AlaskaDenise
In Memoriam
(Even though this has been discussed at FT for some time, I'll assume there's something new about this study.....)
The Yomiuri Shimbun
<!--// byline_end //--><!--// article_start //--><!-- google_ad_region_start=region1 -->A Tokyo University research team has identified an amino acid mutation in an avian influenza virus they believe to be the vector for a possible human influenza pandemic.
Scientists believe the observation of the amino acid changes will help detect a human influenza outbreak in its early stage.
The research team headed by Prof. Yoshihiro Kawaoka of Tokyo University's Institute of Medical Science published the research on a Web-based science journal on Friday.
The team compared protein substances from two varieties of the avian influenza's H5N1 strain taken from infected people.
When studying a protein substance called PB2, the research team found the 627th amino acid of the protein is closely connected to the growth of the virus in humans' nasal membrane.
The team artificially converted the amino acid into another type of amino acid called lysine and transmitted the virus with the converted amino acid to mice.
As a result, the team found that three days after infection, the number of viruses in the mice's nasal membrane was more than 10,000 times bigger than in those infected with ordinary avian flu.
(<!--// date_start //-->Oct. 8, 2007<!--// date_end //-->)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20071008TDY02308.htm
<!-- google_ad_region_end=region1 --><!--// article_end //-->
The Yomiuri Shimbun
<!--// byline_end //--><!--// article_start //--><!-- google_ad_region_start=region1 -->A Tokyo University research team has identified an amino acid mutation in an avian influenza virus they believe to be the vector for a possible human influenza pandemic.
Scientists believe the observation of the amino acid changes will help detect a human influenza outbreak in its early stage.
The research team headed by Prof. Yoshihiro Kawaoka of Tokyo University's Institute of Medical Science published the research on a Web-based science journal on Friday.
The team compared protein substances from two varieties of the avian influenza's H5N1 strain taken from infected people.
When studying a protein substance called PB2, the research team found the 627th amino acid of the protein is closely connected to the growth of the virus in humans' nasal membrane.
The team artificially converted the amino acid into another type of amino acid called lysine and transmitted the virus with the converted amino acid to mice.
As a result, the team found that three days after infection, the number of viruses in the mice's nasal membrane was more than 10,000 times bigger than in those infected with ordinary avian flu.
(<!--// date_start //-->Oct. 8, 2007<!--// date_end //-->)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20071008TDY02308.htm
<!-- google_ad_region_end=region1 --><!--// article_end //-->