Spike Protein News and Research

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New data may help understand the evolution of Austrian SARS-CoV-2 strains

216 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences have now been completed and released in the framework of the "Mutational Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in Austria" project from CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, in close collaboration with the Medical University of Vienna, the Medical University of Innsbruck and the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES).

27 May 2020

Many different T cell receptors recognize SARS-CoV-2 antigenic sites

The global COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is spreading over the world. However, not much is known about how the adaptive immune response kicks in following the viral challenge. This knowledge is crucial to predicting the efficacy of a vaccine and estimating the chances of reinfection.

26 May 2020

Study finds very low level of SARS-CoV-2 in two San Francisco Bay areas

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 reports a very low prevalence of antibodies in two separate populations living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

26 May 2020

The infection of lung stem cells may determine SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity

A group of researchers from Russia and France has demonstrated how stem cells in the lungs can be readily infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), leading to significant defects in their regeneration capacity and more severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Their manuscript is currently available on the preprint server bioRxiv.

25 May 2020

Newly identified gene may have contributed to rapid evolution of COVID-19

An international team of researchers has identified a previously uncharacterized gene within the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome that may be important in understanding the origins and evolution of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

25 May 2020

SARS-CoV-2 is uniquely adapted to infect humans

The novel coronavirus pandemic has sparked much debate on its origin, with some suggesting it may have been laboratory-grown. Previous studies, however, mentioned that it is zoonotic in nature, which means that the virus jumped from wild animals and found its way to humans.

25 May 2020

Heparin may stop SARS-CoV-2 infecting host cells

Researchers at the University of Sheffield have developed a new assay that can be used to assess the attachment of viruses to host cells and to test potential inhibitors of viral infection.

24 May 2020

New biomarkers to consider for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

Researchers at the University of Melbourne have made new discoveries about how the immune system responds to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that could be important to consider in vaccine research.

24 May 2020

First COVID-19 vaccine found to be safe, able to generate rapid immune response in phase 1 clinical trial

The first COVID-19 vaccine to reach phase 1 clinical trial has been found to be safe, well-tolerated, and able to generate an immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in humans, according to new research published in The Lancet.

22 May 2020

Different immune responses can occur in Covid-19, shows study

The human immune system is reactive to more than just the viral protein on which researchers have focused to date. This is relevant for tests and potential vaccines.

22 May 2020

Preparing to meet SARS-CoV-2 head-on with a panel of neutralizing antibodies

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in May 2020 describes a panel of neutralizing antibodies that bind to multiple attachment sites on the spike protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the current COVID-19 disease pandemic.

22 May 2020

Producing virus-specific antibodies after COVID-19

In order to design effective vaccines for COVID-19, we need to understand our immune responses. News-Medical speaks to Professor Chen Dong to find out more.

21 May 2020

Bio-Techne and Kantaro Biosciences announce partnership to develop and scale production of COVID-19 serology test

Bio-Techne Corporation and the Mount Sinai Health System in New York, through its commercial affiliate Kantaro Biosciences LLC (Kantaro), today announced a partnership to initiate scaled manufacturing and distribution of testing kits based on the Mount Sinai-developed COVID-19 serology test.

From Bio-Techne 21 May 2020

Study shows engineered SARS-CoV-2 spike protein may be utilized for vaccine development

In a new study available on the preprint server bioRxiv, researchers demonstrate how the conformation of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein (S-protein) can be controlled with the rational construct design, providing a framework for S-protein structure engineering in vaccine/drug development.

20 May 2020

Avacta and Medusa19 enter into a distribution agreement for COVID-19 antigen test

Avacta Group plc has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Medusa19 Limited for sales of a saliva-based rapid test for the COVID-19 antigen.

From Avacta Life Sciences Ltd. 20 May 2020

Mount Sinai venture to develop and scale distribution of COVID antibody test kits

Mount Sinai Health System ("Mount Sinai") and Renalytix AI today announced the formation of Kantaro Biosciences, LLC ("Kantaro"), a Mount Sinai venture, to develop and scale production and distribution of a test kit based on the Mount Sinai-developed high-performance serologic assay for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

20 May 2020

Prellis Externalized Human Immune System produces human antibodies against SARS-Cov2

Prellis Biologics, Inc. today announced that it has generated 300 human IgG antibodies that bind to either the S1 or S2 spike protein of the SARS-CoV2-Wuhan strain of the novel coronavirus.

20 May 2020

Does COVID-19 infect peripheral blood cells?

The emergence of the novel coronavirus outbreak in December 2019 was followed by its spread on a global scale unparalleled in the last 100 years. At present, it has claimed over 322,000 lives the world over, with over 4.88 million cases having tested positive.

19 May 2020

X-ray experiments demonstrate a new way to block the entry of SARS-CoV-2

As scientists across the globe race to develop a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, an international team led by Davide Corti at Vir Biotechnology and David Veesler at the University of Washington has been working around the clock on a complementary approach - identifying neutralizing antibodies that could be used as a preventative treatment or as a post-exposure therapy.

19 May 2020

Common mutations in SARS-CoV-2 related to non-variable segments of structural proteins

The ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic is thought to have originated from an animal species, most likely bats, which succeeded in crossing over to humans. However, the exact species of origin has not yet been confirmed.

18 May 2020