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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

Novel SARS-CoV-2 variants partially resistant to infection- and vaccine-induced immunity, study finds

A recent study conducted by a team of scientists in the Netherlands has revealed that while severely affected hospitalized COVID-19 patients and vaccinated individuals are capable of neutralizing the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1 variants of SARS-CoV-2, a significant proportion of non-hospitalized patients with less severe COVID-19 remain susceptible to these viral variants.

2 Jun 2021

Optic nerve activity may trigger the formation of vision-harming tumors in children

In a study of mice, researchers showed how the act of seeing light may trigger the formation of vision-harming tumors in young children who are born with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) cancer predisposition syndrome.

2 Jun 2021

Researchers find natural metabolites help SARS-CoV-2 escape antibodies

An international team of scientists has identified a human molecule — biliverdin — as a potential severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) target. The binding of the heme metabolite to the N-terminal domain of SARS-CoV-2 is associated with the virus’s ability to dodge the immune system by suppressing antibody binding to the spike protein.

2 Jun 2021

SWOG researchers to present practice-changing research at virtual ASCO 2021

"SWOG always brings an impressive portfolio of work to the ASCO annual meeting," said SWOG Chair Charles D. Blanke, MD, "and this year I'm particularly excited about the research our investigators are presenting because it includes results that are likely to be practice-changing."

1 Jun 2021

Report on the effectiveness of mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccines in Canada

The report has recently been published on the preprint server medRxiv* by Kwong et al. (May 28th, 2021) and focused on the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, confirming the supposed greater efficacy in preventing infection or severe outcomes following the administration of two doses.

31 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.617 may be more transmissible and pathogenic due to spike cleavage

In a new research paper currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, a research group from the United Kingdom (UK) provides experimental evidence that B.1.617 lineage of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) – also known as the Indian variant of concern – shows enhanced cleavage of spike glycoprotein by furin, which can enhance its transmissibility and pathogenic traits.

31 May 2021

Researchers repurpose pre-existing anti-SARS-CoV antibody to develop potent neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2

A team of scientists from the United States has recently engineered a pre-existing anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) neutralizing antibody to increase its binding affinity for the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The engineered antibody demonstrates high potency in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 and preventing infection in animals.

31 May 2021

Could a mathematical application of information theory identify and predict SARS-CoV-2 mutations?

An interesting new study by researchers at the University of Portsmouth, UK, describes the use of a mathematical method to sequence genomes based on information theory. The method offers an alternative to clinical techniques, allowing mutations to be detected and possibly even predicted. In this way, it opens new research opportunities in bioinformatics and genetics.

31 May 2021

Plexin-A1 gene plays a more extensive role in brain development, study shows

Study by the University of Bonn shows that mutations of the investigated gene manifest in different patterns of inheritance.

31 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 genome mutations display convergent evolution indicating strong adaptive advantages

A recent report by a team of researchers focused on the extent of convergent evolution in the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein. The report confirms that top SARS-CoV-2 lineages of concern have the most convergent spike protein mutations. This indicates their fundamental adaptive advantage.

31 May 2021

Intra-host SARS-CoV-2 composition varies over time, hinting at viral evolution during infection

Researchers at the Southern University of Science and Technology in China revealed rapid and dramatic changes in quasispecies diversity upon evaluating the SARS-CoV-2 populations present in the upper and lower respiratory tracts of patients with varying COVID-19 severity.

31 May 2021

B.1.617.2 variant of SARS-CoV-2 is partially resistant to antibody-mediated neutralization

A team of scientists from France has recently conducted a study to evaluate the sensitivity of the B.1.617 variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to antibody-mediated neutralization.

31 May 2021

FDA approves targeted therapy for tumors with KRAS mutations

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Lumakras (sotorasib) as the first treatment for adult patients with non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors have a specific type of genetic mutation called KRAS G12C and who have received at least one prior systemic therapy.

29 May 2021

Kinase inhibitors could provide an effective way to treat high-risk leukaemia

Australian scientists have found what could prove to be a new and effective way to treat a particularly aggressive blood cancer in children.

29 May 2021

Study provides new insights into the origins of genetic disorders

New insights into the ability of DNA to overcome harmful genetic changes have been discovered by scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Lausanne and their collaborators.

29 May 2021

New SARS-CoV-2 lineages continue to threaten pandemic control in England, suggests genomic study

A new study shows the pattern of the rise of various strains in the UK, as shown by the data collected by the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium. This allows the rise and fall of 62 different viral lineages to be traced through over 300 local authorities from September 2020 to April 2021.

28 May 2021

Researchers identify a novel SARS-CoV-2 variant (with the V1230L mutation) in West Bengal, India

Researchers analyzed 2,000 viral genomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – sequences obtained from India and found a new variant that could be more infectious and transmissible.

28 May 2021

Glycosylation a significant element in SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccine design, says study

A new study by researchers from Taiwan and the US suggests that the removal of unnecessary glycans from spike glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposes highly conserved sequences and opens the door for the development of broadly protective vaccines against the virus and its variants.

28 May 2021

Noble False Widow Spiders have public health implications, shows study

NUI Galway study confirms that the Noble False Widow spider does have public health implications. Research team have established a DNA database to allow clinicians dealing with cases to confirm the species identity using genetic analysis

27 May 2021

Mutation News and Research

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

Novel SARS-CoV-2 variants partially resistant to infection- and vaccine-induced immunity, study finds

Optic nerve activity may trigger the formation of vision-harming tumors in children

Researchers find natural metabolites help SARS-CoV-2 escape antibodies

SWOG researchers to present practice-changing research at virtual ASCO 2021

Report on the effectiveness of mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccines in Canada

SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.617 may be more transmissible and pathogenic due to spike cleavage

Researchers repurpose pre-existing anti-SARS-CoV antibody to develop potent neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2

Could a mathematical application of information theory identify and predict SARS-CoV-2 mutations?

Plexin-A1 gene plays a more extensive role in brain development, study shows

SARS-CoV-2 genome mutations display convergent evolution indicating strong adaptive advantages

Intra-host SARS-CoV-2 composition varies over time, hinting at viral evolution during infection

B.1.617.2 variant of SARS-CoV-2 is partially resistant to antibody-mediated neutralization

FDA approves targeted therapy for tumors with KRAS mutations

Kinase inhibitors could provide an effective way to treat high-risk leukaemia

Study provides new insights into the origins of genetic disorders

New SARS-CoV-2 lineages continue to threaten pandemic control in England, suggests genomic study

Researchers identify a novel SARS-CoV-2 variant (with the V1230L mutation) in West Bengal, India

Glycosylation a significant element in SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccine design, says study

Noble False Widow Spiders have public health implications, shows study

Managing vibration in IVF laboratories

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

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