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Research shows choroid plexus can act as a conduit for prenatal inflammation

Floating in fluid deep in the brain are small, little understood fronds of tissue. Two new studies reveal that these miniature organs are a hotbed of immune system activity.

9 Oct 2020

Higher HMBGB1 levels associated with obesity, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease in younger black adults

A "danger molecule" is higher in the blood of younger black adults than whites, females than males and increases with weight and age, researchers report in the first large, longitudinal study associating circulating HMGB1 levels with obesity, inflammation promoters and early indicators of cardiovascular risk in humans.

9 Oct 2020

Experimental Chinese SARS-CoV-2 vaccine appears safe in early trials

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 reports the findings of a phase I trial of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, demonstrating that it can elicit a potent immune response without significant adverse reactions.

7 Oct 2020

A global review of COVID-19 impact on cancer treatment and research

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted virtually every aspect of cancer care and research- from introducing new risks for cancer patients to disrupting the delivery of cancer treatment and the continuity of cancer research, a review of scientific literature shows.

7 Oct 2020

Study shows COVID-19 vulnerability increases exponentially with age

Aging-US recently published "From Causes of Aging to Death from COVID-19" by Blagosklonny et al. which reported that COVID-19 is not deadly early in life, but mortality increases exponentially with age - which is the strongest predictor of mortality.

7 Oct 2020

New clinical report on brain changes in deceased COVID-19 patients

German researchers published a report on a series of cases on post mortem findings of COVID-19 patients who succumbed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection along with neurological complications. Their study titled “Neuropathology of patients with COVID-19 in Germany: a post-mortem case series” is published in the latest issue of The Lancet Neurology.

6 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 and anti-COVID-19 drugs activate Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* aimed to investigate the impacts of COVID-19 on people with various illnesses. Specifically, the researchers at the Rockefeller Cancer Institute, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences wanted to see the effects of COVID-19 on patients with cancer and other infectious diseases.

6 Oct 2020

CAR T cell therapy can predict treatment response in patients with large B-cell lymphoma

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have identified molecular and cellular characteristics of anti-CD19 CAR T cell infusion products associated with how patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) respond to treatment and develop side effects.

6 Oct 2020

Macrophage subgroups may play pivotal role in COVID-19 lethality

Many researchers are attempting to identify risk factors for severe or critical COVID-19. A recent paper in the journal Medical Hypotheses in September 2020 suggests that macrophage class activation is one of the factors that determine the clinical phenotype of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

5 Oct 2020

Sebum changes in COVID-19 patients, for future testing and prognosis

Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 shows that sebum lipids change in COVID-19. This could help develop a cheap and straightforward method of non-invasive diagnosis.

5 Oct 2020

Another study finds cross-reactivity T cell responses against SARS-CoV-2

Using ELISpot and proliferation assays, researchers show strong responses in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, but not so much in negative samples. However, there may be cross-reactive T cell responses from other human coronaviruses.

5 Oct 2020

Calibr's novel 'switchable' CAR-T cell therapy granted FDA's Fast Track designation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track designation to a novel "switchable" CAR-T cell therapy developed by Calibr, a division of Scripps Research, in a move to accelerate the drug development and review process.

1 Oct 2020

Maternal immune cells could bring SARS-CoV-2 to the placenta

Researchers from Canada and Brazil collaborated to explore the possibility of perinatal transmission of the virus from pregnant mothers to their babies and the risk of preterm birth.

30 Sep 2020

Vitamin D deficiency during early development can influence metabolic health

Using a zebrafish model, researchers from North Carolina State University have found that vitamin D deficiency during early development can disrupt the metabolic balance between growth and fat accumulation.

29 Sep 2020

Naturally occurring enzyme holds potential as low-cost therapeutic to treat COVID-19

Researchers from UCLA and China have found that catalase, a naturally occurring enzyme, holds potential as a low-cost therapeutic drug to treat COVID-19 symptoms and suppress the replication of coronavirus inside the body.

29 Sep 2020

Computer model unravels mystery behind severe inflammation in people with COVID-19

A study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Cedars-Sinai addresses a mystery first raised in March: Why do some people with COVID-19 develop severe inflammation?

29 Sep 2020

Dietary oat bran can offset radiation-induced gut inflammation, study shows

Loved or hated, the humble oat could be the new superfood for cancer patients as international research shows a diet rich in fibre could significantly reduce radiation-induced gut inflammation.

29 Sep 2020

How might India's monsoon season impact COVID-19 ?

A new study, by two Goethe University Frankfurt researchers, published on the preprint server medRxiv* in September 2020 explores the relationship between the monsoon season, the chances of exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, and the COVID-19 mortality.

29 Sep 2020

Healthy vitamin D levels could reduce COVID-19 complications

Published in the journal PLOS ONE, the study investigates the link between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and its effect on adverse clinical outcomes and parameters of immune function and mortality due to COVID-19.

28 Sep 2020

Special formulation of inhaled niclosamide may be effective against SARS-CoV-2

Now in new research published on the preprint server bioRxix*, a novel formulation of the drug Niclosamide (NIC) is observed to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV in mouse models; it also protects against methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia and inflammatory lung damage.

28 Sep 2020