Antigen News and Research

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A subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccine may offer broader protection against virus

A new study published in the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 reports on the structure of this protein, as revealed by cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM).

23 Sep 2020

Acquisition of a natural mutation primes SARS-CoV-2 for neutralization by a cross-reactive antibody

A team of scientists from the United States reveals that the acquisition of a natural mutation makes severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) susceptible to neutralization by a cross-reactive SARS-CoV antibody. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

22 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Swiss schoolchildren shows most infections undiagnosed

A new study reports the seroprevalence among schoolchildren in Zurich, Switzerland. Published on the preprint server medRxiv* in September 2020, this study contributes to the current discussion on how and when to reopen schools.

22 Sep 2020

Oncology nurses should be routinely tested for SARS-CoV-2, warn researchers

Researchers from the NHS Foundation Trust, University of Cambridge and Cambridge Clinical Laboratories have warned that until a vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) becomes available, antigen and antibody testing should be carried out among oncology nurses as part of routine patient care.

21 Sep 2020

Research uncovers potential cause of neurotoxicity due to immunotherapy

New research has uncovered the previously unknown presence of CD19 -- a B cell molecule targeted by chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy to treat leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma -- in brain cells that protect the blood brain barrier (BBB).

21 Sep 2020

Psoriatic arthritis may be activated by the same trigger in different patients, study reveals

A new study has revealed psoriatic arthritis may be activated by the same trigger in different patients. Researchers from the University of Oxford and the Wellcome Sanger Institute identified high levels of a specific receptor in immune cells from psoriatic arthritis patients, giving the strongest evidence yet of a single cause for the disease

21 Sep 2020

COVAM assay may help select convalescent plasma units for treatment of acute COVID-19

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* seeks to establish the pattern of antibody reactivity in COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP), which is widely being used as a therapy for seriously ill COVID-19 patients.

21 Sep 2020

S-pseudotyped VLPs offer promising COVID-19 vaccine platform

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 reports on a Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV) platform that produces VLPs expressing the important spike antigen of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

18 Sep 2020

Animal data supports efficacy of baricitinib vs SARS-COV-2

The high burden of disease caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has led to much research on effective ways to mitigate the health, social, and economic impact of the spread of the infection. A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 reports on the characteristics of the drug baricitinib when used as monotherapy to treat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

17 Sep 2020

T cells on the front line of COVID-19 response

In the new study, published in the journal Cell, the team has found that the uncoordinated responses produced by the immune system, especially in people who are more than 65 years old, maybe the reason why older adults are more at risk.

17 Sep 2020

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: It’s scandal week

President Donald Trump finally released his promised executive order aimed at bringing down drug costs.

17 Sep 2020

Study promises to improve the efficacy of cell therapies

Researchers have gained a better understanding of the complexity of the environment in which T cells thrive and, by extension, the tolerance mechanisms of these cells which are an obstacle to cellular immunity.

17 Sep 2020

Study: T cells play a vital role in controlling SARS-CoV-2 during acute phase of infection

Ever since SARS-CoV-2 first appeared, researchers have been trying to understand whether sometimes the immune system does more harm than good during the acute phase of COVID-19. The latest study by researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology clearly argues in favor of the immune system.

17 Sep 2020

Optimal antibody combinations and Fc binding inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in vivo

A recent study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The Rockefeller University and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 shows that a combination of neutralizing antibodies with intact Fc effector function can effectively reduce the viral load and prevent infection.

17 Sep 2020

Anti-CD73 molecule CPI-006 activates B cell responses to SARS-CoV-2

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause an immense impact across many parts of the world, the role played by immune responses is becoming more evident every day. A recent funded paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* in September 2020 reports the initiation of a Phase I trial of a drug that increases antibody and cell-mediated immune responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

17 Sep 2020

Study shows how the body's immune system finds intruding or damaged cells

Research led by Dr. Wonmuk Hwang has led to better understanding on how components of the body's immune system find intruding or damaged cells, which could lead to novel approaches to viral and cancer treatments.

17 Sep 2020

Self-assembling nanoparticles as a way towards next-generation COVID-19 vaccines

In a promising study by US researchers, the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and stabilized spike glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were displayed on nanoparticles as vaccine antigens and elicited potent immune responses.

16 Sep 2020

Candidate monoclonal antibody shows hope as COVID-19 treatment

Researchers in the United States have described the effectiveness of a candidate monoclonal antibody currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 trial as a therapy for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

16 Sep 2020

Lack of antigen test reporting leaves country ‘blind to the pandemic’

More than 20 states either don't release or have incomplete data on the rapid antigen tests now considered key to containing the coronavirus, which has sickened more than 6 million Americans.

16 Sep 2020

Study highlights role of specific protein in the mass production of antibodies

Antibodies play a fundamental role in medicine, and antibody-mediated immune response is the ultimate target in the quest for a vaccine to defeat the current pandemic.

16 Sep 2020