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Researchers outline characteristics of Omicron variant immune escape and viral entry into host cells

A new study found that the Omicron variant contains a number of mutations that decrease neutralizing antibody activity and immune escape.

6 Jan 2022

SARS-CoV-2 appears to persist in organs throughout the body for months

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), leads to asymptomatic or mild symptoms in most cases. However, in a significant minority, it causes moderate or severe disease, with lung damage and sometimes multi-organ dysfunction, the origin of which is currently a matter of intense debate.

6 Jan 2022

Scientists unravel how LPS prevents or promotes development of allergic disease

Immunologists have long been baffled by LPS, the bacterial lipopolysaccharide that helps form the cell walls of Gram-negative bacteria.

5 Jan 2022

Researchers discover how oral bacteria increase vulnerability to infection

Researchers from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry and their colleagues have discovered details of how proteins produced by oral epithelial cells protect humans against viruses entering the body through the mouth.

5 Jan 2022

Integrin/TGF-β1 inhibitors highly effective in attenuating COVID-19 severity

New study results suggest that integrin inhibitors have the potential to both prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2, including the Delta and Omicron variants, and to decrease TGF-β levels, resulting in a decrease in COVID-19 severity, hospitalization, and death, especially in vulnerable and unvaccinated populations.

5 Jan 2022

Novel insight into the immune characteristics of bats

Many studies have indicated that bats are significant reservoirs of innumerable viruses, such as influenza, coronaviruses, and rabies. These studies have also reported that bats predominantly remain asymptomatic or develop mild diseases during viral infections caused by henipaviruses, Ebola virus, coronaviruses, etc.

4 Jan 2022

TriSb92 as a potential inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2 variants including Omicron

New findings indicate that TriSb92 is a potent inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 infection targeting a conserved site in the RBD of the spike, which is insensitive for immune escape mutations found in the relevant variants of concern, including Omicron

31 Dec 2021

Less severe clinical consequences of infection with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant

New evidence implies that the Omicron variant may cause a less severe and/or faster recovery from clinical COVID-19 disease.

31 Dec 2021

Impact of a pan-sarbecovirus dendritic-cell targeting vaccine on SARS-CoV-2 variants

A new study used in silico approaches for designing a next-generation CD40-targeting vaccine, CD40.

31 Dec 2021

Intestinal organoids used to explain why bats infected with viruses do not succumb to diseases

Experiments attempting to explain why bats can be infected with many viruses at a time without succumbing to diseases such as COVID-19 - knowledge that could help us to reduce the threat to humans of infectious disease - have struggled until now with the fact that live wild bats make poor research subjects.

30 Dec 2021

Exploring the importance of selenium in COVID-19 patients

In a new study, researchers reviewed research on the role that selenium could play in protecting individuals against coronavirus disease 2019.

29 Dec 2021

Animal study suggests Omicron is less infectious than previous SARS-CoV-2 strains

A new study suggests the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant is not as infectious as scientists initially assumed.

29 Dec 2021

Structural blueprint of nanoparticles developed to target neutrophils responsible for acute lung inflammation

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the devastating impact of acute lung inflammation (ALI), which is part of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) that is the dominant cause of death in COVID-19.

28 Dec 2021

SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant mutated to evade the immune system

The SARS-CoV-2 Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant mutated to evade our 'innate immune system', helping establish it as the world's first 'Variant of Concern', finds a new study led by researchers at UCL and the Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California San Francisco.

24 Dec 2021

High-fiber diet helps melanoma patients to respond better to immunotherapy

Melanoma patients receiving therapy that makes it easier for their immune system to kill cancer cells respond to treatment better when their diet is rich in fiber, according to a large, international research collaboration that includes the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy.

24 Dec 2021