Cytokine News and Research

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SARS-CoV-2-RNA viremia is a robust marker of critical illness in COVID-19

A new study by a large team of Spanish researchers and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 reports that the presence of viral RNA in the blood is a useful marker of impending acute disease and can help triage COVID-19 disease patients who will require hospital care.

1 Sep 2020

'Natural killer' cells could be a powerful weapon to fight against lung cancer

Immune cells called 'natural killer' (NK) cells could be a powerful weapon for fighting lung cancer, according to Australian researchers.

1 Sep 2020

Study: Impact of COVID-19 virus goes far beyond the pulmonary system

Described as a novel, "once-in-a-century" disease, COVID-19 research is evolving to include a growing body of evidence that the virus's impact goes far beyond the pulmonary system.

1 Sep 2020

Newly designed hydrogels allow the culture of T-cells for use in cancer immunotherapy

A team with the participation of researchers from the Spanish National Research Council has designed new hydrogels that allow the culture of T-cells or T-lymphocytes, cells of the immune system that are used in cancer immunotherapy since they have the capacity to destroy tumor cells.

31 Aug 2020

Study identifies effective treatment for severe COVID-19 patients

As countries around the world race to develop a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, researchers are working to understand exactly how it causes the myriad of symptoms that seem to linger long after active viral infection.

31 Aug 2020

IL-6 signaling blockade can alleviate severe COVID-19

A team of researchers led by Osaka University find an overlap in the pathogenesis of cytokine release syndrome and COVID-19, and show that the symptoms of both can be alleviated by IL-6 signaling blockade

31 Aug 2020

Serum protein shows therapeutic value against severe COVID-19-like features in mouse model

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020 reports the disease-mitigating effects of a serum protein called serum amyloid P (SAP) in mice exposed to a peptide that mimics the clinical signs of severe COVID-19 in humans.

30 Aug 2020

Obesity ups COVID-19 death risk by 48 percent

Now, a new study by researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC), the World Bank, and Saudi Health Council, shows that obesity increases the risk of dying from COVID-19 by as much as 48 percent, hinting that a vaccine against the virus could be less effective in obese people.

26 Aug 2020

Study reveals how a cannabinoid may treat acute respiratory distress syndrome

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, when caused by a bacterial toxin known as Staphylococcal enterotoxin, can be completely prevented by treatment with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant.

26 Aug 2020

Estradiol appears to help in female SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in August 2020 shows that the risk of infection is high for pre-menopausal women but the risk of death is much higher for men in the same age group and throws light on the protective nature of estradiol therapy in post-menopausal women.

26 Aug 2020

Advances in Virus Epigenetics

Growing evidence shows viruses exploit epigenetic processes to control their life cycles but epigentic regulation of viral infections is not fully understood.

From Chromatrap® - Porvair Sciences Ltd 25 Aug 2020

Scientists identify two markers of inflammation that predict severity of COVID-19 cases

Mount Sinai scientists have identified two markers of inflammation that reliably predict the severity of COVID-19 cases and likelihood of survival, providing a foundation for a diagnostic platform and therapeutic targets, according to a study published in Nature Medicine in August.

25 Aug 2020

Key molecule can be used to assess prognosis of triple negative breast cancer

Hokkaido University scientists have shown that Interleukin-34 is a prognostic marker and drug target for Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

21 Aug 2020

Study: Many COVID-19 patients suffer cardiovascular damage even after recovery

One of the most harrowing effects of COVID-19 is severe damage to the lungs, which makes breathing hard or impossible for those who're severely affected.

21 Aug 2020

SARS-CoV-2 ORF9c responsible for immune evasion and efficient infection of host

A recent study by researchers at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and the University of California San Francisco and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in August 2020 shows that a protein encoded by the subgenomic sequence ORF9c of SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the low antiviral response in infected humans, enabling the successful replication of the virus in the host.

21 Aug 2020

Bioinformatics identifies key genes and cellular pathways in COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is showing no signs of waning or extinction anytime soon. Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020 shows a new bioinformatics approach to studying the pathogenesis of this disease, by uncovering the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and cell signaling pathways that cause the disease characteristics. This will help develop better therapies to counter the effects of these genes.

20 Aug 2020

Drug used in rheumatoid arthritis and cancer treatment improves survival in critically ill COVID-19 patients

Researchers at Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey's largest and most comprehensive health network, have utilized its statewide observational database of more than 5,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients to show that a drug normally used in rheumatoid arthritis and cancer treatments, tocilizumab, improves hospital survival in critically-ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

20 Aug 2020

Researchers identify mechanism that explains lower-quality immune response in COVID-19 patients

The release of massive amounts of proteins called cytokines can lead to some of the most severe symptoms of COVID-19.

20 Aug 2020

Cytokine storms may prevent the development of long-term immunity to SARS-CoV-2

Shiv Pillai, MD, PhD, investigator in the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard and professor at Harvard Medical School (HMS), recently published a paper in Cell showing that that high levels of some cytokines seen in COVID-19 patients, as part of a cytokine storm, may prevent the development of long-term immunity to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

19 Aug 2020