Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Latest Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Is T-cell receptor sequencing a reliable alternative to SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing?

Researchers in the United States have now demonstrated that T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing might provide a reliable alternative to assessing infection in convalescent blood plasma, and may be applicable in the future for applying protective immunity to individuals.

23 Mar 2021

Correlation of antibody titers with COVID-19 vaccine efficacy

In a new study the relationship between virus-neutralizing antibody and spike protein-binding IgG antibody levels is explored following vaccination by one of seven currently deployed vaccines. The findings support the use of antibody titers as correlates of protection for COVID-19 vaccines.

23 Mar 2021

Immunoassay heterogeneity and implications for SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance

In a recent study, scientists have quantified anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels up to 9 months after infection.

23 Mar 2021

A new COVID-19 candidate vaccine induces robust humoral and cellular immune responses in mice

A Korea-based company EyeGene Inc. has recently developed a liposome-based mRNA candidate vaccine against COVID-19, which contains full-length spike protein of the European variant (D614G) of SARS-CoV-2 as a vaccine antigen.

23 Mar 2021

COVID-19 antibodies can protect against reinfection for at least eight months

A new study offers hope that recovered patients from COVID-19 are largely immune to reinfection for at least eight months.

23 Mar 2021

Study suggests SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in breast milk are robust, neutralizing and durable

A new study addresses the issue of passive immunity to SARS-CoV-2 for newborns via breast milk.

23 Mar 2021

Dandelion extract inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

An exciting new study describes a specific inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 found in an extract of the common dandelion that could provide a new and fruitful avenue of drug research.

23 Mar 2021

IONTAS identifies novel SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies

IONTAS Limited (IONTAS) and FairJourney Biologics S.A (FJB)., leaders in the discovery and optimization of fully human antibodies, have announced the identification of neutralizing antibodies, which bind to multiple emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

From FairJourney Biologics 23 Mar 2021

Ai helps identify critical interactions for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding to ACE2

Recently, researchers from the US employed multiple-µs molecular dynamic simulations to compare the relative dynamics, stabilities, and energy differences between the SARS-CoV receptor-binding domain (RBD)-ACE2 and SARS-CoV-2 RBD-ACE2 complexes. The study is published on the preprint server, bioRxiv.

23 Mar 2021

Swiss research shows clusters of SARS-CoV-2 infection are rare within school classes

Researchers from Switzerland recently presented the results of a longitudinal cohort study they conducted in the city of Zurich. The prospective cohort study's key objective was to analyze the longitudinal changes in SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and assess the clustering of seropositive children in school classes from June to November 2020 in Zurich, Switzerland.

23 Mar 2021

Single BNT162b2 mRNA dose induces humoral and T cell responses against mutated variants with a history of COVID-19

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Tauzin et al. (March 18th, 2021) the ability of a single dose of mRNA vaccine to induce humoral and T cell responses against mutated variants are demonstrated and found to be reinforced in individuals with a history of COVID-19.

22 Mar 2021

Simple SARS-CoV-2 mutations allow escape from the majority of polyclonal antibodies

The group identified a single class of antibodies that target a particular epitope on the RBD of SARS-CoV-2, suggesting that the human polyclonal response to SARS-CoV-2 infection is dominated by a worryingly narrow range of antibodies that target an epitope undergoing rapid mutation.

22 Mar 2021

Survey of smokers and vapers in the U.S. during COVID

Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital aimed to understand the changes in cigarette and e-cigarette use behaviors among adults in the United States. They found that a third of cigarette smokers and a quarter of vape or e-cigarette users increased their use during the pandemic, mainly due to stress.

22 Mar 2021

B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant significantly more dangerous

Now, researchers at the University of Exeter, the NHS Foundation Trust, report a significant increase in mortality risk due to the B.1.1.7 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant.

22 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 infection is circadian

An international team of researchers has found that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) levels in lung cells vary over the day, affecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The virus entry and replication in the lung cells also have a rhythmic cycle, suggesting circadian processes can affect the virus's life cycle.

22 Mar 2021

Can SARS-CoV-2 still be transmissible once symptoms have subsided?

Researchers based at the University of Missouri, in partnership with U.S. government science facilities in Maryland, have reported that individuals severely infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be able to continue shedding infectious viral RNA for over three weeks after the symptomatic infection has passed.

22 Mar 2021

A green tea compound shows anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties in vitro

Researchers show the antiviral potential of a green tea compound against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

22 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 variants develop resistance against type I interferons

A study conducted at the University of Colorado and National Institutes of Health, USA, has revealed that the resistance developed by newly emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 against host interferon responses could serve as a potential driving force for viral evolution.

22 Mar 2021

Prediction of antibody responses in recovered COVID-19 patients remains unclear

It is crucial to gain a better understanding of how an antibody response is developed against SARS-CoV-2, and how long it lasts. This will determine the antibody titers and duration that protect against reinfection by the virus. A new preprint on the medRxiv* server shows this to be still a distant goal.

22 Mar 2021