The genome of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) was first sequenced over 20 years ago, but researchers have now discovered that the common pathogen has a surprisingly complex protein-coding capacity as well.

The virus only causes birth defects in newborn infants and disease in adults with compromised immune systems, but it infects most humans on the planet. The new findings, published in the 23 November issue of Science, could help explain why HCMV is such a widespread and successful virus.

A new drug based on a natural compound produced by the human body halts one of the earliest stages of HIV infection, reports a new study in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The drug may be able to slow down emerging resistance of the virus to antiretroviral drugs, a growing problem worldwide.

Called VIR-576, the drug interacts with HIV’s ability to insert the “sticky” end of its outer membrane—the fusion peptide—into the host cell at the start of infection. This ability to block fusion peptides makes VIR-576 very different from other HIV drugs.

A new drug based on a natural compound produced by the human body halts one of the earliest stages of HIV infection, reports a new study in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The drug may be able to slow down emerging resistance of the virus to antiretroviral drugs, a growing problem worldwide.

Called VIR-576, the drug interacts with HIV’s ability to insert the “sticky” end of its outer membrane—the fusion peptide—into the host cell at the start of infection. This ability to block fusion peptides makes VIR-576 very different from other HIV drugs.

People at high risk for malaria may benefit from swallowing a cocktail of antibiotics as a preventative measure, a new Science Translational Medicine study in mice suggests. The drugs may evoke natural immunity to malaria parasites in healthy but vulnerable populations, providing lifelong protection against future malaria infections.

Evolutionary changes in viruses reveal why seasonal flu vaccines don’t protect against the 2009 H1N1 flu and provide insight into why older people have immunity to the pandemic virus, two new studies in Science Translational Medicine and Science report.