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COVID-19 booster enhances virus neutralizing antibodies in breast milk, new study reveals

The potential of COVID-19 booster vaccine products (antibodies) passed from mother to offspring through breastmilk.

7 Mar 2024

Scientists demonstrate way to produce SARS-CoV-2 receptor protein in mouse cells

A team of scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Columbia University has demonstrated a way to produce large quantities of the receptor that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, binds to on the surface of human cells.

22 Jan 2024

SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 shows increased lung targeting despite vaccine effectiveness

New research shows that the recently emerged BA.2.86 omicron subvariant of the virus that causes COVID-19 can be neutralized by bivalent mRNA vaccine-induced antibodies in the blood, which explains why this variant did not cause a widespread surge as previously feared.

8 Jan 2024

New SARS-CoV-2 variant JN.1 shows increased transmissibility and immune resistance

A Japanese study published in BioRxiv explores the virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 variant, finding it has a higher effective reproductive number and stronger resistance to immunity from other variants, potentially due to the L455S spike protein mutation.

11 Dec 2023

Novel mRNA vaccine GLB-COV2-043 shows high efficacy against COVID-19 variants in early trials

The safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity of a mRNA-based vaccine.

5 Dec 2023

Breakthrough in HIV treatment: NMN shows promise in reducing CD4+ T cell activation

The impact of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) on Clusters of differentiation 4+ (CD4+ ) Thymus cells (T cells) viz.

21 Nov 2023

Coffee and COVID: Study finds coffee inhibits SARS-CoV-2, offers new dietary defense strategy

Study discovers that coffee, especially its bioactive compounds like chlorogenic acids, can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 entry and reduce ACE2 and TMPRSS2 levels, indicating that coffee intake might be a potential dietary strategy for COVID-19 prevention.

16 Nov 2023

Omicron variant BA.2.86 spreads faster, but current antivirals hold the line

Researchers discover the BA.2.86 Omicron lineage with higher transmission potential than current dominant strains, yet show that existing antivirals remain effective. Despite its higher infectivity, BA.2.86 exhibits lower pathogenicity in hamsters, indicating decreased replication capacity may lead to less severe infections.

7 Nov 2023

EVScape: New tool to forecast which SARS-CoV-2 variants could dodge our immunity

Researchers have developed EVScape, a predictive tool that identifies which SARS-CoV-2 strains are most likely to evade host immunity. Utilizing a deep generative model and structural information, the tool offers early warning about viral variants, aiding in the timely development of effective vaccines and treatments.

12 Oct 2023

How COVID-19 targets the pancreas revealed

The study uncovers the role of the PLAC8 protein in making the human pancreas vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection, leading to pancreatic injury and complications in severe COVID-19 cases. The findings open up new avenues for understanding how the virus affects multiple organ systems and offer a potential target for future treatments.

12 Sep 2023

Study characterizes SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.86: New variant under watch

Researchers identify a new SARS-CoV-2 variant, BA.2.86, with enhanced ability to evade immunity but lower infectivity compared to current variants. The study highlights the need for global monitoring due to its potential to become a predominant strain if it gains infectivity through mutations.

6 Sep 2023

Researchers characterize new SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 variant neutralization by monoclonal antibodies

Researchers used a SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-pseudotyped viral model to characterize BA.2.86 variant neutralization by monoclonal antibodies.

6 Sep 2023

Monovalent vaccine outperforms bivalent in fighting new Omicron variants

New U.S. study finds mRNA-1273.815, a monovalent vaccine targeting the Omicron XBB.1.5 variant, generates higher neutralizing antibody titers compared to its bivalent counterpart. The study supports updating to an XBB.1.5-based monovalent vaccine for the 2023-24 campaign to combat emerging variants.

5 Sep 2023

Novavax's updated XBB.1.5 vaccine shows promising cross-neutralizing antibodies against new COVID-19 variants

The study reveals that Novavax's updated XBB.1.5 vaccine effectively induces cross-neutralizing antibodies against multiple Omicron XBB sub-variants in both mice and non-human primates.

5 Sep 2023

Fourth COVID-19 booster supercharges antibody defense in older adults, study says

The study finds that the fourth dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine significantly boosts neutralizing antibody levels in the elderly, providing enhanced protection against new SARS-CoV-2 variants like Omicron. This supports the efficacy of booster shots for older populations in combating COVID-19.

31 Aug 2023

Study evaluates differences in humoral immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in infants versus mothers

Researchers comparatively evaluated humoral immune responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among infants and their mothers.

16 Aug 2023

Virginia Tech engages in three collaborative bioscience projects to address unmet health care needs

With funding from Virginia Catalyst, also known as the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corp., Virginia Tech is engaged in three collaborative bioscience projects to address unmet health care needs in Virginia, according to Michael Friedlander, vice president for health sciences and technology at Virginia Tech.

8 Aug 2023

Identifying risks and solutions: study uncovers correlates of protection against COVID-19

Study identified correlates of protection healthy individuals who have received three doses of Pfizer- BNT162b2 vaccine.

2 Aug 2023

SARS-CoV-2 spike pseudovirion infection in ARPE-19 cells is a dynamin-dependent process that is primarily mediated by LDLR

Researchers reported on lentiviral pseudovirions pseudotyped with SARS-CoV-2.

1 Aug 2023

New nano-immune magnetic bead developed for efficient SARS-CoV-2 virus detection

A more efficient way to test SARS-CoV-2 Virus was developed recently by a research team led by Professor WANG Junfeng from Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS), Chinese Academy of Science (CAS).

28 Jul 2023