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Scientists successfully restore circadian function in the liver of arrhythmic mice

Circadian clocks, which regulate the metabolic functions of all living beings over a period of about 24 hours, are one of the most fundamental biological mechanisms.

18 Feb 2021

New SARS-CoV-2 variants resistant to convalescent sera and and monoclonal antibodies

Researchers studying the effect of convalescent sera and monoclonal antibodies from recovered patients found the UK and South African SARS-CoV-2 variants are more resistant to neutralization compared to the wild-type virus.

25 Jan 2021

New data on impact of spike mutations and B117 UK variant on neutralization by mAbs and sera

A recent paper by British and Dutch scientists, currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, shows that the neutralizing activity of monoclonal antibodies can be dramatically reduced by mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein – unlike polyclonal antibodies generated after natural infection that remain active regardless of any introduced amino acid changes.

21 Jan 2021

Could fenofibrate be an effective antiviral against SARS-CoV-2?

The resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2, has led to renewed efforts to find effective antivirals, both newly developed or repurposed drugs. A study reports the efficacy of the cholesterol-reducing drug fenofibrate in reducing infection rates of SARS-CoV-2 in cultured cells.

13 Jan 2021

Discovery of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies from a naïve human Ab library

Now, a new preprint research paper published on the bioRxiv server shows how closely the antibodies formed in exposed humans resemble the germline antibody molecules. This could lead to the development of novel therapeutics to counter the pandemic.

12 Jan 2021

ACE2 receptor is responsible for the wide host range of SARS-CoV-2

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is thought to have a zoonotic origin, perhaps originating in a bat coronavirus with an unknown intermediate host. It is not only very infectious but has been found to infect a wide range of mammals, including dogs, cats, ferrets, hamsters, and minks, besides non-human primates. This range may be still higher, claims a recent preprint that appeared in January 2021 on the bioRxiv server.

6 Jan 2021

A common compound in mouthwashes found to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

Researchers found that cetylpyridinium chloride, found in most mouthwashes, lowers infectivity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro, likely by inhibiting viral fusion with target cells. With more tests to prove validity, mouthwashes could be a simple, cheap way of curbing transmission.

24 Dec 2020

Traditional herbal medicine Respiratory Detox Shot (RDS) inhibits SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A infection in vitro

As researchers continue to search for antivirals to counter COVID-19, a study presents the potential utility of a decoction called Respiratory Detox Shot (RDS).

16 Dec 2020

Reliable Antibodies Testing for SARS-CoV-2

In this interview, Poncho Meisenheimer, VP of R&D at Promega, talks to News-Medical Life Sciences about the importance of having the reliability for SARS-Co-V-2 antibody tests.

From Promega Corporation 15 Dec 2020

Antifungal agent Itraconazole inhibits SARS CoV-2 in vitro

Itraconazole is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that has been shown to have some in vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2 by a team of Belgian and German researchers.

16 Nov 2020

Researchers discover unique anti-cancer function for previously well-characterized protein

The development and progression of cancer is a complicated process that occurs when cells in the body grow out of control. Many different mechanisms and pathways that directly affect cell proliferation have been uncovered.

10 Nov 2020

Study shows brilacidin strongly inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in laboratory cell lines

A recent study by US researchers reveals that brilacidin, a small synthetic molecule with peptide-like properties, exerts potent in vitro antiviral activity against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – both as a standalone treatment and in combination with FDA-approved remdesivir. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

4 Nov 2020

Initial lockdown in France substantially curbed COVID-19, but many remain susceptible to the virus

Now, a new study by researchers at the Santé Publique France conducted seroprevalence estimates in France, one of the countries with high COVID-19 cases in Europe.

22 Oct 2020

Design of an mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles

Now, a new study presented on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 describes the efficient design of an mRNA vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), based on the use of the viral receptor-binding domain (RBD) mRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNP).

19 Oct 2020

Rapid development of functionally diverse SARS-COV-2 mouse monoclonal antibodies

Now, a recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 reports the development of a rapid process for generating high-affinity mouse mAbs, and their functional attributes.

16 Oct 2020

Proteolytic activation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike S1/S2 site

In a recent paper published on the bioRxiv preprint server, Cornell University researchers study the proteolytic activation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike sites, re-evaluating the furin cleavage.

6 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infects human embryonic epithelial and lung cells

As COVID-19 continues to spread the world over, investigators are still trying to understand how it ravages the human body. A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 shows that the virus is capable of infecting human embryonic cells that are destined to form the epithelial surfaces of the body, both internal and external, as well as lung cells.

29 Sep 2020

Bacteria-free method for making SARS-CoV-2 infectious clones

Using a circular polymerase chain reaction, researchers have developed a method for making severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) recombinant virus, with the ability to introduce mutations. The research by Japanese scientists is published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020.

27 Sep 2020

S-pseudotyped VLPs offer promising COVID-19 vaccine platform

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 reports on a Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV) platform that produces VLPs expressing the important spike antigen of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

18 Sep 2020

Optimal antibody combinations and Fc binding inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in vivo

A recent study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The Rockefeller University and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 shows that a combination of neutralizing antibodies with intact Fc effector function can effectively reduce the viral load and prevent infection.

17 Sep 2020