma," said Dr. Paula Busse, M.D., allergy and immunology specialist, Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Trane CleanEffects utilizes patented breakthrough air cleaning technology to eliminate allergens and particles you don’t want in your home, such as dust, pollen, bacteria, pet dander, mold spores, smoke and now the common flu virus. It even removes particles as small as .1 microns - 1/1,000th the diameter of a human hair - the size that eludes most air cleaners. To put this in perspective when it comes to the common flu, a single influenza virus is around .1 micron in diameter. Trane CleanEffects is 100 times more effective than the standard 1-inch filter found in most home central systems, removing up to 99.98 percent of airborne particles and more than 99 percent of the common flu virus from the filtered air.

"With the highest clean air delivery rate in the industry, the Trane CleanEffects whole-house system is another powerful tool in battling the flu virus at home," said Steve Arnholt, indoor air quality systems leader for Trane.

For more information about the study, Trane CleanEffects, or to find a local dealer, visit www.trane.com/flu.

About Trane

Trane Inc. (NYSE: TT), previously named American Standard Companies Inc., provides systems and services that enhance the quality and comfort of the air in homes and buildings around the world. The company offers customers a broad range of energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; dehumidifying and air cleaning products; service and parts support; advanced building controls and financing solutions. Selling under both the Trane([R]) and American Standard([R]) brand names, the company’s systems and services have leading positions in premium commercial, residential, institutional and industrial markets; a reputation for reliability, high quality and product innovation; and a powerful distribution network. In 2006 the business generated annual revenues of approximately $6.8 billion with $4.9 billion coming from equipment systems and $1.9 billion from parts, services and solutions. Trane has more than 29,000 employees and 29 production facilities worldwide. For more information, visit trane.com.

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BitDefender® , a global provider of
award-winning antivirus software and data security
solutions, today announced that BitDefender Total Security 2008 has earned an endorsement from
Steel Valor Online Game Studios, a Gaming web site that provides video game
reviews, blogs, testing and opinions.

BitDefender is one of the few security providers in the industry to develop
gamer-friendly features. BitDefender offers full protection, while not
interfering with the user’s activities. None of the major competitors in
the security industry currently offer this feature, forcing users to decide
between security and performance.

“BitDefender has the best gamer-friendly condensed security product that we
have seen,” said Ed Salsberg, founder of Steel Valor Online Game Studios.
“We compared BitDefender to many of the better known security solutions and BitDefender was clearly
superior with features geared specifically for gamers, including the option
of Gamer Mode. BitDefender recognizes that gamers are an important piece of
the net and offers solutions that others cannot match.”

Traditional antivirus and other security providers are focused on
protecting computer applications, while BitDefender is focused on new and
emerging threats resulting from the emerging online lifestyle. BitDefender
is an alternative to major brands in antivirus protection, offering the
better protection, a more current focus and none of the “big business”
hassles.

The BitDefender 2008 product line, which includes BitDefender Antivirus
2008, Internet Security 2008 and Total Security 2008, is designed to
protect a wide variety of computer usage scenarios ranging from individual
PC users and multi-PC families to SoHo businesses.

For further details on Steel Valor Online Game Studios’ endorsement of
BitDefender, please visit the Steel Valor Online Game
Studios .

About BitDefender®

BitDefender is a leading global provider of security solutions that satisfy
the protection requirements of today’s computing environment. The company
offers one of the industry’s fastest and most effective lines of security
software, setting new standards for threat prevention, timely detection and
mitigation. BitDefender delivers products and services to over 41 million
home and corporate users in more than 180 countries. BitDefender has
offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and
Romania. Further information about BitDefender can be obtained by visiting:
http://www.bitdefender.com .

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Preliminary Study Conducted at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, One of Only Two Labs in Asia Used by the U.S. Centers of Disease Control to Conduct Research on Treatments of H5N1

Company to Present Poster at International Influenza Conference in Bangkok, Thailand

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — eFoodSafety.com, Inc. (OTCBB: EFSF, www.efoodsafety.com) reports successful studies illustrating Citroxin’s(TM) ability to eradicate the H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu) virus in a chick embryo model. Preliminary studies were conducted at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, one of a few labs in Asia used by the U.S. Centers of Disease Control (CDC) to conduct research on treatments of H5N1.

The results of this study will be presented as a poster presentation at the International Influenza Conference (www.biotec.or.th/AIConf2008), to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, January 23-25, 2008. The conference will be attended by nearly six hundred participants focused on avian influenza, including representatives from eFoodSafety as well as leading scientists and businesses from sixty-five countries.

The lead investigator of the study, states, "We are highly encouraged by these results and look forward to conducting additional studies to confirm the safety and effectiveness in eradicating H5N1."

Patricia Gruden, CEO of eFoodSafety, says, "These findings are considered to be a breakthrough in the field of treatment against bird flu, and we believe that our results mark a critical development in the global initiative to eradicate the disease. This is yet another example of how eFoodSafety is committed to improving health conditions affecting people across the world."

Over the past few years, H5N1 has begun to spread throughout Asia and other parts of the world, with major health and economic repercussions. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), of all bird influenza types, the H5N1 virus is of greatest concern due to its ability to cause disease and death in human populations, and to develop the characteristics of a pandemic. In 2006, WHO estimated that global costs to fight avian influenza over the next two to three years will amount to between $1.2 and $1.5 billion.

About eFoodSafety.com

eFoodSafety.com, Inc., based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is dedicated to improving health conditions around the world through its innovative technologies. The company’s Knock-Out Technologies, Ltd. subsidiary has developed an environmentally safe sporicidal product formulated entirely of food-grade components that eradicates anthrax and a germicidal product, Citroxin[TM] (formerly named Big Six Plus) - EPA Reg. No. 82723-1 that kills six major bacteria: E-coli, Listeria, Pseudomonas, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus, Avian Influenza, and Black Mold. The sporicidal product has completed its final efficacy laboratory study requisite for EPA registration. In the study, it eradicated both Clostridium Sporogenes and Bacillus Subtilis with 100% efficacy on both hard and porous surfaces. The OraPhyte[TM] product, which has been tested and shown to be effective at eradicating nematodes by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is currently at three major universities with outstanding Agricultural Departments undergoing crop-specific research.

The company’s Cinnergen[TM] is a clinically-studied, non-prescription liquid whole food nutritional supplement that promotes healthy glucose metabolism, is available for sale at (www.cinnergen.com) and through national retailers; its Cinnechol[TM] is a multi-faceted nutritional supplement specifically designed to naturally reduce total cholesterol levels without causing any side effects. The company has entered into a joint venture agreement with CK41 Direct, Inc. to launch the PurEffect[TM] anti-acne skin care system.

The company’s iBoost, Inc. subsidiary is the distributor of the Immune Boost Bar[TM], a non-dairy, no refined sugar, all-natural and comprehensive multi-nutrient product that helps fortify the body’s immune system. The product contains Citroxin[TM], eFoodSafety’s proprietary all natural supplement proven effective in fighting several types of harmful bacteria, and forty active compounds that assist with enhancing immunity, detoxification, cleansing, and metabolic efficiency. The Immune Boost Bar[TM] is available in three delicious flavors: chocolate, oatmeal-raisin, mint and peanut butter and can be purchased at www.immuneboost.com.

The company’s MedElite, Inc. subsidiary distributes clinically proven products to physicians who then prescribe the products for their patients. It is the owner of the Talsyn[TM]-CI/bid Scar Cream, a product that has been clinically proven to facilitate and improve the appearance, redness and strength of scars (www.talsyn.com), as well as seven (7) other products in the Talsyn[TM] line.

Please visit the company’s website at: http://www.efoodsafety.com.

Safe Harbor Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this release that are not strictly historical are "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements are sometimes identified by words such as "intends," "anticipates," "believes," "expects" and "hopes." The forward-looking statements are made based on information available as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements. Editors and investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those in these forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to demand for the Company’s products and services, our ability to continue to develop markets, general economic conditions, our ability to secure additional financing for the Company and other factors that may be more fully described in reports to shareholders and periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

COPYRIGHT 2008 Business Wire
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

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- ALN-RSV01 Demonstrates Statistically Significant Anti-Viral Activity -

- Complete Results for GEMINI Phase II Study to be Presented at the International Symposium on Respiratory Viral Infections -

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY), a leading RNAi therapeutics company, today reported positive data for the ALN-RSV01 Phase II experimental infection study, now called "GEMINI." The GEMINI study was designed to evaluate the safety and anti-viral activity of ALN-RSV01, an RNAi therapeutic for the treatment of RSV infection. Top-line results show that ALN-RSV01 was safe and well tolerated and demonstrated statistically significant anti-viral activity. The complete results of the study will be presented at the International Symposium on Respiratory Viral Infections meeting, to be held February 28 - March 2, 2008 in Singapore.

"We are very pleased with the results of GEMINI and look forward to advancing this program to its next stage of development, a Phase II study in naturally infected adult patients which we expect to initiate in the first half of this year," said John Maraganore, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Alnylam. "These new data, to be presented at an upcoming scientific meeting, represent important progress for our RSV program and more generally for RNAi therapeutics, perhaps the biopharmaceutical industry’s most promising new approach for innovative medicines."

The GEMINI study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study of ALN-RSV01 or placebo in 88 adult subjects experimentally infected with a wild type clinical strain of RSV. The study was designed to measure the safety and anti-viral activity of ALN-RSV01, with efficacy measures including the incidence of viral infection and the effects of treatment on the degree of viral infection and resulting clinical symptoms. The study was performed using ALN-RSV01 or placebo administered intranasally for five consecutive days — two days prior and three days after viral inoculation.

"ALN-RSV01 offers a potential new therapeutic approach for the treatment of RSV infection, a serious respiratory viral disease that leads to hospitalization in nearly 300,000 pediatric and adult patients annually in the U.S. alone," said John P. DeVincenzo, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Principal Investigator for the GEMINI study. "I am very encouraged by these promising new human data which demonstrate anti-viral activity for an RNAi therapeutic in a major respiratory infectious disease, and support continued development of ALN-RSV01 for the treatment of RSV infection."

About RNA Interference (RNAi)

RNAi (RNA interference) is a revolution in biology, representing a breakthrough in understanding how genes are turned on and off in cells, and a completely new approach to drug discovery and development. Its discovery has been heralded as "a major scientific breakthrough that happens once every decade or so," and represents one of the most promising and rapidly advancing frontiers in biology and drug discovery today which was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. RNAi is a natural process of gene silencing that occurs in organisms ranging from plants to mammals. By harnessing the natural biological process of RNAi occurring in our cells, the creation of a major new class of medicines, known as RNAi therapeutics, is on the horizon. RNAi therapeutics target the cause of diseases by potently silencing specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs), thereby preventing disease-causing proteins from being made. RNAi therapeutics have the potential to treat disease and help patients in a fundamentally new way.

About Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

Alnylam is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics based on RNA interference, or RNAi. The company is applying its therapeutic expertise in RNAi to address significant medical needs, many of which cannot effectively be addressed with small molecules or antibodies, the current major classes of drugs. Alnylam is leading the translation of RNAi as a new class of innovative medicines with peer-reviewed research efforts published in the world’s top scientific journals including Nature, Nature Medicine, and Cell. The company is leveraging these capabilities to build a broad pipeline of RNAi therapeutics; its most advanced program is in Phase II human clinical trials for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. In addition, the company is developing RNAi therapeutics for the treatment of a wide range of disease areas, including hypercholesterolemia, liver cancers, and Huntington’s disease. The company’s leadership position in fundamental patents, technology, and know-how relating to RNAi has enabled it to form major alliances with leading companies including Medtronic, Novartis, Biogen Idec, and Roche. To reflect its outlook for key scientific, clinical, and business initiatives, Alnylam has established "RNAi 2010" which includes the company’s plan to significantly expand the scope of delivery solutions for RNAi therapeutics, have four or more programs in clinical development, and to form four or more new major business collaborations, all by the end of 2010. Alnylam is a joint owner of Regulus Therapeutics LLC, a joint venture focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of microRNA therapeutics. Founded in 2002, Alnylam maintains headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.alnylam.com.

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Aethlon Medical, Inc. (OTCBB: AEMD), a
pioneer in developing therapeutic devices for infectious disease, today
disclosed that researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of the
Aethlon Hemopurifier® in capturing the highly-fatal H5N1 strain of the
Avian Flu Virus (Bird Flu). In pre-clinical studies, high concentrations of
H5N1 flu virus (approximately 3 million flu virus/ml) were observed to be
rapidly depleted from cell culture fluids when circulated through the
Hemopurifier®. The study data indicated that during a six-hour testing
period, the Hemopurifier® removed up to 99.4 percent of infectious H5N1
flu virus. Verification of viral capture was documented by both real-time
PCR and conventional plaque assay (TCID 50) measurements.

“The data provides real hope for a post-infection treatment against
pandemic influenza and further reinforces the ability of our
Hemopurifier® to address a broad spectrum of viral conditions,” stated
James A. Joyce, Chairman and CEO of Aethlon Medical. “Additionally, it
appears possible that the use of the Hemopurifier® could open the door
for drugs previously considered incapable of providing clinical benefit as
a stand-alone therapy.”

The Aethlon Hemopurifier® is a medical device designed for the single-use
removal of infectious viral pathogens from blood. The device, which
augments the natural immune response of clearing infectious viruses and
toxins before cell and organ infection, is positioned to fill a void in
treating drug- and vaccine-resistant infectious diseases. In order to
further support the use of the Hemopurifier® as a broad-spectrum
treatment countermeasure against bioterror and pandemic threats in the
United States, Aethlon will include this new data in a forthcoming
submission to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and
the newly established Biomedical Advanced Research and Development
Authority (BARDA). Based on the significance of the H5N1 data and the
continued demonstration of safety in human studies, Aethlon may on a
limited basis provide the Hemopurifier® to countries that request the
Hemopurifier® as a treatment option for infected citizens. Researchers
at the Battelle Biomedical Research Center conducted the H5N1 studies.

It is feared that the H5N1 strain of avian influenza virus, whose mortality
rate in infected humans exceeds 60 percent, will spark a global epidemic
should it evolve to allow for an efficient spread of host-to-host
infections in humans. The recent discovery that H5N1 avian influenza virus
can spread via the bloodstream to organs and other regions of the body
typically not attacked by influenza viruses explains, in part, the high
virulence of H5N1 infection and why it remains a serious pandemic threat.
The ability of H5N1 virus to proliferate in blood represents a causative
effect for triggering hypercytokinemia (cytokine storm), a direct parallel
to the Spanish Flu of 1918, which reportedly killed up to 40 million people
within 20 months. Though governments and health agencies are stockpiling
antiviral drugs to treat influenza, these therapies have yet to demonstrate
effectiveness against human H5N1 infection. A further complication to drug
treatment has arisen from the clinical observation that drug absorption
appears impaired in severely ill H5N1 patients, and in H5N1 patients with
gastrointestinal symptoms.

Researchers believe the removal of circulating H5N1 hemagglutinin, a
surface protein that is deleterious to the host and immune system, combined
with the removal of infectious H5N1 virus would be clinically beneficial to
infected patients. Corresponding to this belief, the Hemopurifier®
targets the rapid removal of both infectious H5N1 virus and
immunosuppressive H5N1 hamagglutinin from circulation. As a result, Aethlon
believes the Hemopurifier® is positioned to benefit infected patients,
both as a stand-alone therapeutic, and as an adjunct treatment able to
improve the clinical benefit of other candidate therapies.

About Battelle Biomedical Research Center

Battelle Biomedical Research Center is a research group in the National
Security Global Division of Battelle Memorial Institute, an organization
that provides solutions to some of the world’s most important challenges
through its three global businesses: National Security, Energy Science and
Technology, and Health and Life Sciences. Battelle is the world’s largest
independent research and development organization with technology
contributions that find their way into hundreds of commercial products each
year. Conducting multi-billion dollars in global R&D annually, Battelle
oversees over 20,000 employees in more than 120 locations worldwide,
including five national laboratories that Battelle manages or co-manages
for the U.S. Department of Energy. Battelle was recently approved by the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Select Agent
Programs of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to carry out studies on
highly pathogenic avian influenza, including the H5N1 strain. Battelle was
established in 1929 as a non-profit charitable trust and is headquartered
in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit www.battelle.org .

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SAN DIEGO — Aethlon Medical, Inc., (OTCBB:AEMD) a pioneer in developing therapeutic devices for infectious disease, today disclosed that researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of the Aethlon Hemopurifier[R] in capturing the highly-fatal H5N1 strain of the Avian Flu Virus (Bird Flu.) In pre-clinical studies, high concentrations of H5N1 flu virus (~ 3 million flu virus/ml) were observed to be rapidly depleted from cell culture fluids when circulated through the Hemopurifier[R]. The study data indicated that during a six-hour testing period, the Hemopurifier([R]) removed up to 99.4 percent of infectious H5N1 flu virus. Verification of viral capture was documented by both real-time PCR and conventional plaque assay (TCID 50) measurements.

"The data provides real hope for a post-infection treatment against pandemic influenza and further reinforces the ability of our Hemopurifier[R] to address a broad spectrum of viral conditions," stated James A. Joyce, Chairman and CEO of Aethlon Medical. "Additionally, it appears possible that the use of the Hemopurifier[R] could open the door for drugs previously considered incapable of providing clinical benefit as a stand-alone therapy."

The Aethlon Hemopurifier[R] is a medical device designed for the single use removal of infectious viral pathogens from blood. The device, which augments the natural immune response of clearing infectious viruses and toxins before cell and organ infection, is positioned to fill a void in treating drug and vaccine resistant infectious diseases. In order to further support the use of the Hemopurifier[R] as a broad-spectrum treatment countermeasure against bioterror and pandemic threats in the United States, Aethlon will include this new data in a forthcoming submission to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the newly established Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA.) Based on the significance of the H5N1 data and the continued demonstration of safety in human studies, Aethlon may on a limited basis provide the Hemopurifier[R] to countries that request the Hemopurifier[R] as a treatment option for infected citizens. Researchers at the Battelle Biomedical Research Center conducted the H5N1 studies.

It is feared that the H5N1 strain of avian influenza virus, whose mortality rate in infected humans exceeds 60 percent, will spark a global epidemic should it evolve to allow for an efficient spread of host-to-host infections in humans. The recent discovery that H5N1 avian influenza virus can spread via the bloodstream to organs and other regions of the body typically not attacked by influenza viruses explains in part, the high virulence of H5N1 infection and why it remains a serious pandemic threat. The ability of H5N1 virus to proliferate in blood represents a causative effect for triggering hypercytokinemia (cytokine storm), a direct parallel to the Spanish Flu of 1918, which reportedly killed up to 40 million people within 20 months. Though governments and health agencies are stockpiling antiviral drugs to treat influenza, these therapies have yet to demonstrate effectiveness against human H5N1 infection. A further complication to drug treatment has arisen from the clinical observation that drug absorption appears impaired in severely ill H5N1 patients, and in H5N1 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms.

Researchers believe the removal of circulating H5N1 hemagglutinin, a surface protein that is deleterious to the host and immune system, combined with the removal of infectious H5N1 virus would be clinically beneficial to infected patients. Corresponding to this belief, the Hemopurifier[R] targets the rapid removal of both infectious H5N1 virus and immunosuppressive H5N1 hamagglutinin from circulation. As a result, Aethlon believes the Hemopurifier[R] is positioned to benefit infected patients, both as a stand-alone therapeutic, and as an adjunct treatment able to improve the clinical benefit of other candidate therapies.

About Battelle Biomedical Research Center

Battelle Biomedical Research Center is a research group in the National Security Global Division of Battelle Memorial Institute, an organization that provides solutions to some of the world’s most important challenges through its three global businesses: National Security, Energy Science and Technology, and Health and Life Sciences. Battelle is the world’s largest independent research and development organization with technology contributions that find their way into hundreds of commercial products each year. Conducting multi-billion dollars in global R&D annually, Battelle oversees over 20,000 employees in more than 120 locations worldwide, including five national laboratories that Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy. Battelle was recently approved by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Select Agent Programs of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to carry out studies on highly pathogenic avian influenza, including the H5N1 strain. Battelle was established in 1929 as a non-profit charitable trust and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit www.battelle.org.

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