Pathogen News and Research

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Researchers develop rapid antibody screening method for novel COVID-19 therapeutics development

New research undertaken by researchers in the USA describes two parallel but distinct in vivo approaches for the accelerated discovery of antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

3 Jun 2021

Researchers detect Zika virus RNA in free-ranging African bats

A team of Colorado State University scientists, led by veterinary postdoctoral fellow Dr. Anna Fagre, has detected Zika virus RNA in free-ranging African bats. RNA, or ribonucleic acid, is a molecule that plays a central role in the function of genes.

3 Jun 2021

COVID-19 mortality in Israel and Europe after vaccination

The study, which appeared on the pre-print server, medRxiv*, confirms the potent efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination based on real-life public data in terms of protection against death.

2 Jun 2021

Pseudomonas aeruginosa poses a serious threat to human health

No one knows exactly when humans and pathogenic bacteria were encountered with each other. But since then, the war began over life and survival between them. During this time, both sides of the war tried to equip themselves with all their might.

2 Jun 2021

Scientists develop a vaccine to protect animals from Salmonella

Researchers at ETH Zurich and the University of Basel have developed a vaccine that protects animals from Salmonella.

2 Jun 2021

Coronavirus strain associated with dogs found in humans

Coronavirus strain associated with dogs found in swabs taken from pneumonia patients in Malaysia.

2 Jun 2021

Can immunity form and interaction with seasonal coronaviruses influence SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology?

A new study hypothesizes that cross-protection from seasonal epidemics of HCoVs could not only affect SARS-CoV-2 transmission but also protect children from the disease.

2 Jun 2021

Scientists test antibody-based therapy to treat Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus

Army scientists working as part of an international consortium have developed and tested an antibody-based therapy to treat Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), which is carried by ticks and kills up to 60 percent of those infected.

2 Jun 2021

Researchers identify kite-shaped molecules that block SARS-CoV-2 cell entry after attachment

They have identified a group of kite-shaped compounds that are highly specific to SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. These compounds demonstrate high potency in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection at early entry steps. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

2 Jun 2021

Old vaccines can stimulate the immune system to provide protection against other infectious diseases

Inoculation with live attenuated vaccines (LAV) such as those used against TB, polio or measles can stimulate the immune system to provide protection against other infectious diseases, including COVID-19, says a new study.

2 Jun 2021

Scientists explain possible causes of anaphylaxis following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination

New research from a team of scientists at the Centre for Research in Molecular Modeling, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University in Canada, has aimed to determine the potential causes of anaphylaxis or allergic reactions reported in some individuals after receiving COVID-19 vaccines, including the mRNA vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

1 Jun 2021

Study reveals infections by Histoplasma fungus as major cause of death in people with HIV

A series of autopsies performed in an infectious disease hospital in the Brazilian Amazon reveals that infections by the Histoplasma fungus are a major cause of death in people with HIV.

1 Jun 2021

Antibody cocktail effectively inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in the rhesus macaque model

Researchers from the US tested the prophylactic potential of a combination of 2 mAbs administered 3 or 75 days before respiratory challenge in rhesus macaques. They used the rhesus macaque model to test the added benefit of combinatory parenteral administration of 2 high-affinity anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs - C144-LS and C135-LS. These mAbs were developed to neutralize the virus and tweaked to improve their pharmacokinetics.

1 Jun 2021

Researchers identify common epitopes across SARS-CoV-2 viral variants

While several COVID-19 vaccine candidates have been developed and deployed to arrest the spread of SARS-CoV-2, concern among scientists and public health authorities is mounting over the immunity escape potential of emerging viral variants. To address this problem, a group of scientists in Germany has undertaken research to identify molecular targets across viral variants to aid in the development of second and third-generation vaccines and novel therapeutics.

1 Jun 2021

FDA approves investigational monoclonal antibody therapy sotrovimab for COVID-19

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the green light on the investigational monoclonal antibody therapy, sotrovimab, as a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment.

1 Jun 2021

Researchers repurpose pre-existing anti-SARS-CoV antibody to develop potent neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2

A team of scientists from the United States has recently engineered a pre-existing anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) neutralizing antibody to increase its binding affinity for the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The engineered antibody demonstrates high potency in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 and preventing infection in animals.

31 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 NSP14 induces potent inflammation via NF-κB pathways, finds study

SARS-CoV-2 has a single-stranded RNA genome encoding both structural and non-structural proteins. Of these, the latter is known to play a variety of roles in viral replication and the assembly of new viral particles, as well as in suppressing cellular immune responses. A new study reports the activity of one such protein, the non-structural protein 14 (NSP14), which activates the inflammatory mediator NF-κB to trigger intense inflammation.

31 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 variants partially escape humoral immunity, but not T cells responses, study finds

Researchers at the Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Amsterdam UMC, and the Weill Medical College of Cornell University studied humoral and cellular immune responses to the wild type SARS-CoV-2, the B.1.1.7 variant (U.K. variant) and the B.1.351 variant (South African variant) in health care workers vaccinated with the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) mRNA vaccine.

31 May 2021

Intra-host SARS-CoV-2 composition varies over time, hinting at viral evolution during infection

Researchers at the Southern University of Science and Technology in China revealed rapid and dramatic changes in quasispecies diversity upon evaluating the SARS-CoV-2 populations present in the upper and lower respiratory tracts of patients with varying COVID-19 severity.

31 May 2021

Reusing old vaccines to boost innate immunity against COVID-19

The COVID-19 vaccine is currently the best form of protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants. But a new perspective article published in the journal PNAS suggests it’s not the panacea to stopping SARS-CoV-2.

31 May 2021

Pathogen News and Research

Researchers develop rapid antibody screening method for novel COVID-19 therapeutics development

Researchers detect Zika virus RNA in free-ranging African bats

COVID-19 mortality in Israel and Europe after vaccination

Pseudomonas aeruginosa poses a serious threat to human health

Scientists develop a vaccine to protect animals from Salmonella

Coronavirus strain associated with dogs found in humans

Can immunity form and interaction with seasonal coronaviruses influence SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology?

Scientists test antibody-based therapy to treat Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus

Researchers identify kite-shaped molecules that block SARS-CoV-2 cell entry after attachment

Old vaccines can stimulate the immune system to provide protection against other infectious diseases

Scientists explain possible causes of anaphylaxis following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination

Study reveals infections by Histoplasma fungus as major cause of death in people with HIV

Antibody cocktail effectively inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in the rhesus macaque model

Researchers identify common epitopes across SARS-CoV-2 viral variants

FDA approves investigational monoclonal antibody therapy sotrovimab for COVID-19

Researchers repurpose pre-existing anti-SARS-CoV antibody to develop potent neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 NSP14 induces potent inflammation via NF-κB pathways, finds study

SARS-CoV-2 variants partially escape humoral immunity, but not T cells responses, study finds

Intra-host SARS-CoV-2 composition varies over time, hinting at viral evolution during infection

Reusing old vaccines to boost innate immunity against COVID-19

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