T Cell News and Research

Latest T Cell News and Research

New compound may provide a basis for drug development against COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, arrived one year ago and turned our lives upside-down.

24 Mar 2021

Three commonly used antiviral drugs potentially effective at preventing replication of SARS-CoV-2

An international team of researchers has found that three commonly used antiviral and antimalarial drugs are effective in vitro at preventing replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

24 Mar 2021

Researchers discover a novel marker of adult human neural stem cells

The mammalian center for learning and memory, hippocampus, has a remarkable capacity to generate new neurons throughout life. Newborn neurons are produced by neural stem cells (NSCs) and they are crucial for forming neural circuits required for learning and memory, and mood control.

24 Mar 2021

Research could lead to a personalized approach for treating sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease is the most prevalent inherited blood disorder in the world, affecting 70,000 to 100,000 Americans. However, it is considered an orphan disease, meaning it impacts less than 200,000 people nationally, and is therefore underrepresented in therapeutic research.

24 Mar 2021

Researchers examine acriflavine's antiviral potential against SARS-CoV-2

Acriflavine is traditionally employed as a topical antiseptic, though has more recently been implicated as an antiviral agent at low doses, potentially by stimulating the production of interferon. In a new study recently uploaded to the bioRxiv* preprint server, the application of the drug to SARS-CoV-2 infection is investigated, demonstrating a broad activity towards a range of other betacoronaviruses.

24 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 can cause persistent dendritic cell deficiencies

In a new study, the persistent influence of SARS-CoV-2 on dendritic cell deficiency seven months post-infection is asserted, and the mechanism of action investigated.

24 Mar 2021

Researchers produce a detailed molecular atlas of lung development

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have produced a detailed molecular atlas of lung development, which is expected to be a fundamental reference in future studies of mammalian biology and of new treatments for diseases, such as COVID-19, that affect the lungs.

24 Mar 2021

Pangolin coronavirus sheds light on UK SARS-CoV-2 variant's evolutionary trajectory

Researchers at the Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, UK, have provided key insights into the characteristics of the B.1.1.7 (or UK) variant of SARS-CoV-2.

24 Mar 2021

Researchers develop innovative biosensor that can detect and quantitate SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers have generated protease-activatable fluorescent and luminescent biosensors for SARS-CoV-2 MPro (main protease) and PLPro (papain-like protease) activity, one based on “flip” GFP (FlipGFP), and the other based on circularly permuted firefly luciferase (FFluc).

24 Mar 2021

Sargramostim drug can also improve memory in people with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease

A new study suggests that Sargramostim, a medication often used to boost white blood cells after cancer treatments, is also effective in treating and improving memory in people with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease.

24 Mar 2021

Modeling study predicts SARS-CoV-2 variants with high receptor binding affinity

A new study adds to the sum of knowledge about SARS-CoV-2, with respect to its natural and biologically significant mutations, using computational modeling of the virus-receptor interactions. Understanding how viral mutations affect the virus-host interactions is crucial for shaping proper strategies to control the virus.

24 Mar 2021

Neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in mice depend on Fc effector function

A new study reports the essential nature of Fc-mediated functionalities in determining the efficacy of such antibodies.

24 Mar 2021

New covalent and non-covalent SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors discovered in silico

A new study describes the use of a combination of virtual and experimental screening protocols to identify potential inhibitors of the virus, which could lead to rapid drug development.

24 Mar 2021

Study provides groundbreaking insights into the passage of sodium ions through potassium channels

Ion selectivity is an important property of cell membrane ion channels. For example, potassium ion channels are more permeable to potassium ions than to sodium ions.

24 Mar 2021

Researchers discover a gene mutation linked to schizophrenia

Researchers at The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, in collaboration with Columbia University, have identified a gene mutation that could result in schizophrenia, a chronic brain disorder that affects nearly one percent of the world’s population. T

24 Mar 2021

Epitope antibody testing is effective in detecting immune responses to SARS-CoV-2

A new preprint study led by Shawn S-C. Li from Western University in Ontario, Canada, provides evidence of epitope-specific antibody responses and designed a test to measure this in relation to disease severity and outcome after infection.

24 Mar 2021

Study may lead to more refined approaches for head and neck cancers

By targeting an enzyme that plays a key role in head and neck cancer cells, researchers from the UCLA School of Dentistry were able to significantly slow the growth and spread of tumors in mice and enhance the effectiveness of an immunotherapy to which these types of cancers often become resistant.

24 Mar 2021

Researchers identify chemicals that keep HIV virus in dormant state

When the human immunodeficiency virus infects cells, it can either exploit the cells to start making more copies of itself or remain dormant--a phenomenon called latency.

24 Mar 2021

Study reveals arsenal used by protozoans to make leishmaniasis more severe

Researchers have succeeded in revealing the arsenal used by protozoans of the genus Leishmania in human cells to make leishmaniasis more severe, especially in cases of the mucocutaneous variety of the disease, which can cause deformations in patients.

24 Mar 2021