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New study sheds light on the biological properties of new COVID variant Pirola

Despite the end of the pandemic, COVID-19 continues to pose a serious health threat. Most individuals have established robust immune protection and do not develop severe disease but the infection can still lead to marked and sometimes long-lasting disease symptoms.

9 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

Does SARS-CoV-2's ability to infect humans stem from its evolutionary past?

Study challenges the hypothesis of genetic recombination in SARS-CoV-2's evolution, suggesting its ancestral virus already possessed human-infecting traits, based on analyses of over 100 viral genomes.

7 Jan 2024

Genetic keys to COVID-19 vaccine response unlocked

A genome-wide association study in the U.K. Biobank reveals genetic factors influencing IgG serostatus against SARS-CoV-2, highlighting the role of HLA class II genes in variable immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines.

7 Jan 2024

Gut microbiome plays a role in immune response to mRNA COVID vaccines

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered that the gut microbiome can influence how well people respond to mRNA COVID vaccines.

4 Jan 2024

Are pan-coronavirus vaccines an achievable goal in providing broad protection against human coronaviruses?

The current achievements in the development of a pan-coronavirus vaccine.

3 Jan 2024

Hybrid immunity's role in curbing COVID-19: Canadian study sheds light on vaccine-infection synergy

Study evaluates the impact of hybrid immunity on SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels in Canadian adults, revealing that hybrid immunity, combining vaccination and recovery from infection, significantly reduces COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.

2 Jan 2024

New vaccine design targets universal immunity with "chef"-inspired tool

Vaccine development aims at protecting as many people as possible from infections. Short protein fragments of pathogens, so-called epitopes, are seen as a promising new approach for vaccine development.

20 Dec 2023

T-cells step up to offer protection against COVID-19 in B-cell deficient patients

B cell deficiency is a common condition that can result either from immunosuppressant drugs used to treat autoimmune disease or certain cancers -; such as rituximab (RTX) -; or from natural immune deficiency.

18 Dec 2023

New vaccine strategy targets SARS-CoV-2's stable S2 subunit, offering broad protection against evolving variants

Study presents a new SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit vaccine that elicits strong antibody responses against various sarbecovirus strains, including challenging variants like XBB.1.5, demonstrating its potential as a broadly effective and stable vaccine option.

18 Dec 2023

Study links omicron's cellular senescence to inflammation and long-COVID risk

A new research paper was published on the cover of Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 15, Issue 23, entitled, "Uncovering a unique pathogenic mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant: selective induction of cellular senescence."

15 Dec 2023

RBD-focused vaccines may offer broader protection against emerging COVID-19 variants

Published in The Lancet's eBioMedicine, 76 healthy adults from Melbourne, aged 18 to 64 who were previously vaccinated with licensed SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, were randomized to receive a fourth dose of a novel protein vaccine, mRNA vaccine or placebo.

12 Dec 2023

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

Design modifications offer promise for safer and more effective mRNA therapeutics

Researchers have discovered that misreading of therapeutic mRNAs by the cell's decoding machinery can cause an unintended immune response in the body.

6 Dec 2023

Research uncovers stealthy strategy of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers have discovered a novel mechanism whereby the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, can vary its mode of infection in human cells. Published in the journal eLife, a team from the University of Minnesota and the Midwest Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Center found the virus can alternate between being highly infectious and avoiding detection by the immune system.

5 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

Collaborative study focuses on understanding the strength of adhesion of COVID-19 variants

A recent groundbreaking study, published in Nature Nanotechnology, sheds new light on the coronavirus's behavior, particularly its ability to remain attached under various mechanical stresses and the implications for person-to-person transmission.

29 Nov 2023

New study shows bivalent COVID-19 booster increases antibody response in lung cancer patients

Bivalent booster dose enhanced neutralization of Omicron XBB (sub)variants in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

23 Nov 2023

Study sheds light on role of antibodies in vaccine protection against COVID-19 variants

Efforts to contain the Covid-19 pandemic have largely focused on vaccine development and deployment. But how exactly do our immune systems respond to COVID-19 vaccines?

13 Nov 2023

Immune imprinting: The crux of waning COVID-19 booster effectiveness against new variants

The study in Nature Microbiology reviews the concept of immune imprinting and its influence on antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2, highlighting challenges for COVID-19 booster vaccination efficacy against emerging variants. Researchers suggest that understanding immune imprinting is crucial for developing vaccines that elicit broad and lasting immune protection.

7 Nov 2023