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Research suggests St. John's Wort and Echinacea could protect against COVID-19

Researchers in Saudi Arabia have conducted a study demonstrating the antiviral effects of two medicinal herbs against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

17 Jan 2021

Scientists identify sensor in human lungs that detects SARS-CoV-2

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have identified the sensor in human lungs that detects SARS-CoV-2 and signals that it's time to mount an antiviral response.

13 Jan 2021

Could Vitamin D be an effective adjuvant to help mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic?

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the globe, there is a dire need for effective and safe therapeutics and vaccines. Overall, the pandemic has infected more than 90.87 million people and taken more 1.94 million lives.

12 Jan 2021

Researchers identify shorter form of ACE2 that lacks SARS-CoV-2 binding site

A shadow over the promising inhaled interferon beta COVID-19 therapy has been cleared with the discovery that although it appears to increase levels of ACE2 protein - coronavirus' key entry point into nose and lung cells - it predominantly increases levels of a short version of that protein, which the virus cannot bind to.

12 Jan 2021

Researchers demonstrate SARS-CoV-2 infection in human lung bronchioalveolar tissue model

Development of an in vitro human-derived tissue model for studying virus infection and disease progression in the alveolar cells of the lungs responsible for oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange with the blood might enable the study of possible therapies for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) triggered by SARS-CoV-2.

11 Jan 2021

Could Ivermectin be an effective antiviral against SARS-CoV-2?

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial has recently demonstrated that Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug, can reduce in-hospital mortality rate of COVID-19 patients.

11 Jan 2021

SARS-CoV-2-induced innate immune responses may vary with disease severity, finds study

Scientists from Germany and China recently conducted a large meta-analysis using transcriptome data of SARS-CoV-2 to evaluate the routes of viral entry and the characteristics of innate immune responses induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection.

11 Jan 2021

Tetherin downregulation by SARS-CoV-2 enhances viral spread

A new preprint research paper published on the bioRxiv server describes the role of a host protein called tetherin in the spread of the novel coronavirus.

10 Jan 2021

Potential role of chitinase 3-like-1 in severity of COVID-19

Now, an intriguing preprint research paper on the bioRxiv server reports the identification of an enzyme called chitinase 3-like-1 (CHI3L1) that mediates this age-dependent impact of the virus and could serve as a powerful therapeutic approach in mitigating the severity of COVID-19 in this high-risk group.

7 Jan 2021

Antibodies and inflammatory markers are pervasive in colostrum of SARS-CoV-2 infected women

A recent study, currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server, is among the first to reveal the presence of antibodies against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in colostrum and to demonstrate elevated cytokine levels in colostrum from women exposed to the virus.

7 Jan 2021

Common gene expression changes at target tissues of four autoimmune diseases found

Autoimmune diseases are diseases of "mistaken identity", where the immune system - which is supposed to protect us against infectious diseases and neoplasias - mistakenly attacks and destroys components of our own body.

7 Jan 2021

New approach can help identify novel treatments for autoimmune diseases

A team of researchers led by the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute Diabetes Center's Scientific Director Decio L. Eizirik, MD, PhD, has found that identifying new treatments for autoimmune diseases requires studying together the immune system AND target tissues.

7 Jan 2021

Researchers identify the missing link between intestinal disease and brain injury in premature infants

Physicians have long known that necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a potentially lethal inflammatory condition that destroys a premature infant's intestinal lining, is often connected to the development of severe brain injury in those infants who survive.

6 Jan 2021

Disulfide-reducing agents demonstrate potential antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2

Researchers recently demonstrated that chemical agents capable of reducing disulfide (S-S) bonds can be potentially used as antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2, the causative pathogen of COVID-19.

6 Jan 2021

Modified Vaccinia Ankara model vaccine prevents COVID-19 in transgenic mice study

A new study shows the effectiveness of a novel recombinant vaccinia virus that expresses modified SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen, in preventing the replication of the virus in the respiratory tract of transgenic mice, and to prevent lethal disease.

6 Jan 2021

Researchers identify natural products with potential to disrupt viral spread

Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California San Diego have broken down the genomic and life history traits of three classes of viruses that have caused endemic and global pandemics in the past and identify natural products - compounds produced in nature - with the potential to disrupt their spread.

5 Jan 2021

Tissue healing after brain injury could spur tumor growth

The healing process that follows a brain injury could spur tumor growth when new cells generated to replace those lost to the injury are derailed by mutations, Toronto scientists have found.

4 Jan 2021

New cell therapy can boost immunotherapy against breast cancer

Boosting immune system T cells to effectively attack solid tumors, such as breast cancers, can be done by adding a small molecule to a treatment procedure called chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cell therapy, according to a study by researchers at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

4 Jan 2021

Kobe University and Sysmex conduct joint research on ELISPOT method for identifying COVID-19

Kobe University and Sysmex Corporation have been engaged in joint research on the ELISPOT method, a new blood test for identifying the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

24 Dec 2020

SARS-CoV-2 mutations may evade T cell immunity

A potentially disturbing new study suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may be undergoing strategic mutations that affect the host immune capacity to recognize and combat the pathogen via T effector cells.

23 Dec 2020

Interferon News and Research

Research suggests St. John's Wort and Echinacea could protect against COVID-19

Scientists identify sensor in human lungs that detects SARS-CoV-2

Could Vitamin D be an effective adjuvant to help mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic?

Researchers identify shorter form of ACE2 that lacks SARS-CoV-2 binding site

Researchers demonstrate SARS-CoV-2 infection in human lung bronchioalveolar tissue model

Could Ivermectin be an effective antiviral against SARS-CoV-2?

SARS-CoV-2-induced innate immune responses may vary with disease severity, finds study

Tetherin downregulation by SARS-CoV-2 enhances viral spread

Potential role of chitinase 3-like-1 in severity of COVID-19

Antibodies and inflammatory markers are pervasive in colostrum of SARS-CoV-2 infected women

Common gene expression changes at target tissues of four autoimmune diseases found

New approach can help identify novel treatments for autoimmune diseases

Researchers identify the missing link between intestinal disease and brain injury in premature infants

Disulfide-reducing agents demonstrate potential antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2

Modified Vaccinia Ankara model vaccine prevents COVID-19 in transgenic mice study

Researchers identify natural products with potential to disrupt viral spread

Tissue healing after brain injury could spur tumor growth

New cell therapy can boost immunotherapy against breast cancer

Kobe University and Sysmex conduct joint research on ELISPOT method for identifying COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 mutations may evade T cell immunity

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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