Worm.com

A team of scientists unveiled a playbook Wednesday in the fight against infectious disease outbreaks: genetic mapping by computers to find bugs that slip past other medical tests.

The process, experts say, should facilitate much faster responses to deadly outbreaks.

“There is no doubt that this technology is going to play a major role in our defenses,” says Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The coordinated global response, he says, showed “the way it should work” when a new killer bug emerges.

Fauci and other experts are particularly concerned about the threat of a pandemic as cases of bird flu mount around the world.

“This is new technology that has spectacular power,” he says. “It’s extraordinary in its capability, and it was manifested in a very dramatic case.” Details are to be published next month in the New England Journal of Medicine, but were …

Information provided by: Findarticles.com

For the first time, researchers have slowed and possibly stopped the AIDS virus from reproducing in patients by using a gene therapy that tricks it into self-destructing. The results, announced yesterday, are heartening not just for people infected with HIV but also for the field of gene therapy, which remains highly experimental more than 20 years after scientists figured out how to use viruses to insert therapeutic genes into a cell's genome.

Mostly, the results are a big step forward for the biotech start-up that is developing the novel therapy and for its collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania. "The buzzword in the field is viral 'fitness,' meaning how well the virus can replicate," said Gary McGarrity, executive vice president for scientific affairs at Virxsys Corp., in Gaithersburg, Md. "In eight of the nine patient samples we studied, we see diminished HIV fitness up to two years after treatment." That …

Information provided by: Findarticles.com

BASEL, Switzerland — 454 Life Sciences, a part of Roche Applied Science, today announced that researchers at Columbia University and Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory have discovered a new virus that was responsible for the deaths of three transplant recipients. The research explains how the previously unknown virus, which is related to lymphocytic choreomeningitis virus, was found using the extremely rapid and sensitive 454 Sequencing[TM] technology and was published online today in New England Journal of Medicine. The study entitled, "Discovery and implication of a novel arenavirus in a cluster of fatal transplant associated disease," describes how identification of this virus might enable improvements in screening that will enhance the safety of transplantation.

Following the deaths of all three recipients of organs from a single donor, their illnesses were investigated by unbiased high throughput 454 Sequencing to reveal the presence of a previously undiscovered old world arenavirus. The virus, similar to lymphocytic choreomeningitis virus and Kodoko virus, was subsequently confirmed in multiple clinical samples by PCR, viral culture and immunohistochemistry. Results of the study implicate this new arenavirus as a human pathogen and support the use of high throughput sequencing in pathogen discovery.

"Within a few days we had clues to the identity of the virus responsible for transplant deaths" said Ian Lipkin, MD, lead author of the study and John Snow Professor of Epidemiology and Professor of Neurology and Pathology at Columbia University and director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at the Mailman School of Public Health. "We made this investigation highest priority. Our success reflected the tireless efforts of an extraordinary team of investigators representing academia, public health and industry, who brought all of their expertise and technology to bear on an important clinical problem."

"We are very satisfied to see that the Genome Sequencer System could quickly identify new viruses where other methods failed," said Manfred Baier, Head of Roche Applied Science. "This is another example for the potential of the 454 sequencing technology in various application areas. The identification of the virus is an important first step in a further enhancing the safety of transplantations."

"454 Sequencing enables researchers to quickly and affordably identify the organisms present in a complex sample without any prior knowledge of the pathogens present" said Michael Egholm, PhD, a co-author on the study and Vice President of Research and Development at 454 Life Sciences. "This metagenomics approach to pathogen identification may facilitate a more rapid response when the "next SARS" emerges sometimes in the future."

Lymphocytic choreomeningits virus has been implicated in other transplant outbreaks; however, the newly discovered virus is sufficiently different that it could not be detected using existing screening and traditional sequencing methods all requiring prior knowledge of exact sequence of the suspected pathogen. Over 30,000 organ transplants are performed in the U.S. each year. Knowledge of the genetic sequence of this virus might enable improvements in screening that will enhance the safety of transplantation.

454 Life Sciences develops and commercializes the innovative Genome Sequencer[TM] system for ultra-high-throughput DNA sequencing. Specific applications include de novo sequencing and re-sequencing of genomes, metagenomics, RNA analysis, and targeted sequencing of DNA regions of interest. The hallmarks of 454 Sequencing[TM] are its simple, unbiased sample preparation and long, highly accurate sequence reads, including paired reads. 454 Sequencing technology has enabled many peer-reviewed studies in diverse research fields such as cancer and infectious disease research, drug discovery, marine biology, anthropology, paleontology and many more.

About Roche

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As the world’s biggest biotech company and an innovator of products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people’s health and quality of life. Roche is the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics and drugs for cancer and transplantation, and is a market leader in virology. It is also active in other major therapeutic areas such as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory and metabolic disorders and diseases of the central nervous system. In 2007 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 36.8 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 9.3 billion francs. Roche has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai, and invested over 8 billion Swiss francs in R&D in 2007. Worldwide, the Group employs about 79,000 people. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.roche.com.

Information provided by: Findarticles.com

Kaspersky
Lab , a leading developer of Internet threat management solutions that
protect against all forms of malicious software, today announces that
Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Windows File Servers has received a VB100 award from Virus Bulletin . A leading publication
in the field of malware research, Virus Bulletin grants VB100 awards as
part of its independent comparative testing of anti-virus products.

The February 2008 issue of Virus Bulletin features a comparative test of 27
popular anti-virus products on Windows Server 2003. Virus Bulletin tested
the different products for detection rates, lack of false alarms, and speed
of scanning on the Windows Server 2003 platform. In order to receive the
VB100 award, a product must detect all In the Wild viruses during
both on-demand and on-access scanning, and generate no false positives when
scanning a clean set of files. Kaspersky’s solution scored high marks
across the board. Categories tested include: In the Wild, Polymorphic and
Macro. John Hawes, reviewer, had the following to say:

--  Kaspersky is "a seasoned competitor with a long history of excellent
    performance,"
--  Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Windows File Servers "offers a well-designed,
    intuitive interface with an excellent level of configuration," and
--  Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Windows File Servers "stomped through the
    tests, speeds reflecting a more thorough attitude to scanning than many,
    but results showing splendid coverage and no false positives, thus earning
    Kaspersky yet another VB100 award."
    

Quote:
Jeff Aliber, Senior Director, Product Marketing, Kaspersky Lab

“The enterprise requires a security solution that is flexible and
powerful,” said Jeff Aliber, senior director of product marketing.
“Kaspersky’s solution is light on system resources but still provides the
iron-clad protection needed in an enterprise environment.”

Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Windows Servers protects data stored on
Windows file servers (including the latest x64 versions) from all types of
malicious programs. The solution maintains high reliability and meets the
exacting demands of corporate servers that carry heavy loads.

About Kaspersky Lab:

Kaspersky Lab delivers the world’s
most immediate protection against IT security threats, including viruses,
spyware, crimeware, hackers, phishing and spam. Kaspersky Lab products
provide superior detection rates and the industry’s fastest outbreak
response time for large enterprises, SMBs, home users and the mobile
computing environment. Kaspersky® technology is also used worldwide
inside the products and services of more than 100 of the industry’s leading
IT security solution providers. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com . For the
latest on antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-spam and other IT security issues
and trends, visit www.viruslist.com .

About the Virus Bulletin 100% award:

The Virus Bulletin 100% awards recognise those products best able to detect
viruses known to be ‘in the wild’. Unlike some other similar-sounding
schemes, Virus Bulletin uses the most up-to-date WildList in its tests.
This means that products that are ‘up with the game’ are the ones most
likely to be granted VB100 awards. More information about Virus Bulletin
can be found on its website: www.virusbtn.com .

Contact Information
Jennifer Jewett
Kaspersky Lab, Inc.
+ 1 781 503 1856
 jennifer.jewett@kaspersky.com

Information provided by: Findarticles.com

NEW YORK — Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report related to the Wireless industry is available in its catalogue.

Mobile Security & Anti-virus Report

To order this report:

www.reportlinker.com/p076228/2008/02/07/Mobile-Security–Anti-viru s-Report.html

Malware is targeting mobile phones and networks. So far it hasn’t been as infectious as its PC counterparts, but visiongain believes it is only a matter of time before a large scale case makes network operators and handset manufacturers really sit up and take notice. Is your company up-to-speed? It should be and this new report will ensure you are.

In 2006 the global mobile malware protection market was valued at $334 million. Visiongain’s new report highlights and forecasts the growth of this area through till 2012 but what will the value of it be then? This report tells you. The growth for mobile security is driven by the global economy which impacts business of all sizes and where connectivity is at the core of all business activities. You must stay fully informed of how this market is going to develop over the next 5 years.

Phones have become more sophisticated. The alignment of the handset and PC means interconnectivity is broader. File transfers through the mobile network has been joined by files transfers from one phone to another. With Bluetooth and competing protocols making it increasingly easy to share files then the ability to share viruses has also increased. Even SMEs, which may be operating only at a regional or national level, cannot escape that global connectivity. Their suppliers may be large multinationals whose employees are equipped with mobile devices that most likely hold sensitive information about their business. Where those devices become infected with malware the risk to the data and potential to access networks of their clients would be compromised thus putting at risks those SMEs that thought they were at low risk of attacks.

Key trends remain that will impact strongly on the mobile security success:

Demand for mobile devices still strong

Cost of devices continue to fall

Industry participants are growing through M&A and alliances

False sense of securityWith battery problems and increased memory requirements today’s anti-malware software for mobile platforms eats up mobile CPU. Smartphones are becoming more powerful and which should render this a non-issue, but lower-range phones may not have the strength to run the necessary security applications. Unless the security manufacturers act on this virus’ will be prevalent.

This report analysis in-depth mobile security solutions from AV vendors in relation to vertical markets such as consumers, SMEs, large enterprises and mobile operators. Forecasts are provided and discussed in terms of geographical and technological markets, and the factors that are driving forward AV demand are discussed in this report for each of the above vertical markets. Data traffic is analysed and discussed in relation to growing mobile operators ARPU and AV requirements. The report also provides strategies and recommendations that are applicable to mobile operators, AV vendors and associated industry participants.

This report argues that AV is going to become a necessary application for mobile operators as well as a requirement for industries of all sizes that use smart devices to access their business networks. It will also become a valuable application for consumers wanting to protect expensive smart devices from malware and virus attacks. The report outlines hurdles and measures that companies need to implement in order to remain competitive.

By reading this report you will gain a clear understanding of

How this market sector will grow in value

What significance and impact wireless anti-virus products will have on the mobile telecoms market

What effect virus attacks have previously had, and what they could inflict on mobile devices in the future;

The challenges and issues facing participants in the wireless anti-virus markets

What the attitudes and expectations of end-users are regarding protectionMobile operators

Understand how a virus on your network would impact throughout your business and how to protect you and your subscribers

AV vendors

Learn what services and business models are needed to develop the AV market. Find out about business and technological issues that will impact on your business.

Investment companies

Learn what are the requirements for a successful deployment of bundle services, the development of triple and quadruple play services and products, and gain an insight into investment opportunities.

To stay up-to-date and fully informed of the developments in the handset and networked anti-virus market, you must read this report today. With over 130 dedicated pages, this is the leading report available.

Please Note: Reports are sold based on the user licenses indicated. The Publisher delivers the report in Flash format via the publisher website, allowing viewing and printing capabilities only. Within one to two business days after placing the order, the Publisher will email the client with information on accessing their purchase. Prior to initiating fulfillment of an order, the client will be required to sign a document detailing the purchase terms for a publication from this publisher.

Information provided by: Findarticles.com