Spike Protein News and Research

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The role and ancestry of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein glycan shield

In a research paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Harbison et al. (April 1st 2021) a set of multi-microsecond long molecular dynamics simulations study the effects of altering glycosylation at sites N234, N165, N343, and the newly identified ancestral site N370, uncovering the influence of these sites on infectivity.

12 Apr 2021

Lung microbiome predicts COVID-19 disease severity

A new preprint research paper posted to the medRxiv* server found changes to the lung microbiome during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection influence COVID-19 disease severity.

12 Apr 2021

L452R and Y453F SARS-CoV-2 mutations increase transmission and evade immunity

Mutations from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have created multiple variants. Some variants, such as those found in South Africa and Brazil, have caused concern for their potential to evade the immune response. While vaccination efforts are underway, the world is racing against the viruses’ ability to evolve under selective pressure.

11 Apr 2021

Previously approved drugs starting points for COVID-19 therapeutics

Researchers in the United States have identified several clinically approved compounds that could be repurposed for the treatment and prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

11 Apr 2021

New polypeptide could provide universal protection against coronaviruses

Researchers in the United States have developed an inhibitor of the spike protein found on the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that limits its formation in host human cells that would otherwise be the source of newly generated virions.

11 Apr 2021

Tiny SARS-CoV-2 protein may have big implications for future COVID-19 treatments

A tiny protein of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that gives rise to COVID-19, may have big implications for future treatments, according to a team of Penn State researchers.

9 Apr 2021

Study points to the involvement of Interleukin 33 in immunity to Sars-CoV-2

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, scientists and physicians worldwide undertook enormous efforts to understand the disease caused by the virus.

9 Apr 2021

Researchers discover a new monoclonal antibody that is effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants

A new monoclonal antibody targets a particular region of the RBD on the SARS-CoV-2. This region is usually not accessible to immune cells, which may be why it has broad neutralizing capabilities.

9 Apr 2021

Does natural infection with SARS-CoV-2 offer more protection than a vaccine against new variants?

A new study demonstrates that vaccines may be less effective at countering the newer SARS-CoV-2 variants compared to natural infection.

9 Apr 2021

Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine induces cell spikes similar to SARS-CoV-2's

Scientists from the University of Oxford and the University of Southampton report in the journal ACS Central Science that cells infected with the ChAdOx1 vaccine produce spike proteins on the cells similar to those produced by natural SARS-CoV-2 infection.

9 Apr 2021

Moderna COVID-19 vaccine ensures long-term protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggests study

A recent report published in the New England Journal of Medicine has revealed that the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna, Inc, USA, is capable of inducing robust and durable antibody responses for at least six months post-vaccination.

8 Apr 2021

Prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spike-based vaccine candidate shows high safety and efficacy in phase I trial

A new preprint research paper posted to the medRxiv server reports the results of the first human trial of the prefusion stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike vaccine MVC-COV1901 in Taiwan.

8 Apr 2021

Mouse monoclonal antibodies protect against SARS-CoV-2 wildtype, UK and South African variants

A new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv server reports on the ability of a set of neutralizing mouse antibodies to protect mice against multiple lineages of SARS-CoV-2.

8 Apr 2021

The interaction between blood clotting and SARS-CoV-2 infection

Coagulopathy - a condition in which the blood's ability to clot is impaired, is recognized as a significant aspect of morbidity in COVID-19 patients. In a recent study, Prof Lewis Cantley and a team of researchers explored the role of coagulation factors in the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Their recent study is posted on the bioRxiv server.

7 Apr 2021

Bispecific antibodies neutralize SARS-CoV-2 and its variants

A new bioRxiv preprint study led by Joshua Tan from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, involves generating bispecific antibodies using a new method cross-linking the antibodies with adjacent spike proteins using dual N-terminal domain/receptor binding domain specificity.

7 Apr 2021

Evidence of monoclonal antibodies effectively neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 variants

Makdasi et al. The neutralization potency of anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic human monoclonal antibodies is retained against novel viral variants. bioRxiv, 2021. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.04.01.438035, https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.01.438035v2

7 Apr 2021

Novel polyclonal antibody XAV-19 efficiently neutralizes UK and South African SARS-CoV-2 variants

A promising new study reports on the high neutralizing efficacy of a polyclonal swine antibody against SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen responsible for the novel COVID-19. By demonstrating the ability of this antibody to neutralize all currently circulating viral variants, the study suggests that it is ideal for development as a new and very effective therapy for COVID-19.

7 Apr 2021

Which SARS-CoV-2 spike mutants can evade T cell immunity?

A new study reports the capability of a new variant of the virus to escape specific cellular immunity, while possessing a higher binding affinity to the host cell binding receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).

7 Apr 2021

Enhanced neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 South African variant with heterologous adjuvant vaccine candidate

A new study describes the use of a single dose of vaccine based on the viral protein called the receptor-binding domain (RBD) to elicit powerful neutralizing activity against both the Wuhan strain and the most concerning VOC called the South African (SA) strain.

7 Apr 2021

South African and Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 variants can evade antibodies from therapies, vaccines, and infection

Researchers at the Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, and the Georg-August-University Göttingen in Germany have found that the B.1.351 and P.1 SARS-CoV-2 variants have the potential to evade therapeutic antibodies or antibodies induced by natural infection or vaccination.

7 Apr 2021

Spike Protein News and Research

The role and ancestry of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein glycan shield

Lung microbiome predicts COVID-19 disease severity

L452R and Y453F SARS-CoV-2 mutations increase transmission and evade immunity

Previously approved drugs starting points for COVID-19 therapeutics

New polypeptide could provide universal protection against coronaviruses

Tiny SARS-CoV-2 protein may have big implications for future COVID-19 treatments

Study points to the involvement of Interleukin 33 in immunity to Sars-CoV-2

Researchers discover a new monoclonal antibody that is effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants

Does natural infection with SARS-CoV-2 offer more protection than a vaccine against new variants?

Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine induces cell spikes similar to SARS-CoV-2's

Moderna COVID-19 vaccine ensures long-term protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggests study

Prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spike-based vaccine candidate shows high safety and efficacy in phase I trial

Mouse monoclonal antibodies protect against SARS-CoV-2 wildtype, UK and South African variants

The interaction between blood clotting and SARS-CoV-2 infection

Bispecific antibodies neutralize SARS-CoV-2 and its variants

Evidence of monoclonal antibodies effectively neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 variants

Novel polyclonal antibody XAV-19 efficiently neutralizes UK and South African SARS-CoV-2 variants

Which SARS-CoV-2 spike mutants can evade T cell immunity?

Enhanced neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 South African variant with heterologous adjuvant vaccine candidate

South African and Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 variants can evade antibodies from therapies, vaccines, and infection

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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