Researchers studying the herpesvirus will converge on Virginia Beach May 20 for the first of what is expected to be an annual gathering.

The Department of Microbiology and Molecular Cell Biology and the Office of Research are sponsoring the event that will draw scientists from Virginia and beyond. Organized by Patric Lundberg, PhD, associate professor, and Julie Kerry, PhD, associate professor, the Virginia Regional Herpes Symposium 2010 will include a golf tournament and other activities.

Read more.

Researchers at Eastern Virginia Medical School played a key role in bringing to market the first-ever prostate cancer vaccine.

Provenge, as the vaccine is called, was developed by Seattle-based Dendreon Corporation. It received approval this week from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as a treatment against advanced prostate cancer. Provenge works by recruiting the body's immune system as a weapon against cancer cells. It is easier on the body than traditional treatments such as chemotherapy, and researchers hope the approach may one day be used for other cancers.

Specialists in urological cancer at EVMS, led by Paul F. Schellhammer, MD, professor of urology, tested the treatment before its federal approval and established that it can safely extend the lives of men with advanced prostate cancer. Dr. Schellhammer has been involved in studying the vaccine since the ‘90s. About three dozen local patients were involved in the trials.

Read news coverage of Provenge's approval.

Dr. Camargo, a research epidemiologist and Harvard Medical School professor, presented the 2010 Mansbach Lecture Aprill 22. He discussed the significant role that Vitamin D plays in our overall health in his lecture "The Sunshine Vitamin: Emerging Evidence on Vitamin D, Infection and Allergy."

He explained that several studies have shown that Vitamin D has positive effects on those who suffer from asthma, eczema, wheezing and food allergies. For asthma sufferers, Vitamin D could help treatment response by improving lung function and reducing airway hyper-responsiveness.