(www.americanheart.org)Researchers have found that more than 50 percent of the current asthma cases in the country can be attributed to allergies, with approximately 30 percent of those cases attributed to cat allergy. Other common allergens were the fungus Alternaria and white oak, which accounted for approximately 21 percent each.

MicroRNAs May Be Key To HIV's Ability To Hide, Evade Drugs
Tiny pieces of genetic material called microRNA could be key to HIV's ability to evade detection in the immune system. Researchers have shown that when an HIV-infected individual receives a powerful cocktail of antiviral agents called HAART, the virus uses miRNAs to help it hide and remain practically undetectable, temporarily shutting down its ability to replicate. Learning to manipulate miRNA's inhibitory effects might have implications for new strategies against the virus.

'Jumping Genes' Could Make For Safer Gene Delivery System
To move a gene from point A to point B, scientists and gene therapists have two proven options: a virus, which can effectively ferry genes of interest into cells, and a plasmid, an engineered loop of DNA that can do the same thing, albeit usually only on a short-term basis.

Labels: allergies, asthma, drugs, HIV's, plasmid, virus