Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Eldelumab and Fenofibrate show potential for COVID-19

In a new study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Barrow Neurological Institute report the results of their analysis of several RNA-Seq studies and used computational approaches to discover potential drugs against COVID-19.

10 Jun 2021

Trained dogs can accurately identify COVID-19 by scent

An interesting new medRxiv* preprint reveals that with careful training, the exquisite scent sensitivity of dogs may be exploited to rule out the presence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in human beings in real-time.

9 Jun 2021

Warmer conditions are not enough to prevent COVID-19 transmission, research shows

New research shows transmission of the virus behind COVID-19 varies seasonally, but warmer conditions are not enough to prevent transmission.

9 Jun 2021

DNA on-off switches for SARS-CoV-2 host receptor as potential therapeutic targets

Researchers in the United States and Canada have identified DNA on/off “switches” within the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) gene that may control the expression of this host cell receptor before, during and after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

9 Jun 2021

Cold winter temperatures may accelerate spread of SARS-CoV-2

Writing in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, the team from Weifang Medical University said: “We believe that the low-temperature environment in winter may accelerate the spread of the outbreak and that new outbreaks may occur.”

9 Jun 2021

Smoking and vaping increase ACE2 levels and virus spike binding in airway epithelium

A new bioRxiv preprint attempts to make some sense of why certain people experience more severe forms of COVID-19 as compared to others by pointing to the increase in virus binding that occurs in the presence of smoking or vaping.

9 Jun 2021

Clinical trial investigates effectiveness of delivering HIV, substance use care through mobile clinics

A clinical trial is underway in five U.S. cities to determine whether delivering integrated health services through mobile clinics can improve HIV and substance use outcomes among people with opioid use disorder who inject drugs.

9 Jun 2021

Researchers review the therapeutic potential of resveratrol nasal formulations in COVID-19

In a recently published article in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, scientists have reviewed the existing literature on antiviral and anti-inflammatory efficacy of resveratrol-based inhaled formulations in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection and reducing COVID-19 severity.

9 Jun 2021

Structural analogs of triterpenoids show strong inhibitory activity against coronaviruses

In a recent study published in the journal Pathogens, researchers carried out a molecular docking study for 17 structural analogs prepared from natural maslinic and oleanolic acids and screened them against SARS-CoV-2 main protease. They also experimentally validated the data by determining the half-maximal cytotoxic and inhibitory concentrations of each of the 17 compounds. The researchers investigated whether the compound with antiviral activity affected viral adsorption, replication, or viricidal effect using a plaque infectivity reduction assay.

9 Jun 2021

What are the challenges of SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance in COVID-19 vaccine recipients?

An opinion paper by researchers from the US and Italy recently discussed various aspects of monitoring anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies before and after receiving COVID-19 vaccination to highlight the pros and cons of this monitoring strategy. This paper is published in the open-access journal Diagnostics.

9 Jun 2021

A closer look at how COVID-19 damages human lungs

A recent study conducted at the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory provides the first atomic-level detailed model of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) envelope protein when bound to human proteins within the lungs. The study was recently published in Nature Communications.

9 Jun 2021

New technology allows rapid analysis and mapping of new potential virus variants

Variants of viruses, such as that causing COVID-19, can now be quickly studied in the laboratory, even before they emerge in nature and become a major public health challenge.

9 Jun 2021

Potent antibody responses to BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine among Japanese healthcare workers

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv* by Nakajima et al. (June 4th, 2021), the antibody responses of over 2,000 Japanese healthcare workers were tracked over a period of several months, with particular regard to serum Immunoglobulin G (IgG) against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

8 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.345 variant carrying E484K mutation detected in New York

The report, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, revealed that the variant detected has been spreading at an alarming rate since November. By February 2021, it accounted for 12.3 percent of all cases in the area.

8 Jun 2021

New atomic-level model helps explain how SARS-CoV-2 causes extensive lung damage

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have published the first detailed atomic-level model of the SARS-CoV-2 "envelope" protein bound to a human protein essential for maintaining the lining of the lungs.

8 Jun 2021

TSMC grant could boost TGen's efforts to track SARS-CoV-2 variants

The Translational Genomics Research Institute, an affiliate of City of Hope, today announced a substantial grant from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., one of the world's largest manufacturers of computer chips, to help TGen sustain Arizona's fight against COVID-19.

8 Jun 2021

Increased primary healthcare need for up to six months in children post-COVID-19

A new medRxiv* preprint describes the increasing use of primary healthcare among these children even after the acute phase of COVID-19, with pre-schoolers showing the most prolonged rise in primary healthcare visits.

8 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 immunity persists for up to 11 months after natural infection

The study, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, determined how circulating antibody levels change after being infected with SARS-CoV-2.

8 Jun 2021

COVID-19 projections after California's reopening

A new medrxiv* preprint shows how important equitable and widespread vaccination is in preventing a resurgence of cases and deaths once restrictions on social interactions are lifted.

8 Jun 2021

The potential of mRNA vaccines for a wide range of diseases

A new review article published in the journal Briefings in Functional Genomics focuses on the general characteristic features and mechanisms of mRNA vaccines. Further, this review has summarized the current progress of mRNA vaccines that have been developed for wide-ranging diseases, including COVID-19 disease.

8 Jun 2021

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Eldelumab and Fenofibrate show potential for COVID-19

Trained dogs can accurately identify COVID-19 by scent

Warmer conditions are not enough to prevent COVID-19 transmission, research shows

DNA on-off switches for SARS-CoV-2 host receptor as potential therapeutic targets

Cold winter temperatures may accelerate spread of SARS-CoV-2

Smoking and vaping increase ACE2 levels and virus spike binding in airway epithelium

Clinical trial investigates effectiveness of delivering HIV, substance use care through mobile clinics

Researchers review the therapeutic potential of resveratrol nasal formulations in COVID-19

Structural analogs of triterpenoids show strong inhibitory activity against coronaviruses

What are the challenges of SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance in COVID-19 vaccine recipients?

A closer look at how COVID-19 damages human lungs

New technology allows rapid analysis and mapping of new potential virus variants

Potent antibody responses to BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine among Japanese healthcare workers

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.345 variant carrying E484K mutation detected in New York

New atomic-level model helps explain how SARS-CoV-2 causes extensive lung damage

TSMC grant could boost TGen's efforts to track SARS-CoV-2 variants

Increased primary healthcare need for up to six months in children post-COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 immunity persists for up to 11 months after natural infection

COVID-19 projections after California's reopening

The potential of mRNA vaccines for a wide range of diseases

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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