Polymerase News and Research

RSS

Only 25% of SARS-CoV-2 infections are detected in the UK: Study

A new preprint research paper posted to the medRxiv server estimates the number of infections that are diagnosed from testing alone as being about a fourth of the total.

15 Feb 2021

SARS-CoV-2's resistance to remdesivir in vitro

A new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv server discusses the emergence of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, allowing it to escape the effects of the most commonly used antiviral drug, remdesivir.

14 Feb 2021

Disrupting cancer cell cycle with two commercially available inhibitors causes tumor cell death

With two commercially available inhibitors, the cell cycle of the cancer cells in the childhood tumor neuroblastoma can be disrupted at a key point causing tumor cell death.

12 Feb 2021

Portable suitcase lab for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2

The PCR test is the most accurate tool to identify SARS-CoV-2. However, valid results are often available only after days.

12 Feb 2021

The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on pregnancy in Nordic countries

Population-based studies are essential to gain knowledge of the spread and management of this disease. However, most studies on pregnancy during COVID-19 have not been broadly applicable to Nordic populations, like most current COVID-19 research in general.

11 Feb 2021

Researchers discover previously-unknown function in enzyme critical for cancer growth

Considered the most lethal form of DNA damage, double-strand breaks must be repaired to prevent cell death. In developing therapies for hard-to-treat breast and ovarian cancers in patients with BRCA gene mutations, scientists aim to identify ways to keep cancer cells from using DNA break repair pathways.

11 Feb 2021

New study shares preliminary data on Pfizer vaccine’s effectiveness in Israel

Researchers have shown that by mid-January, the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Israel began to decline with a larger and earlier decrease among older people.

11 Feb 2021

COVID-19 immunity study to enroll college students to test vaccine effectiveness

A University of Arizona Health Sciences study that is examining COVID-19 immunity and re-infection among frontline workers is expanding to include some Arizona college students while broadening its research focus to include COVID-19 vaccination effectiveness.

11 Feb 2021

Metabolomics and machine learning used to identify possible COVID-19 biomarkers

One of the many mysteries still surrounding COVID-19 is why some people experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, whereas others suffer life-threatening respiratory problems, vascular dysfunction and tissue damage.

10 Feb 2021

Researchers detect traces of COVID-19 virus in sewage flowing from campus buildings

Although it is still challenging to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, researchers at the University of Miami are using all the strategies they can to fend off the spread.

10 Feb 2021

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 may soon become the dominant variant in US

A team of scientists from the United States has recently explored the prevalence and transmission dynamics of the B.1.1.7 variant (UK variant) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the United States. The study reveals that because of 35-45% increased transmissibility, B.1.1.7 may soon become the US's dominant variant. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

9 Feb 2021

COVID-19 vaccination associated with 3- to 5-fold reduction in viral load

Researchers in Israel report a reduction in viral load in vaccinated individuals.

9 Feb 2021

Subgenomic RNAs could help identify asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers report the association of subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) production, the structural differences between sgRNA variants, and clinical severity in 81 clinical specimens obtained from both asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

9 Feb 2021

Emergence and transmission of UK SARS-CoV-2 variant in the US

Researchers describe the impending rise to dominance of the B.1.1.7 (UK) variant in the US. Understanding this development will help to shape preventive action to reduce the infection and mortality rates.

9 Feb 2021

A precursor to remdesivir shows therapeutic potential for COVID-19

A new study points to the potential to use the remdesivir precursor, GS-441524, as a treatment choice for COVID-19.

9 Feb 2021

New U.K. SARS-CoV-2 variant may cause more severe illness, study finds

Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine revealed that the VOC 202012/01 variant is not only fast-spreading and easily transmissible but also may cause more severe illness.

8 Feb 2021

Is a ten day isolation period for COVID-19 patients long enough?

In a new study researchers at the Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, reported that mild COVID-19 patients can still be infectious at day 10 from the illness onset, even in the absence of symptoms.

8 Feb 2021

Visualization of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by fluorescence in situ hybridization probes

A team of scientists from France has recently designed fluorescence in situ hybridization probes (CoronaFISH) to visualize severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in infected cells. A detailed description of the probe design, validation, and application is currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

7 Feb 2021

Research shows intestinal parasite infestations reduce COVID-19 severity

Now, new research out of Mekelle, Ethiopia, examines the role of parasitic infestation on the prognosis of COVID-19. The research paper, which appears on the preprint server medRxiv, shows that intestinal parasitosis is protective against severe COVID-19.

4 Feb 2021

Chronic hypoxia upregulates RNA polymerase I, alters methylation on ribosomal RNAs

Hypoxia -- where a tissue is deprived of an adequate supply of oxygen -- is a feature inside solid cancer tumors that renders them highly invasive and resistant to treatment. Study of how cells adapt to this critical stressor, by altering their metabolism to survive in a low-oxygen environment, is important to better understand tumor growth and spread.

4 Feb 2021