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Study observes increased breadth of SARS-CoV-2 antibody neutralization acquired over one year

A new paper in the journal Nature offers a reassuring answer, showing that convalescent COVID-19 patients, some of whom had received vaccination as well, retain antiviral antibodies and neutralizing activity, as well as memory B cells, for up to 6-12 months from infection.

16 Jun 2021

Rapidly evolving SARS-Cov-2 strains may give rise to escape variants

The number of COVID-19 variants is growing rapidly, so much that the scale and scope of mutation may pose a threat to the continuing successful use of the current vaccines and therapies.

16 Jun 2021

New web tool offers many capabilities vital to bacteria mutation research

In 1943, two scientists named Max Delbrück and Salvador Luria conducted an experiment to show that bacteria can mutate randomly, independent of external stimulus, such as an antibiotic that threatens a bacterial cells' survival.

15 Jun 2021

Adapting COVID-19 vaccination strategies based on SARS-CoV-2’s evolution

Given the risk of SARS-CoV-2 developing new variants in unvaccinated individuals, vaccination sites are crucial. However, new research from the University of Michigan, USA, shows current vaccination programs may be worsening regional outbreaks when viral strains and SARS-CoV-2 escape mutations outdo vaccination rates.

15 Jun 2021

RBD and NTD antibody cocktail could prevent the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 escape mutants

A new bioRxiv* preprint demonstrates how a combination of antibodies to two different regions on the viral spike could enhance neutralization efficiency as well as prevent the emergence of resistant variants.

15 Jun 2021

Fusogenicity and resistance of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 compared to D614G

A new study, released as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, describes the biological effects induced by mutations in two circulating VOCs. These are the alpha and beta strains, also called B.1.1.7 and B.1.351, respectively.

15 Jun 2021

South African and Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 variants overtake UK variant in French regions

Researchers have found that the variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that were initially identified in South Africa (B.1.351) and Brazil (P.1) appear to be spreading more quickly in some areas of France than the previously dominant UK variant B.1.1.7.

14 Jun 2021

Study: Genetic mutations associated with breast cancer risk are the same in Black and white women

The prevalence of genetic mutations associated with breast cancer in Black and white women is the same, according to a new JAMA Oncology study of nearly 30,000 patients led by researchers in the Basser Center for BRCA at the Abramson Cancer Center. About five percent of both Black and white women have a genetic mutation that increases their risk of breast cancer.

14 Jun 2021

New approach to gene therapy uses common pain reliever to fight against genetic diseases

Researchers have developed a new approach to gene therapy that leans on the common pain reliever acetaminophen to force a variety of genetic diseases into remission.

14 Jun 2021

Nanoparticle-based therapy alleviates pulmonary hypertension in mouse model of rare lung disease

The disease is so rare and complex that its acronym is hard to pronounce. But for infants unlucky enough to be born with this lung disease, the outcome is usually fatal.

14 Jun 2021

Robust immunity against SARS-CoV-2 with Pfizer vaccine is mediated by memory B cells

A reassuring study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, from a multi-institutional team of researchers in Italy suggests that with the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccine, post-vaccination immunity against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is both robust and durable.

14 Jun 2021

Intranasal monoclonal SARS-CoV-2 antibody therapy shows promise in preclinical trials

A new study, released as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, presents a new monoclonal antibody (MAb) called DZIF-10c that powerfully neutralizes SARS-CoV-2, including the current variants of concern (VOCs). With high bioavailability in the lungs and wide distribution in the body, the antibody was able to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice after intranasal administration.

14 Jun 2021

UCSF launches new initiative to propel the development of living therapeutics

UC San Francisco is launching a new initiative to propel the development of living therapeutics - a category of treatments broadly defined as human and microbial living cells that are selected, modified, or engineered to treat or cure disease - and bring them quickly to patients.

14 Jun 2021

Fatty acid binding site on SARS-CoV-2 spike triggers spike monomer crosstalk that is key to infectivity

A new study, released as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, examines the role played by a fatty acid called linoleic acid (LA) that attaches at a binding site near the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein. The spike exists as a homotrimer in open or closed conformations. In the former, at least one RBD points upwards.

14 Jun 2021

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants contain mutations that interfere with genomic sequencing

A recent study by researchers in Canada shows how mutations in newly emerging lineages of SARS-CoV-2 may disrupt the sequencing process and thus interfere with this important area of research.

14 Jun 2021

New Astra-Zeneca B.1.351 vaccine AZD2816 strongly immunogenic against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

A new study, released on the bioRxiv* preprint server, supports the efficacy of the wildtype ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine against B.1.351, B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2, while showing that a booster dose of vaccine based on the B.1.351 spike induces further increase in antibody titers.

11 Jun 2021

Ketogenic metabolic therapy could work synergistically with IDH1-mutant glioblastoma

A British man who rejected the standard of care to treat his brain cancer has lived with the typically fatal glioblastoma tumor growing very slowly after adopting a ketogenic diet, providing a case study that researchers say reflects the benefits of using the body's own metabolism to fight this particularly aggressive cancer instead of chemo and radiation therapy.

11 Jun 2021

Shark vNAR antibodies inhibit SARS-CoV-2 variants in vitro

Researchers in the UK and Austria have identified a novel class of antibodies that is highly effective at neutralizing the original strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) and maintaining blocking activity against certain viral variants that have emerged.

10 Jun 2021

Is B.1.617.2 more transmissible than earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants?

A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, reports that the B.1.617.2 variant is possibly more transmissible than earlier variants, based on the discovery that the serial intervals were not prolonged with this strain.

10 Jun 2021

Researchers in Canada conduct a comparative study of household secondary attack rates connected with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Scientists are considering a third surge in COVID-19 incidence owing to the emergence of highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC). SARS-CoV-2 is the causal agent of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these VOCs have been reported to have a rate of transmission much higher than the infectivity of the ancestral strain that had emerged in Wuhan, China, in 2019.

9 Jun 2021

Mutation News and Research

Study observes increased breadth of SARS-CoV-2 antibody neutralization acquired over one year

Rapidly evolving SARS-Cov-2 strains may give rise to escape variants

New web tool offers many capabilities vital to bacteria mutation research

Adapting COVID-19 vaccination strategies based on SARS-CoV-2’s evolution

RBD and NTD antibody cocktail could prevent the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 escape mutants

Fusogenicity and resistance of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 compared to D614G

South African and Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 variants overtake UK variant in French regions

Study: Genetic mutations associated with breast cancer risk are the same in Black and white women

New approach to gene therapy uses common pain reliever to fight against genetic diseases

Nanoparticle-based therapy alleviates pulmonary hypertension in mouse model of rare lung disease

Robust immunity against SARS-CoV-2 with Pfizer vaccine is mediated by memory B cells

Intranasal monoclonal SARS-CoV-2 antibody therapy shows promise in preclinical trials

UCSF launches new initiative to propel the development of living therapeutics

Fatty acid binding site on SARS-CoV-2 spike triggers spike monomer crosstalk that is key to infectivity

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants contain mutations that interfere with genomic sequencing

New Astra-Zeneca B.1.351 vaccine AZD2816 strongly immunogenic against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Ketogenic metabolic therapy could work synergistically with IDH1-mutant glioblastoma

Shark vNAR antibodies inhibit SARS-CoV-2 variants in vitro

Is B.1.617.2 more transmissible than earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants?

Researchers in Canada conduct a comparative study of household secondary attack rates connected with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Managing vibration in IVF laboratories

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

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