Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Study suggests vitamin B12 as a SARS-CoV-2 antiviral

Researchers in the UK and Spain have used a novel drug screening approach to identify compounds that could serve as effective antivirals against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

28 Jun 2021

UIC researchers offer free rapid diagnostic testing for COVID-19 in vulnerable Chicago communities

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago are offering free rapid diagnostic testing for COVID-19 in vulnerable Chicago communities and performing genomic sequencing on the samples to identify variants.

28 Jun 2021

Specific lung cell exhibits immune properties and improves respiratory viral disease outcomes

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have discovered that a specific type of lung cell exhibits unconventional immune properties and may contribute to the outcome of respiratory viral infections.

28 Jun 2021

DNA sequencing from water and leech bloodmeals helps identify novel mammalian viruses

In a new scientific investigation headed by the German Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, water from African and Mongolian waterholes as well as bloodmeals from Southeast Asian leeches were assessed for the ability to retrieve mammalian viruses without the need to find and catch the mammals.

28 Jun 2021

Connective tissue protein promotes immune responses that fight bacterial infections

A connective tissue protein known to support the framework of organs also encourages immune responses that fight bacterial infections, while restraining responses that can be deadly in the condition called sepsis, a new study finds.

28 Jun 2021

Novel approach to molecular drug design paves way for promising bladder cancer therapy

A new approach to molecular drug design has yielded a highly promising bladder cancer drug, which induced rapid shedding of tumor cells and resulted in a significant reduction in tumour size when used in clinical trials.

28 Jun 2021

RAMBO can cut indexing times for huge DNA databases

Rice University computer scientists are sending RAMBO to rescue genomic researchers who sometimes wait days or weeks for search results from enormous DNA databases.

28 Jun 2021

Researcher receives $2.5 million award to curb HIV infection among people who inject drugs

International organizations and countries around the world are working to eliminate HIV/AIDS by 2030. To reach this goal, new approaches are needed--particularly among difficult-to-reach groups such as people who inject drugs (PWID), who are 30 times more likely to contract HIV/AIDS compared with the general population.

28 Jun 2021

Philippines stamps out polio outbreak after a 16-month drive

COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy did not stop the Philippines from stamping out a polio outbreak in a 16-month drive that ended June 2021, a feat commended by WHO and UNICEF.

28 Jun 2021

People living with HIV/AIDS more likely to have suicidal thoughts and die from suicide

A new study by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine indicates that people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) - approximately 38 million worldwide - are more likely to have suicidal thoughts and die from suicide than members of the general population.

28 Jun 2021

Novel face mask can diagnose Covid-19 in 90 minutes

Engineers at MIT and Harvard University have designed a novel face mask that can diagnose the wearer with Covid-19 within about 90 minutes. The masks are embedded with tiny, disposable sensors that can be fitted into other face masks and could also be adapted to detect other viruses.

28 Jun 2021

UK study finds SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in domestic cats and dogs

Researchers analyzed sera from pet cats and dogs and found them to have developed antibodies against the virus later on during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings suggest that viral prevalence among the human populations could have led to the pets becoming infected.

28 Jun 2021

Study associates higher antibody titers with naïve B cells post-mRNA vaccination

Researchers compared peripheral blood mononuclear cells in people with high and low antibody titers after two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech (BNT162b2) mRNA vaccine. They found a positive correlation between naïve B cells present before vaccination and high antibody titers.

28 Jun 2021

What have been the main drivers of COVID-19's rapid spread in Brazil?

New research suggests that if a lockdown had been imposed earlier on in superspreader cities like São Paulo, mandatory road traffic restrictions had been enforced, and ICU beds had been allocated more equitably across geographical regions, Brazil’s experience of the COVID-19 pandemic might have been mitigated.

28 Jun 2021

Study finds minimal SARS-CoV-2 viral load in vaginal secretions

The virus has also been observed to be present in blood, urine, feces, and tears, though not in semen. Vaginal secretions have not been consistently shown to be positive for the virus in most studies. The authors of a new study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine affirm that the presence of the virus in the vagina is rare, irrespective of pregnancy.

28 Jun 2021

Resting heart rate variability predicts emotional resilience during COVID-19 restrictions

An interesting new study available as a preprint on the medRxiv* server suggests that vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is a physiological marker of resilience to stress by indicating how well an individual handles the emotions when faced with changes in the surroundings.

28 Jun 2021

Could microalgae-derived antiviral compounds combat SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses?

A new review article published in the journal Antibiotics reports the presence of a large number of bioactive compounds in microalgae that target chemical structures present only in their structure.

28 Jun 2021

Vaccines and drugs must be adapted to combat emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, says study

A new review of the emerging variants of concern (VOCs) of the SARS-CoV-2, which has caused the COVID-19 pandemic, shows that there is a major need to constantly re-evaluate the utility of existing therapeutics and vaccines against the virus and to develop new ones.

28 Jun 2021

COVID-19 patients with traumatic injuries have six times higher risk of complications, death

In addition to sickening and taking the lives of millions across the globe, COVID-19 complicated patient care in a range of less-direct ways, from increased incidence of heart attacks to decreased cancer screenings.

28 Jun 2021

Tocilizumab and sarilumab shown to be effective in critical COVID-19

A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, describes how a team of researchers from the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands explored the efficacy of four monoclonal antibodies that antagonize powerful pro-inflammatory pathways. The team sought to determine which were useful in treating critically ill COVID-19 patients on organ support.

28 Jun 2021

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Study suggests vitamin B12 as a SARS-CoV-2 antiviral

UIC researchers offer free rapid diagnostic testing for COVID-19 in vulnerable Chicago communities

Specific lung cell exhibits immune properties and improves respiratory viral disease outcomes

DNA sequencing from water and leech bloodmeals helps identify novel mammalian viruses

Connective tissue protein promotes immune responses that fight bacterial infections

Novel approach to molecular drug design paves way for promising bladder cancer therapy

RAMBO can cut indexing times for huge DNA databases

Researcher receives $2.5 million award to curb HIV infection among people who inject drugs

Philippines stamps out polio outbreak after a 16-month drive

People living with HIV/AIDS more likely to have suicidal thoughts and die from suicide

Novel face mask can diagnose Covid-19 in 90 minutes

UK study finds SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in domestic cats and dogs

Study associates higher antibody titers with naïve B cells post-mRNA vaccination

What have been the main drivers of COVID-19's rapid spread in Brazil?

Study finds minimal SARS-CoV-2 viral load in vaginal secretions

Resting heart rate variability predicts emotional resilience during COVID-19 restrictions

Could microalgae-derived antiviral compounds combat SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses?

Vaccines and drugs must be adapted to combat emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, says study

COVID-19 patients with traumatic injuries have six times higher risk of complications, death

Tocilizumab and sarilumab shown to be effective in critical COVID-19

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

Innovating for impact: Jordi Labs on aligning methodologies with FDA expectation

Exploring the role of confocal-based high-content imaging in advancing core facilities

Transforming Cardiovascular Care: Insights from Mina Makar at AstraZeneca

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

Innovating for impact: Jordi Labs on aligning methodologies with FDA expectation

Exploring the role of confocal-based high-content imaging in advancing core facilities

Transforming Cardiovascular Care: Insights from Mina Makar at AstraZeneca

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