ACE2 News and Research

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E484K mutation is potentially associated with SARS-CoV-2 adaptive fitness

A team of Brazilian scientists has recently conducted genomic and phylogenetic analyses of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome to understand the viral evolution process better. Their analyses reveal that the E484K mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 is present in three different lineages in four Brazilian regions and that the mutation may serve as a common solution for viral evolution.

31 Jan 2021

Synergistic effect between NF-κB inhibitors and zinc in vitro reducing ACE2 expression

Researchers at National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei have conducted a study demonstrating the potential effectiveness of a novel drug combination at reducing morbidity and mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

31 Jan 2021

Crystal structures of nanobodies could aid the design of COVID-19 therapies

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, have shown how certain synthetic nanobodies bind to the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – a development that could help inform the design of therapies.

31 Jan 2021

Startup develops yeast-based test to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva

Incubated at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, and supported by São Paulo Research Foundation- FAPESP's Innovative Research in Small Business Program (PIPE), BIOinFOOD is a startup that is developing a rapid COVID-19 diagnostic test based on a patent application filed by students at UNICAMP's Genomics and Bioenergy Laboratory.

29 Jan 2021

What are the natural origins of SARS-CoV-2?

Researchers from the UK and China performed a comprehensive analysis of horseshoe bat and pangolin Sarbecoviruses to shed light on the origins of SARS-CoV-2.

29 Jan 2021

Vitamins and other antiviral drugs may help combat COVID-19

Evidence is emerging that vitamin D - and possibly vitamins K and A - might help combat COVID-19. A new study from the University of Bristol published in the journal of the German Chemical Society Angewandte Chemie has shown how they - and other antiviral drugs - might work.

29 Jan 2021

Researchers develop ‘next-generation vaccine platform’ against SARS-CoV-2

Researchers have designed a subunit vaccine based on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein co-administered with CpG (Oligodeoxyribonucleotides) adjuvant.

29 Jan 2021

Common anticoagulant drug could be repurposed to help alleviate Covid-19 infections

An international team of researchers led by the Universities of Keele and Liverpool, working with Public Health England, has found that the common anticoagulant drug heparin inhibits the SARS-Cov2virus spike protein, by reducing the virus' ability to attach to human cells and infect them.

28 Jan 2021

COVID-19 patients in high-altitude ICUs had improved survival in case study

A team of researchers in Ecuador and the U.K. found that high altitudes may be linked to improved COVID-19 survival – particularly among patients with no comorbidities.

28 Jan 2021

Biliverdin shields SARS-CoV-2 from host antibody response, study finds

A team of international scientists has recently revealed that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) interacts with two heme metabolites, bilirubin and biliverdin, to escape the antibody-mediated host immune responses.

27 Jan 2021

Could spironolactone treat COVID-19-related pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis?

Researchers have described the potential of the drug spironolactone, a potassium-sparing diuretic, and anti-androgen, in preventing or alleviating the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia, and in preventing pulmonary fibrosis.

27 Jan 2021

SARS-CoV-2 spike may impair antigen presentation by CD8 T cells

A new study published on the bioRxiv preprint server aims to identify specific viral epitopes on the spike protein from various regions of the spike protein and the T cell responses they evoke.

27 Jan 2021

Rapid transmission of N501Y variants may be due to favorable effects on host receptor binding

Now, in new research posted to the preprint server bioRxiv*, scientists use an experimental structure of the Spike RBD domain co-crystallized with part of the ACE2 receptor and several in silico methods to analyze the possible impacts of three amino acid replacements (Spike K417N, E484K, N501Y) concerning ACE2 binding.

27 Jan 2021

Mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain analyzed

Using more than 100,000 virus genome sequences uploaded in the GISAID database, researchers found around 9,000 mutations in the virus spike protein RBD.

26 Jan 2021

New approach to mapping viral mutations that escape antibodies used to treat COVID-19

A new approach to mapping viral mutations that "escape" leading clinical antibodies has revealed mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus that allow it to evade treatments, including a single amino-acid mutation that fully escapes Regeneron's antibody cocktail.

26 Jan 2021

Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 spike proteolytic cleavage sites may alter transmission dynamics

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Kentucky and the Washington University School of Medicine in the USA has revealed that mutations in the proteolytic cleavage site within the S2 subunit can alter the processing of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, affecting viral entry into host cells.

26 Jan 2021

New UK SARS-CoV-2 variant circulating in US since November, says study

A new study by researchers at the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, showed that the new variant has circulated in the US since November.

26 Jan 2021

B.1.1.7 variant and healthcare workers’ travel worry

Recently a team of researchers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States assessed travel-related anxiety in healthcare workers (HCWs) considering the emergence of new variants caused by SARS-CoV-2 mutations.

25 Jan 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 drug screening platform identifies inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in the UK and the United States have developed a stem-cell-based screening platform for identifying compounds that inhibit infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the causative agent for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

25 Jan 2021