Immunomodulatory News and Research

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Methotrexate users fail to achieve adequate immune response to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines

Up to a third of patients taking methotrexate – a common treatment for immune mediated inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis – failed to achieve an adequate immune response to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in a small study accepted for publication in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

4 Jun 2021

Hydroxychloroquine + Azithromycin therapy at a higher dose improved survival by nearly 200% in ventilated COVID patients

However, a fascinating new study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server suggests that such disappointment may have been both premature and unwarranted, based on a re-analysis of over 250 patients on invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) during the first two months of the pandemic.

2 Jun 2021

E484K mutation may confer immune evasion capability on UK variant of SARS-CoV-2

A new medRxiv* preprint reports the immunomodulatory effect of the E484K mutation newly acquired by the United Kingdom (U.K.) variant.

2 Jun 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

Could saffron be an effective supplement for helping manage COVID-19?

A new study, published in the journal Cell Press, explores the potential use of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) as a drug supplement for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

24 May 2021

When COVID-19 is severe, rogue antibodies attack body tissues and organs

The study, published in the journal Nature, sheds light on the disease mechanism of COVID-19 and how the virus causes a faulty immune system.

21 May 2021

Methotrexate impairs immunogenicity of BNT162b2 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

Researchers from Germany and the USA recently investigated the cellular and humoral immune responses of patients with IMIDs on immunomodulatory treatment to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The research is published on the medRxiv* preprint server.

19 May 2021

Nanotechnology and COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment

The development of nano-biosensors and nanoparticle-based vaccines and medicines has opened a new path toward better management of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In a recently published article in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, scientists have reviewed recent advancements in nanotechnology-based diagnostic and therapeutic interventions against human coronaviruses.

17 May 2021

Do labels on commercial kefir products report microbial levels correctly?

A recent study in the journal JDS Communications reports the results of an analysis of five brands of kefir on the US market, indicating the need for stricter regulation of this field.

14 May 2021

Researchers evaluate diagnostic criteria for anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in Japanese children

Anti-NMDA receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis was first reported to develop in female young adults with ovarian teratoma.

13 May 2021

Is COVID-19 a new disease?

In a review recently published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal by Osuchowski et al. (May 6th, 2021) the currently known pathophysiology of COVID-19 is laid out to describe the mechanistic features that make COVID-19 distinct from many conditions previously thought to be similar.

9 May 2021

Study describes IgG antibodies in Crohn's disease specific for human bacterial flagellins

Last year, Charles O. Elson, M.D., demonstrated a potential preventive treatment for Crohn's disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease. He used a mouse model that included immune-reactive T cells from patients with Crohn's disease in a flagellin peptide-specific immunotherapy.

6 May 2021

Repurposing an existing, cheap drug into long-acting injectable therapy to treat Covid-19

Researchers from the University of Liverpool have shown the potential of repurposing an existing and cheap drug into a long-acting injectable therapy that could be used to treat Covid-19.

5 May 2021

Repurposing an existing, cheap drug into long-acting injectable therapy to treat Covid-19

Researchers from the University of Liverpool have shown the potential of repurposing an existing and cheap drug into a long-acting injectable therapy that could be used to treat Covid-19.

16 Apr 2021

Researchers offer large-scale screening of potential broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 antivirals

A new study describes the identification of new compounds from a library, with inhibitory activity against several coronaviruses. This study shows the utility of this method, besides identifying compounds that not only inhibit viral shedding in SARS-CoV-2 cultures, but have an immunomodulatory effect that may be useful in mitigating the damaging cytokine storm typical of severe or critical COVID-19.

2 Apr 2021

Evidence-based clinical practice guideline aims to optimize PD-L1 lung tumor testing

The College of American Pathologists (CAP), in collaboration with five other societies, developed a draft evidence-based clinical practice guideline that aims to optimize PD-L1 testing for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are being considered for immunooncology therapy.

1 Apr 2021

Infliximab may hinder the effectiveness of some COVID-19 vaccines

A new study reports reduced vaccine efficacy following the use of a single COVID-19 vaccine dose in people who are on the immunosuppressive monoclonal antibody Infliximab.

31 Mar 2021

Male fertility and androgen production may be impacted by COVID-19

An interesting new study has appeared online in the journal Hormones that discusses the effects of COVID-19 on the male and female gonads.

22 Mar 2021

Why does convalescent plasma therapy for severe COVID-19 show mixed success?

A surprising new preprint, released on the medRxiv* server, suggests that the beneficial effects of convalescent plasma (CP) in this disease stem not only from the presence of neutralizing antibodies, but also the immunomodulatory effects of this plasma that shapes the host immune response.

15 Mar 2021

Which biomarkers can help predict severe COVID-19?

The ability to detect potentially fatal illness early on in the course of the disease would enable a swift prioritization of these high-risk individuals for treatment. A new preprint on the medRxiv* server presents an array of biomarkers that may help achieve this laudable goal.

15 Mar 2021

Immunomodulatory News and Research

Methotrexate users fail to achieve adequate immune response to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines

Hydroxychloroquine + Azithromycin therapy at a higher dose improved survival by nearly 200% in ventilated COVID patients

E484K mutation may confer immune evasion capability on UK variant of SARS-CoV-2

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

Could saffron be an effective supplement for helping manage COVID-19?

When COVID-19 is severe, rogue antibodies attack body tissues and organs

Methotrexate impairs immunogenicity of BNT162b2 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

Nanotechnology and COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment

Do labels on commercial kefir products report microbial levels correctly?

Researchers evaluate diagnostic criteria for anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in Japanese children

Is COVID-19 a new disease?

Study describes IgG antibodies in Crohn's disease specific for human bacterial flagellins

Repurposing an existing, cheap drug into long-acting injectable therapy to treat Covid-19

Repurposing an existing, cheap drug into long-acting injectable therapy to treat Covid-19

Researchers offer large-scale screening of potential broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 antivirals

Evidence-based clinical practice guideline aims to optimize PD-L1 lung tumor testing

Infliximab may hinder the effectiveness of some COVID-19 vaccines

Male fertility and androgen production may be impacted by COVID-19

Why does convalescent plasma therapy for severe COVID-19 show mixed success?

Which biomarkers can help predict severe COVID-19?

Discover how SciY empowers scientists

Why use light scattering to analyze proteins and viral vectors?

Changing the landscape of R&D to build clinical success from the ground up

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