Angiotensin News and Research

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Angiotensin is an oligopeptide in the blood that causes vasoconstriction, increased blood pressure, and release of aldosterone from the adrenal cortex. It is a powerful dipsogen. It is derived from the precursor molecule angiotensinogen, a serum globulin produced in the liver. It plays an important role in the renin-angiotensin system.

Researchers discover close SARS-CoV-2-relative in animal hosts outside China

In a major new discovery that might deepen our understanding of SARS-CoV-2’s animal origins and its genetic evolution, coronaviruses very closely related to SARS-CoV-2 have been discovered in two horseshoe bats outside of China.

25 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibodies can persist up to 200 days after symptom onset

Researchers report SARS-CoV-2 antibodies to the spike protein (S protein) can persist 200 days after symptom onset, but that antibodies to the nucleoprotein (N protein) can reduce much more rapidly.

25 Nov 2020

Is COVID-19 severity mediated by higher antibody response?

A new study indicates that patients with more severe COVID-19 have a stronger antibody response.

25 Nov 2020

Mefloquine shows potential as anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug

A team of scientists from Japan has identified the approved anti-material drug, mefloquine, as a potential candidate to treat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Specifically, mefloquine has been shown to prevent the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells and reduce the viral load in vitro.

24 Nov 2020

Scientists show SARS-CoV-2's viral replication with 3D integrative imaging

A team of researchers at Heidelberg University in Germany have performed a detailed imaging analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection to determine how the virus reprograms infected cells.

24 Nov 2020

Aprotinin inhibits SARS-CoV-2 entry and replication in cells cultures

Researchers at the University of Kent in the UK and the Hannover Medical School and Goethe University in Germany have observed that the protease inhibitor aprotinin can inhibit viral replication by preventing SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells.

24 Nov 2020

Researchers recommend antibody cocktail to tackle SARS-CoV-2 mutations

A new study released on the medRxiv* preprint server indicates that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic – is developing multiple mutations that affect neutralization by antibodies.

24 Nov 2020

Biosensor assay SARS-CoV-2 antibody test may predict COVID-19 severity in patients

Researchers in New York, USA, have found an association of mortality with an early humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 infection within the first few days after onset of symptoms (DAOS), using a highly sensitive and automated testing-on-a-probe (TOP) biosensor assays for SARS-CoV-2.

24 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2's spike protein mutations have slowed, study finds

A team of researchers at the School of Information Sciences in Illinois, USA, has revealed the rate of mutation in the 29 proteins that make up the SARS-CoV-2 microbe.

23 Nov 2020

Nasal dryness could be an early warning sign of COVID-19

A new study published by an international team of researchers on the preprint medRxiv* server in November 2020 details the nasal symptoms that are associated with anosmia and ageusia (loss of smell and taste) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including the early warning signs of infection.

23 Nov 2020

Modified SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain could increase vaccine efficacy, says study

A team of researchers from the USA and China have engineered a receptor-binding domain (RBD) that they claim improves the immunogenicity of multivalent SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Their study, which was released on the bioRxiv* in November 2020, may help advance even more efficacious SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates in the future.

23 Nov 2020

Compounds in traditional Chinese medicine herbs may inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection

Using computational methods, a team of researchers identified three compounds in traditional Chinese medicine that could be used against SARS-CoV-2.

23 Nov 2020

Pomegranate peel extract shows potential as inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 virus

Researchers led by first author Relja Suručić from the Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, have studied the use of pomegranate peel extracts in preventing infections with SARS-CoV-2.

22 Nov 2020

COVID-19 potentially has negative impacts on male fertility

A review recently published in the Journal of Medical Virology has discussed some of the effects that infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – may have on male fertility.

22 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 suppresses ACE2 activity in COVID-19 patients

A recent study conducted by a team of international scientists has revealed that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), suppresses the expression and function of human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and induces the expression of interferon-stimulated genes at the initial phase of infection. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

20 Nov 2020

Furin inhibition may mitigate severe COVID-19, study finds

Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, a researcher at the Institute for Functional Medicine in the United States, has explained the role of furin protease in developing severe COVID-19 illness.

20 Nov 2020

New druggable target for heart failure in neonates and infants identified

Researchers have identified a new druggable target for heart failure in neonates and infants, a condition for which there has been no specific treatment.

19 Nov 2020

Carrageenan-based composite nasal spray may help prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection

A team of researchers at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom formulated a spray that contains polysaccharides known for their mucoadhesive antiviral properties for prophylaxis against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

19 Nov 2020

New understanding of glycan signatures of the SARS-COV-2 S1 spike protein

A team of scientists from the University of Oxford, UK, has revealed that site-specific glycosylation differs between spike proteins derived from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and a viral vector-based vaccine candidate.

18 Nov 2020

Examining potential foodborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through fresh produce

To address this gap in knowledge, researchers from the Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Health Canada, and Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa examined the survival of human coronaviruses on the surface of fresh produce such as apples, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

18 Nov 2020