Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

World Immunization Week 2022: Striving for a Long Life for All with the International Vaccine Institute

As part of World Immunization Week 2022, News Medical speaks to the International Vaccine Institute about their fight against vaccine inequity, as well as what a “Long Life for All” means to them.

25 Apr 2022

Quercetin and other plant flavonols show anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity

A new study discusses the potential of certain plant compounds to block SARS-CoV-2 replication within host cells.

24 Apr 2022

The involvement of the skeletal muscles in long COVID-19

Researchers reviewed the mechanisms of muscle tissue injury, aggravating conditions, and associated sequelae in long COVID‐19.

18 Apr 2022

Mutation-acquiring potential of coronaviruses and efficacies of current COVID-19 vaccines against parent and mutant strains of SARS-CoV-2

Researchers reviewed the antibody resistance exhibited by SARS-CoV-2 variants.

18 Apr 2022

Effects of COVID-19 treatment best with combination therapy

There is a steadily growing arsenal of drugs for COVID-19. Researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) and Freie Universität (FU) Berlin have studied the mechanisms of action of antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs.

15 Apr 2022

Magic mushroom compound helps to 'open up' depressed people's brains after use

Psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms, helps to "open up" depressed people's brains, even after use, enabling brain regions to talk more freely to one another.

11 Apr 2022

SARS-CoV-2 spike S375F mutation triggered the explosive spread of Omicron

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers investigated the mutation in the viral spike (S) protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron BA.1 variant (referred to as Omicron in the present study) that is responsible for the variant’s virological features.

7 Apr 2022

New platform for studying how the immune system responds to hepatitis C

A vaccine for hepatitis C has eluded scientists for more than 30 years, for several reasons. For one, the virus that causes the disease comes in many genetic forms, complicating the creation of a widely effective vaccine.

6 Apr 2022

An in-depth analysis of pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and therapeutic options for COVID-19

Scientists discuss the pathogenic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and available therapeutic interventions for treating COVID-19.

3 Apr 2022

Scientists use new CRISPR gene-editing approach to find paths toward possible HIV cure

Scientists at Northwestern Medicine are using new advances in CRISPR gene-editing technology to uncover new biology that could lead to longer-lasting treatments and new therapeutic strategies for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

1 Apr 2022

NIH program provides a real-time risk assessment of variants of SARS-CoV-2

Faculty from the Departments of Microbiology, Medicine Genetics and Genomic Sciences, and Pathology and Molecular Cell-Based Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai play key roles in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) program set up to provide a real-time risk assessment of variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The program, called SARS-CoV-2 Assessment of Viral Evolution (SAVE) and described in a paper published March 31 in Nature, assesses how the variants might affect transmission, virulence, and resistance to both disease-induced (convalescent) and vaccine-induced immunity.

31 Mar 2022

UMass Amherst research focuses on the benefits of consuming mushrooms

Next time you order a pizza or whip up a creamy risotto, go ahead and load on the mushrooms.

31 Mar 2022

Study sheds light on biomechanistic reasons why allergic asthma correlates with milder forms of COVID-19

An exciting study recently published in the PNAS underscores the role of a well-established cytokine IL-13 in protecting our cells against SARS-CoV-2.

31 Mar 2022

Algal metabolites as novel drugs against viruses

A new review article published in the Journal of Biotechnology has provided information on various nutraceutical metabolites extracted from algae.

29 Mar 2022

Evaluating severity of influenza infection in ferrets with COVID-19 history

In a new study, researchers investigated the effect of SARS-CoV-2 exposure on the severity of influenza in ferrets.

28 Mar 2022

Researcher wins three NIH grants to tackle mosquito-borne viruses

West Nile virus, Usutu virus, Zika virus, and St. Louis encephalitis virus are all transmitted by mosquitoes and cause a significant threat to human health.

23 Mar 2022

Exploring the oligomerizing behavior of SARS-CoV-2 accessory protein 7b

Researchers tested the hypothesis that severe SARS-CoV-2 accessory protein 7b forms oligomers with ion channel activity in lipid and detergent environments.

23 Mar 2022