Spike Protein News and Research

RSS

DNA on-off switches for SARS-CoV-2 host receptor as potential therapeutic targets

Researchers in the United States and Canada have identified DNA on/off “switches” within the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) gene that may control the expression of this host cell receptor before, during and after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

9 Jun 2021

Smoking and vaping increase ACE2 levels and virus spike binding in airway epithelium

A new bioRxiv preprint attempts to make some sense of why certain people experience more severe forms of COVID-19 as compared to others by pointing to the increase in virus binding that occurs in the presence of smoking or vaping.

9 Jun 2021

Researchers in Canada conduct a comparative study of household secondary attack rates connected with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Scientists are considering a third surge in COVID-19 incidence owing to the emergence of highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC). SARS-CoV-2 is the causal agent of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these VOCs have been reported to have a rate of transmission much higher than the infectivity of the ancestral strain that had emerged in Wuhan, China, in 2019.

9 Jun 2021

What are the challenges of SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance in COVID-19 vaccine recipients?

An opinion paper by researchers from the US and Italy recently discussed various aspects of monitoring anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies before and after receiving COVID-19 vaccination to highlight the pros and cons of this monitoring strategy. This paper is published in the open-access journal Diagnostics.

9 Jun 2021

Mix and match COVID-19 vaccines safe and effective: German study

A new preprint study posted to the medRxiv* server shows an AstraZeneca’s ChAdOx1-nCov-19 and Pfizer/BioNTech BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine combination is immunologically superior to two AstraZeneca ChAdOx1-nCov-19 doses.

9 Jun 2021

Senolytics reduce inflammation, illness, and mortality from COVID in older mice

Mayo Clinic researchers and colleagues at the University of Minnesota showed that COVID-19 exacerbates the damaging impact of senescent cells in the body.

9 Jun 2021

Potent antibody responses to BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine among Japanese healthcare workers

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv* by Nakajima et al. (June 4th, 2021), the antibody responses of over 2,000 Japanese healthcare workers were tracked over a period of several months, with particular regard to serum Immunoglobulin G (IgG) against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

8 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.345 variant carrying E484K mutation detected in New York

The report, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, revealed that the variant detected has been spreading at an alarming rate since November. By February 2021, it accounted for 12.3 percent of all cases in the area.

8 Jun 2021

New atomic-level model helps explain how SARS-CoV-2 causes extensive lung damage

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have published the first detailed atomic-level model of the SARS-CoV-2 "envelope" protein bound to a human protein essential for maintaining the lining of the lungs.

8 Jun 2021

How SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 adapted to evade innate immunity

Researchers in the United States and the UK have conducted a study showing how the B.1.1.7 (Alpha) lineage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) adapted to suppress host innate immune responses in lung epithelial cells.

8 Jun 2021

Researchers identify a novel host-directed therapeutic approach to COVID-19

Researchers in the UK have demonstrated the potential of modulating the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a novel host-directed therapeutic approach to protecting against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

8 Jun 2021

MIT researchers develop a molecular assay to detect sub-picomolar levels of the SARS-CoV-2's receptor-binding domain

A team of researchers at MIT has developed a molecular assay to detect sub-picomolar levels of the SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein receptor-binding domain (S-RBD) using computationally validated peptide beacons in a single-step detection through the production of a fluorescence signal.

8 Jun 2021

Cell-to-cell contact helps in spreading SARS-CoV-2, finds study

People aren’t the only ones who should be social distancing — new research shows our cells need to as well. Researchers from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, USA, used in-culture techniques to confirm SARS-CoV-2 transmission via cell-to-cell contact.

8 Jun 2021

NIH researchers identify novel small molecule inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 variants

A team of scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, has recently identified six novel small molecule inhibitors of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

8 Jun 2021

Distinct spike protein mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variant in Russia

Additionally, a novel variant has recently been characterized by researchers from Russia in the journal Viruses. The variant, first discovered in January 2021 in Northwest Russia, is characterized by distinct spike protein mutations.

7 Jun 2021

New research identifies protein as therapeutic anti-viral target for COVID-19

New research identified a novel interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and the galectin-3-binding protein (LGALS3BP) which could be a new therapeutic anti-viral target.

7 Jun 2021

The genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 in the USA

In a research paper recently uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv by Capoferri et al. (June 4th, 2021), the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 through each phase is examined in detail using publicly available genomic data available from before 2021, highlighting the need to continuously track and assess the evolution of the virus to ensure the future efficacy of the currently available vaccines.

7 Jun 2021

Could COVID-19 vaccinations or prior infections protect against other coronaviruses?

A new study provides encouraging proof of the feasibility of this project, showing that both natural infection with and vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 are associated with an increase in cross-reactive antibodies against other CoVs.

7 Jun 2021

Seroprevalence study of SARS-CoV-2 infection in domestic cats

To monitor the occurrence of trans-species transmission, researchers from the Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Germany, conducted a survey of seroprevalence in domestic cats.

7 Jun 2021

Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 with a single dose skin patch

Researchers from Australia recently reported a high-density microarray patch used to deliver a SARS-CoV-2 spike subunit vaccine to the skin directly. They used a combination of a SARS-CoV-2 spike protein vaccine candidate and the high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP) vaccine delivery platform.

7 Jun 2021

Spike Protein News and Research

DNA on-off switches for SARS-CoV-2 host receptor as potential therapeutic targets

Smoking and vaping increase ACE2 levels and virus spike binding in airway epithelium

Researchers in Canada conduct a comparative study of household secondary attack rates connected with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

What are the challenges of SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance in COVID-19 vaccine recipients?

Mix and match COVID-19 vaccines safe and effective: German study

Senolytics reduce inflammation, illness, and mortality from COVID in older mice

Potent antibody responses to BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine among Japanese healthcare workers

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.345 variant carrying E484K mutation detected in New York

New atomic-level model helps explain how SARS-CoV-2 causes extensive lung damage

How SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 adapted to evade innate immunity

Researchers identify a novel host-directed therapeutic approach to COVID-19

MIT researchers develop a molecular assay to detect sub-picomolar levels of the SARS-CoV-2's receptor-binding domain

Cell-to-cell contact helps in spreading SARS-CoV-2, finds study

NIH researchers identify novel small molecule inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 variants

Distinct spike protein mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variant in Russia

New research identifies protein as therapeutic anti-viral target for COVID-19

The genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 in the USA

Could COVID-19 vaccinations or prior infections protect against other coronaviruses?

Seroprevalence study of SARS-CoV-2 infection in domestic cats

Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 with a single dose skin patch

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Latest News