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Genetic marker linked to higher risk of death in COVID-19 patients

A new study discusses the importance of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the Rab46 gene as a marker of adverse outcomes in high-risk COVID-19 patients.

23 Jan 2022

Novel antibody that targets the N-terminal domain of SARS-CoV-2 identified

A new study discusses the targeted discovery of NTD-reactive antibodies from an individual who had recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

19 Jan 2022

Optimal monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants

Researchers screen different monoclonal antibodies to identify an optimal mAb with higher binding affinity to the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2.

10 Jan 2022

Boceprevir-based molecules show high antiviral potency against SARS-CoV-2

In a study posted to the bioRxiv* pre-print server, a team of researchers conducted a structure-activity relationship study of boceprevir-based molecules to find antiviral drug candidates targeting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) protease MPro.

22 Dec 2021

Physicians who rely only on liver function test can fail to diagnose alcoholic cirrhosis

A recent study at the Medical University of South Carolina's (MUSC) Digestive Disease Research Core Center (DDRCC) provides insight into why physicians should be cautious when using a certain liver function test to diagnose alcoholic cirrhosis.

20 Dec 2021

Novel carbon dots exhibit antimicrobial activity against gram-negative bacteria

Researchers synthesize carbon dots using different precursors and studied their antimicrobial effects in gram-negative bacteria.

22 Nov 2021

Urinary SARS-CoV-2 RNA is a prognosticator of COVID-19

A new study published in the journal Diagnostics was based on the hypothesis that detecting urinary SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid––which may result in renal and cardiovascular endothelial destruction to facilitate viral access to the kidney parenchyma—may be used as a specific biomarker to indicate the severity of COVID-19.

16 Nov 2021

Isolation of potent neutralizing monoclonal antibodies using nanoparticles displaying SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein

A new study aimed to identify several potent neutralizing RBD-directed and NTD-directed mAbs that used a nanoparticle displaying the S glycoprotein to capture SARS-CoV-2-specific B cells.

2 Nov 2021

SARS-CoV-2 cocktail with three antibodies potent in preclinical testing

Amidst growing concerns on the use and potential benefits of convalescent plasma therapy, a research group in the United States has identified three human antibodies (Abs) that, when combined, demonstrate both robust viral suppressive properties against all tested severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Variants of Concern (VoC) in vitro and profound antiviral efficacy in vivo.

22 Oct 2021

Fibrin immunotherapy may resolve blood clotting induced by SARS-CoV-2

A group of researchers from the United States discovered that the spike glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can induce the formation of highly inflammatory blood clots amenable to neutralization by a fibrin-targeting monoclonal antibody – opening the door for a completely new strategy to reduce thrombotic inflammation in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

17 Oct 2021

Study reveals a highly effective COVID-19 screening system utilizing a live cell-based assay

A new study reports a cell-based assay that involved the isolation and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro in human cells in the absence of other proteins.

14 Oct 2021

Mutation of cysteine residues in NRP1 reduces SARS-CoV-2 spike protein entry into cells

Researchers have been investigating altered protein conformations in variants of concern to provide further insight for future therapies against COVID-19.

14 Oct 2021

Deadly "dry scooping" pre-workout powder is becoming popular on the internet, research shows

A potentially deadly new challenge called "dry scooping" is prevalent on the internet, and new research shows video demonstrations on one social media platform popular among teens amassed more than 8 million views. Dry scooping refers to the improper use of pre-workout supplements, a powder typically added to liquid and containing ingredients that are unsuitable for children.

11 Oct 2021

Role of S-acylation in SARS-CoV-2 infectivity

A new study published in Developmental Cell investigates S-acylation of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein.

10 Oct 2021

Review of COVID-19 clinical and viral characteristics, pathogenesis, and genetics

A new review article investigates the clinical and viral characteristics, pathogenesis, as well as human genetic basis associated with COVID-19.

27 Sep 2021

Metabolic and immune markers as tools for risk stratification and monitoring in COVID-19

In a new study posted to the medRxiv* server scientists from Weil Cornell University and Stony Brook University in New York attempted to identify the metabolic and immune markers associated with severe COVID-19 disease using high-throughput targeted nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and high-dimensional flow cytometry. This will facilitate risk stratification, monitoring, and therapeutic interventions in COVID-19 patients.

14 Sep 2021

Discovery of highly potent neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

A new study published in the journal Nature Communications has reported two neutralizing antibodies, namely, nCoVmab1 and nCoVmab2, which are potent against SARS-CoV-2.

13 Aug 2021

Study aims to ascertain body mass index cutoffs for type 2 diabetes in Xinjiang population

Oncotarget published "Appropriate body mass index cutoffs for type 2 diabetes in Xinjiang population: defining the influence of liver aminotransferase" which reported that these authors retrospective cohort study, T2DM was diagnosed when FBS ≥ 7.0 mmol/L, BMI of participants with baseline fasting < 7.0 mmol/L was divided by percentiles and by aminotransferanse .

9 Aug 2021

Monoclonal antibody could inform development of pan-coronavirus vaccines

Researchers in the United States have demonstrated the potential of a monoclonal antibody to inform the design of pan-coronavirus vaccines that could prevent the outbreak of future pandemics such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

4 Aug 2021

Study shows efficacy of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 delta variant

Researchers in Singapore have conducted a study showing that the messenger RNA- (mRNA) based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are highly effective at protecting against symptomatic and severe disease following infection with the rapidly spreading B.1.617.2 (delta) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

2 Aug 2021