Cytokines News and Research

Latest Cytokines News and Research

Researchers identify a bacterium with anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in vitro: Dolosigranulum pigrum

As intensive efforts are on to counter the virus, a new study by an international team of researchers reports the unexpected success of a bacterium in modulating the immune response in the airway and protecting the cells against infection with this virus.

7 Jun 2021

Could sustained inflammation following mild to moderate COVID-19 be a driver of long COVID?

A new study describes the discovery of sustained though low-level rises in inflammatory mediators and immune cells, as well as the loss of some subsets of naïve un-activated cells. This may indicate a widespread though muted immune-mediated inflammatory response in these patients.

7 Jun 2021

Impact of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection on neonatal immunology

Although extensive studies have been carried out on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and evidence exists that pregnant women are at elevated risk of severe COVID-19, the impact of maternal infection on the fetus is not clear. The majority of pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 are asymptomatic or experience mild symptoms.

7 Jun 2021

High baseline levels of inflammatory cytokines linked to thrombotic events in patients with COVID-19

In a recent open-access paper published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, researchers from Iran and Germany show that high baseline levels of inflammatory cytokines measured during admission put patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at increased risk of developing coagulopathy, thrombotic events – and even death.

6 Jun 2021

Standardizable assay detects T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers in the UK have developed a high-throughput standardizable assay that accurately detects T cell responses to infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

6 Jun 2021

Metformin potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2-induced cytokine release in monocytes

An interesting new bioRxiv* preprint reports the suppression of monocyte glycolysis and cytokine production when exposed to the virus, following pretreatment with the commonly used drug, metformin.

6 Jun 2021

Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection imprints immune response in the newborn

A new bioRxiv* preprint reports the immunological footprint in the newborn left by maternal infection with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy.

4 Jun 2021

Mast cell activation may underlie inflammation in severe COVID-19

A new preprint research paper posted to the medRxiv* server points to mast cells as major culprits in the etiology of severe and critical COVID-19. This could suggest suitable therapeutic and preventive interventions to reduce the morbidity and mortality of this viral illness.

3 Jun 2021

Could higher carnitine levels in the blood protect against severe COVID-19?

Researchers at the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU), Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK, found that carnitine and its derivative acetyl-carnitine provide a protective effect against severe COVID-19. Doubling of carnitine or acetyl-carnitine is tied to a 40-percent reduction risk of disease progression.

2 Jun 2021

New vaccine candidate with RBD and N protein targets protects against SARS-CoV-2 in preclinical trials

A recent study published in the journal Science Advances, explores the immunization of RBD with the P2 epitope of tetanus toxoid, to enhance its immunogenicity, and also tests the benefit of N protein in the vaccine.

2 Jun 2021

Mice study shows that Western diet can lead to NASH, liver fibrosis

Apart from lifestyle interventions, there are currently no approved treatments for NASH. A liver transplant is sometimes the only remedy.

2 Jun 2021

Antibody cocktail effectively inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in the rhesus macaque model

Researchers from the US tested the prophylactic potential of a combination of 2 mAbs administered 3 or 75 days before respiratory challenge in rhesus macaques. They used the rhesus macaque model to test the added benefit of combinatory parenteral administration of 2 high-affinity anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs - C144-LS and C135-LS. These mAbs were developed to neutralize the virus and tweaked to improve their pharmacokinetics.

1 Jun 2021

Study offers longitudinal roadmap of immune activation and resolution in mild COVID-19

Researchers from the US recently profiled the longitudinal immune response in mild COVID-19 patients starting with early time points of 1-15 days post-infection through convalescence to over 100 days after onset of symptoms.

1 Jun 2021

Can depression increase the likelihood of rapid kidney function decline?

In a recent study, the presence of depressive symptoms in normally healthy individuals was found to correlate with rapid kidney function decline.

1 Jun 2021

Function and regeneration of dendritic cells impaired in COVID-19

A group of researchers from Germany has investigated and analyzed circulating dendritic cells and monocyte subsets in 65 hospitalized COVID-19 patients with mild to severe presentations of the infection. A variety of patients were included in their study, from those who exhibited minor signs of acute disease to convalescents, as well as healthy controls

31 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 NSP14 induces potent inflammation via NF-κB pathways, finds study

SARS-CoV-2 has a single-stranded RNA genome encoding both structural and non-structural proteins. Of these, the latter is known to play a variety of roles in viral replication and the assembly of new viral particles, as well as in suppressing cellular immune responses. A new study reports the activity of one such protein, the non-structural protein 14 (NSP14), which activates the inflammatory mediator NF-κB to trigger intense inflammation.

31 May 2021

Inflammatory brain injury higher in men with acute COVID-19, finds study

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with both short- and long-term neurologic complications, including stroke, brain fog and persistent tiredness. A new study concludes that the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the central nervous system (CNS) are due to the endothelial injury and inflammation that this produces in the brain.

31 May 2021

Researchers develop “cell encapsulation” technology to stimulate immunity to fight cancer

Immunotherapy techniques developed in oncology to combat cancerous cells have great potential for fighting viruses.

27 May 2021

Vagus nerve stimulation may be a potential adjunct therapy for COVID-19

COVID-19 was initially described as lung inflammation, or pneumonia, in older adults. However, we now know that SARS-CoV-2 infections can cause a wide range of symptoms in people of all ages, ranging from no symptoms at all to systemic inflammation and even death.

27 May 2021

Next-generation SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine candidate elicits powerful immunity in preclinical trials

New research – by scientists at the University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the University of Iowa in the USA – describes a novel COVID-19 vaccine candidate that has achieved impressive immunologic results in mouse studies.

25 May 2021