Polymerase Chain Reaction News and Research

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Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a revolutionary laboratory technique that enables the replication of a specific DNA sequence. Using PCR, millions of copies of a target DNA can be easily synthesized within a short period of time.

Man takes 217 COVID vaccines with no ill effects, shows immune boost

A case report of a 62-year-old man receiving 217 SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations over 29 months reveals no adverse effects, increased T-cells, and spike-specific antibodies, providing unique insights into the effects of hyper-vaccination on immune responses.

7 Mar 2024

Understanding long COVID: A call for better diagnosis and treatment

A recent review in Nature Reviews Microbiology summarizes the complex mechanisms, significant impacts, and the urgent need for enhanced diagnostics and treatments for long COVID, affecting over 65 million people globally with diverse, debilitating symptoms and systemic health issues.

7 Mar 2024

Association of estrogen-containing menopause hormonal therapy with COVID-19 mortality

Researchers evaluated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related mortality among perimenopausal women.

29 Feb 2024

Scientists uncover a new doorway for SARS-CoV-2 into human cells

Research identifies the human transferrin receptor as an alternative pathway for SARS-CoV-2 infection, offering potential new targets for COVID-19 therapies.

27 Feb 2024

Zika virus detected in Singapore neighborhood: 15 cases spark renewed vigilance

Entomological, wastewater, and case surveillance of the Zika virus (ZIKV) in Singapore.

26 Feb 2024

Study reveals how long COVID can affect brain function through vascular disruption

The neurological response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be due to brain-brain barrier (BBB) disruption.

26 Feb 2024

Elevated IFN-γ levels linked to long COVID, study finds

Researchers find elevated IFN-γ levels in long COVID patients, with symptom improvement correlating with decreased IFN-γ, suggesting it as a potential biomarker and target for therapeutic intervention.

22 Feb 2024

Study reveals seasonal MERS-CoV peaks in Kenyan camels and potential human transmission

Researchers found biphasic peaks of MERS-CoV in dromedaries in Kenya, with evidence of serologic exposure among slaughterhouse workers, highlighting potential human transmission risks.

18 Feb 2024

Home-administered COVID-19 rapid antigen tests show comparable accuracy to clinician-performed tests

In a study involving nearly 1,000 patients seen at the Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital (BCCFH) during a five-month period in 2022 -; researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine, the University of Maryland School of Medicine and five other collaborators report that a rapid antigen test (RAT) for detecting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can be used at home with accuracy comparable to the same test being administered by a health care professional.

13 Feb 2024

CARB-X awards $1.8 million to Visby Medical to develop a portable rapid PCR test for gonorrhea

Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) will award up to US$1.8 million to biotechnology company, Visby Medical, to develop a portable rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic to detect the presence of the pathogen that causes gonorrhea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and its susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, a former frontline oral antibiotic that can no longer treat resistant NG.

9 Feb 2024

New cervical cancer detection method promises to reduce unnecessary screenings

The BMC Medicine study introduces the CerMe detection method, using PCDHGB7 hypermethylation to effectively triage high-risk HPV-positive women, potentially reducing unnecessary colposcopy referrals.

8 Feb 2024

AI's ability to detect COVID-19 from coughs faces real-world challenges

A Nature Machine Intelligence study reveals that while AI classifiers can predict COVID-19 from audio recordings, their effectiveness diminishes when accounting for confounding factors, highlighting the challenges in applying AI diagnostics in real-world settings.

8 Feb 2024

Study reveals high insomnia rates in non-hospitalized COVID-19 survivors

Researchers investigated insomnia prevalence and its association with anxiety and depression in the non-hospitalized COVID-19-recovered community.

7 Feb 2024

New study sheds light on sex differences in allergic airway inflammation

Researchers explored how sex hormones and chromosomes influence allergic inflammation and gene expression in four-core genotype (FCG) mice exposed to house dust mites (HDMs).

7 Feb 2024

Resveratrol can combat Alzheimer's via inflammatory suppression, study shows

Study demonstrates Resveratrol's ability to mitigate Alzheimer's Disease (AD) symptoms by inhibiting proinflammatory responses and promoting antioxidant enzyme expression in microglial cell lines, offering insights into its neuroprotective mechanisms.

5 Feb 2024

Long-COVID recovery insight: Fatigue and cognitive deficits improve over two years

Study reveals improvements in cognitive deficits and fatigue among long-COVID patients over two years, with specific risk factors like depressive symptoms and old age predicting non-recovery.

5 Feb 2024

XBB.1.5 updated COVID vaccine booster offers 54% increased protection against symptomatic infection

Early estimates show the 2023-24 updated monovalent XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine offers significant protection against symptomatic infection, with effectiveness varying by age and time since vaccination.

4 Feb 2024

New sequencing tool speeds up SARS-CoV-2 outbreak response and informs treatment

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. In the context of two Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks involving local transmission and an international flight, the authors of this article used meta-transcriptome and multi-amplicon sequencing to successfully acquire the complete viral genome sequences from clinical samples with varying viral loads.

1 Feb 2024

Immunocompromised patients show prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection and unique mutations

study identifies risk factors for prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection in immunocompromised patients, revealing that B-cell dysfunction, solid organ transplantation, and AIDS lead to longer infections and unique spike mutations.

31 Jan 2024

Immune protein Ku70 key in fighting bowel cancer

Study establishes Ku70's role in tumor suppression, showing that reduced expression or mutations in this DNA repair protein significantly increase intestinal cancer risk.

30 Jan 2024