Lungs News and Research

RSS

Nasal calcium-rich salts effectively eliminate airborne particles from airways

In a paper published in Molecular Frontiers Journal, researchers from Cambridge, Massachusetts have discovered a more effective way of eliminating airborne particles from airways using nasal calcium-rich salts called FEND, which have potential applications in the fight against Covid-19.

29 Sep 2020

New artificial lung developed to support pre-term babies in respiratory distress

An international team led by current and former McMaster University researchers has developed an artificial lung to support pre-term and other newborn babies in respiratory distress.

29 Sep 2020

Naturally occurring enzyme holds potential as low-cost therapeutic to treat COVID-19

Researchers from UCLA and China have found that catalase, a naturally occurring enzyme, holds potential as a low-cost therapeutic drug to treat COVID-19 symptoms and suppress the replication of coronavirus inside the body.

29 Sep 2020

New FLASH technique could revolutionize radiation therapy for cancer patients

For the first time, researchers at the Centre for Proton Therapy at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI in Switzerland have tested ultrafast, high-dose irradiation with protons.

28 Sep 2020

Study pinpoints heating element in vaping devices as cause for lung injuries

Early results of an experimental vaping study have shown significant lung injury from E-cigarette (eC) devices with nickel-chromium alloy heating elements.

28 Sep 2020

Hamsters and ferrets clear low dose SARS-CoV-2 infection in 14 days

A recent study by French researchers has demonstrated that experimental exposure to severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is capable of inducing mild infection in hamsters and ferrets within 7 – 10 days of exposure. However, the infection completely resolves within 14 days. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

28 Sep 2020

Researchers discover specific cellular pathway involved in lung tissue regeneration

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a cellular pathway that can be targeted with a naturally occurring drug to stimulate lung tissue regeneration, which is necessary for recovery from multiple lung injuries.

28 Sep 2020

Life-threatening COVID-19 associated with specific genetic variants

Results of a genome-wide association study on 2,244 critically-ill patients due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from 208 intensive care units across the United Kingdom revealed significant host-specific genetic determinants that can predispose people to the severe form of the disease. The report is currently available on the medRxiv preprint server.

28 Sep 2020

Genetic mutations hinder immune response in severe COVID-19

Now, a truly international team of nearly 140 researchers aimed to determine why some people develop severe illness when once infected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19 disease.

28 Sep 2020

Clover Biopharma's new trimeric subunit vaccine candidate prevents COVID-19 in monkeys

The vaccine candidate produced a high level of neutralizing antibodies in animal models. Rhesus macaques immunized with the vaccine candidate showed reduced viral loads in the lungs. The research is published on the preprint server bioRxiv.

28 Sep 2020

Special formulation of inhaled niclosamide may be effective against SARS-CoV-2

Now in new research published on the preprint server bioRxix*, a novel formulation of the drug Niclosamide (NIC) is observed to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV in mouse models; it also protects against methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia and inflammatory lung damage.

28 Sep 2020

Human recombinant soluble ACE2 successfully used in a patient with severe COVID-19

A multinational research group recently published a paper in the journal Lancet Respiratory Medicine which describes the first patient with a severe form of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that was successfully treated with human recombinant soluble ACE2.

27 Sep 2020

ECMO appears to be saving the lives of many critically ill COVID-19 patients

It saved lives in past epidemics of lung-damaging viruses. Now, the life-support option known as ECMO appears to be doing the same for many of the critically ill COVID-19 patients who receive it, according to a new international study.

26 Sep 2020

Ultrapotent antibody mix locks infection machinery, inhibits SARS-CoV-2 attachment to cells

A mix of ultrapotent antibodies from recovered COVID-19 patients has been shown to recognize and lock down the infection machinery of the pandemic coronavirus and keep it from entering cells. Each of the antibody types performs these overlapping tasks slightly differently.

25 Sep 2020

TL1A and its receptor could reduce fibrosis and tissue remodeling in patients with severe lung disease

Your lungs and airways need to be stretchy, sort of like balloons. Take a big breath, and they'll open right up.

25 Sep 2020

Linoleic acid binds SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Now, a team of researchers at the Max Planck-Bristol Center for Minimal Biology and Bristol's School of Biochemistry has identified a druggable pocket in the virus's spike protein that can be used to prevent the infection of cells. The study findings, published in the journal Science, are a groundbreaking discovery that will help develop new therapies and drugs to stem the growing pandemic.

24 Sep 2020

Federal restrictions on corneal donations prevent vision-restoring surgery

Some forms of blindness and visual impairment can be cured with a corneal transplant surgery using donated eye tissue. However, federal regulations in the United States and Canada severely restrict the ability of sexually active gay and bisexual men from donating their eye tissue.

24 Sep 2020

As fires and floods wreak havoc on health, new climate center seeks solutions

For the past month, record-breaking wildfires have torched millions of acres from the Mexican border well into Canada, their smoke producing air so toxic that millions of people remained indoors for days on end while many visited hospitals because of respiratory distress.

24 Sep 2020

AI used to define the cytokine storm implicated in fatal COVID-19

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 reports the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to identify an invariant or universal host immune response found in all viral pandemics so far. The association of this response with severe COVID-19 phenotypes indicates a new understanding of the human immune response in viral pandemics.

24 Sep 2020

Researchers detect pollution particles in the placentas of UK women

Pollution particles, including metals, have been found in the placentas of fifteen women in London, according to research led by Queen Mary University of London.

24 Sep 2020