Research
The University of Nottingham Announces Development of Possible Hepatitis C Vaccine
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Sep 17, 2007 - 9:29:48 AM

The University of Nottingham Announces Development of Possible Hepatitis C Vaccine

Britain's University of the Year Announces Potential Breakthrough in the Fight Against Hepatitis C.

(HealthNewsDigest.com)- CHICAGO, Sept. 17 -- The British Midlands Development Corporation today announced that the University of Nottingham in the British Midlands has released a statement promoting the development of a possible Hepatitis C Vaccine.

The potential breakthrough was announced by the British Midlands' University of Nottingham, which released a statement claiming the discovery of a possible vaccine which can be used in the treatment of Hepatitis C.

Dr. Alexander Tarr, a Research Fellow at Nottingham's Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, presented a paper titled 'Human Antibodies to Hepatitis C Virus - Potential for Vaccine Design', at the Society for General Microbiology's 161st meeting which was held at The University of Edinburgh two weeks ago.

Dr. Tarr made a statement saying, "The clinical potential of this work cannot be overstated. Historically, successful vaccines against viruses have required the production of antibodies, and this is likely to be the case for Hepatitis C virus. Identifying regions of the virus that are able to induce broadly reactive neutralizing antibodies is a significant milestone in the development of a HCV vaccine, which will have distinct healthcare benefits for hepatitis sufferers, and could also help us design vaccines for other chronic viral diseases such as HIV."

"We are also currently exploring the possibility of improving liver transplantation success rates by passively infusing people with these antibodies," said Dr. Tarr, "Additionally we are using the information gained by identifying and characterizing the antibody responses to Hepatitis C virus to design new ways of making vaccine candidates. If the antibodies we have discovered can be reproduced by vaccination, control of the disease might be possible."

The Hepatitis C virus affects over 180 million people worldwide. Infection with the virus can lead to liver cancer, and is the most common reason for liver transplantation in the United States and the United Kingdom.

About The British Midlands Development Corporation

The British Midlands Development Corporation is the North American economic development agency for central England. The Midlands region is located just one hour north of London and includes the major commercial centers of Birmingham, Nottingham, Coventry and Northampton.

For more information, please visit our website at www.thebritishmidlands.com

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