SARS CoV 2 News and Research

RSS

Important structures of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro protease

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is changing the world like never before. This crisis is unlikely contained in the absence of effective therapeutics or vaccine.

27 Oct 2020

Research on autophagy and coronavirus, implicates ULK1

Researchers from the University of British Columbia have discovered that the betacoronavirus-encoded papain-like protease disrupts autophagy, partly by targeting ULK1. Their work is reported on the preprint server bioRxiv* in October 2020.

27 Oct 2020

Scientists identify new therapeutic targets for SARS-CoV-2

To identify new potential therapeutic targets for SARS-CoV-2, a team of scientists at the New York Genome Center, New York University, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, performed a genome-scale, loss-of-function CRISPR screen to systematically knockout all genes in the human genome.

27 Oct 2020

Study: SARS-CoV-2 virus adopts new strategy to ensure its replication, spread

Since COVID-19 began its menacing march across Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and then across the world, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has taken a "whatever works" strategy to ensure its replication and spread.

27 Oct 2020

Impact of natural and vaccine-induced immunity could shape the future trajectory of COVID-19

New research suggests that the impact of natural and vaccine-induced immunity will be key factors in shaping the future trajectory of the global coronavirus pandemic, known as COVID-19.

27 Oct 2020

Lung biomarkers may predict severe COVID-19

Two University of New Mexico researchers postulate certain specific biomarkers' relevance in predicting the potential for progression to severe COVID-19 in a paper published on the preprint server bioRxiv*

27 Oct 2020

Frequent testing and isolation/quarantine essential to contain COVID-19

A recent study by researchers at Virginia Tech and Central China Normal University published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 discusses the various interventions required and the level of control required, whether to flatten the curve or reduce the case number.

27 Oct 2020

Researchers identify effective way to protect vulnerable people from COVID-19

T-cells taken from the blood of people who recovered from a COVID-19 infection can be successfully multiplied in the lab and maintain the ability to effectively target proteins that are key to the virus's function, according to a new study published Oct. 26 in Blood.

27 Oct 2020

Genome-wide screens reveal new helpful and harmful COVID-19 related genes

Researchers at Yale University and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard screened hundreds of millions of cells exposed to the COVID-19 and MERS viruses and identified dozens of genes that both enable the viruses to replicate in cells and also those that seem to slam the door on the virus.

27 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 is mainly spread in households and household-like settings

Ten months into the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, health experts have a good understanding of how the virus spreads. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads through respiratory droplets and aerosols and enters the body through the mouth, nose, and eyes.

27 Oct 2020

COVID-19 antibiotic risk factors

Now, a team of researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center aimed to determine antibiotic prescribing rates and risk factors for antibiotic prescribing in hospitalized patients. They found that almost one-third of patients received more than one course of antibiotics.

27 Oct 2020

10-24-year-olds are as susceptible to COVID-19 as older adults

In an attempt to replicate the results of previous studies, a team of researchers performed statistical analyses on COVID-19 prevalence data from the U.S. to compare the number of cases in adolescents and youth to that in older adults. Their work is published on the preprint server medRxiv.

27 Oct 2020

New research on small non-coding RNAs and SARS-CoV-2

A recently published mini-review in the Frontiers in Microbiology on the altered expression of small non-coding RNAs during coronavirus-mediated infections.

26 Oct 2020

Phase 1 trial results of gorilla adenovirus vaccine for COVID-19

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in October 2020 reports the development of a novel vaccine based on a simian adenoviral vector obtained from a group C gorilla isolate called GRAd32. This could help speed up vaccine development.

26 Oct 2020

Researchers generate a transcriptomic map of the COVID brain

COVID-19 is known to be associated with multiple changes in gene expression, but many of these are also seen in chronic brain conditions as well as in some abnormal mental conditions. A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 uncovers the molecular basis of this association.

26 Oct 2020

New peptide derivatives that target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

In a new study published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, researchers report peptide derivatives, or peptidomimetics, based on the circle residues involved in the interaction of the spike protein and ACE2.

26 Oct 2020

Transcriptomics identifies possible COVID-19 therapies

By using a diverse set of transcriptomic SARS-CoV-2 signatures, US researchers put to use their previously developed drug repositioning pipeline to pinpoint potential drug candidates for the treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The study is currently available on bioRxiv preprint server.

26 Oct 2020

Study suggests 5’UTR of SARS-CoV-2 might be of pangolin coronavirus origin

Findings from a new genomic sequencing study support the hypothesis that the pangolin was the intermediate host for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that enabled transmission of the virus to humans.

26 Oct 2020

Nasal spray formulation of ivermectin for COVID-19 shows promise in pigs

Researchers in Argentina have conducted a pre-clinical study demonstrating the safety and pharmacokinetic performance of a new nasal spray formulation designed to suppress the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

26 Oct 2020