A new study led by Hans-Martin Jäck of the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany engineered clusters of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies using a transgenic mouse model. A unique characteristic for the antibodies was the different ways it bound to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the overall reduction in the viral spread for […]
Study assess prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in England after third national lockdown
The alarmingly high infection rate of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has had an enormous impact on healthcare in many parts of the world. The surge in the rate of hospitalization, especially intensive care unit admissions, has placed an overwhelming burden on healthcare systems […]
Could N protein-based COVID-19 vaccines hinder SARS-CoV-2's NK cell inhibition?
When a virus invades an individual, both innate and adaptive immunity play crucial roles. The successful viral pathogens can antagonize these immune pathways with genes that inhibit the key players in the immune system. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by the novel beta coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It […]
More new SARS-CoV-2 variants are highly likely
In a recent report posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers from the United Kingdom and Uganda reveal unique protein features of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) relative to other representatives of Sarbecoviruses. The causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), SARS-CoV-2, belongs to the Betacoronavirus genus and Sarbecovirus subgenus of the […]
Study finds CD8+ T cell responses detect all major SARS-CoV-2 variants
There have been concerns that several severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants have mutations that allow them to evade the immune system. A new study published in the Open Forum Infectious Diseases suggests otherwise. Led by Aaron AR Tobian of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, results showed that except for one from […]
IONTAS identifies novel SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies
IONTAS Limited (IONTAS) and FairJourney Biologics S.A (FJB)., leaders in the discovery and optimization of fully human antibodies, have announced the identification of neutralizing antibodies, which bind to multiple emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. The results, generated from a combination of phage display technology and B-cell receptor repertoire sequencing of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, have identified potent neutralizing […]
Blocking folate metabolism could reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral replication in infected cells
The novel beta-coronavirus virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and coronaviruses, in general, alter the host's cellular metabolism to support massive production of ~30 kB viral genomes and subgenomic viral RNAs. However, how this is achieved is largely unknown. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and the Broad Institute […]
Study reveals unknown immune defense system that protects the lungs from viral infections
Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown arm of the immune defense system that protects the lung from lethal viral infections. Respiratory diseases caused by viruses such as influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 cause damage not just through their own actions, but also from collateral damage as the immune system reacts to fight the infection. A timely […]
Study says air pollution played a role in early U.S. COVID-19 outbreak
Exposure to particulate matter — a mixture of liquid and solid particles suspended in the air that ranges from dust to airborne transmission of viral droplets — has been harmful to human health. Research led by Maria de Fatima Andrade from the University of São Paulo in Brazil found particulate matter plays a significant role […]
How common are post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection?
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has taken a heavy toll on human lives, with over two million casualties so far. Equally devastating has been its economic toll. Now, a new study, which was released on the medRxiv* preprint server, describes the features and frequency of long-haul symptoms in COVID-19. Study: Population-based estimates of post-acute […]