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Hybrid approach reveals details about genes involved in Meier-Gorlin syndrome

Meier-Gorlin syndrome, or MGS, is a rare genetic developmental disorder that causes dwarfism, small ears, a small brain, missing patella and other skeletal abnormalities. In severe cases, MGS results in miscarriages and stillbirths.

14 Dec 2020

The effects of cigarette smoke and COPD on SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers have revealed some of the effects of cigarette smoke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on SARS-CoV-2 infection.

9 Dec 2020

Potential SARS-CoV-2 antiviral: Ionophore X-206 found to inhibit viral replication in cell cultures

In a study published in the journal Antiviral Research, researchers from Aarhus University, Denmark, report on their tests on different polyether ionophores to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in vitro.

1 Dec 2020

Study exposes human olfactory and brain cells as genuine viral targets of SARS-CoV-2

In a study published in the iScience journal, a research group from Switzerland shows that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptors and entry genes are expressed in the human olfactory neuroepithelial cells and brain by observing key molecular players implicated in the infectious process

29 Nov 2020

Inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 cell entry with monoclonal antibodies against staphylococcal enterotoxin B superantigen

In a recent cutting-edge study, US researchers unveiled an anti-staphylococcal enterotoxin B monoclonal antibody that can be repurposed to target the cleavage site of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein and, in turn, inhibit viral infection. Their findings are currently available on bioRxiv preprint server.

25 Nov 2020

Mefloquine shows potential as anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug

A team of scientists from Japan has identified the approved anti-material drug, mefloquine, as a potential candidate to treat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Specifically, mefloquine has been shown to prevent the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells and reduce the viral load in vitro.

24 Nov 2020

Aprotinin inhibits SARS-CoV-2 entry and replication in cells cultures

Researchers at the University of Kent in the UK and the Hannover Medical School and Goethe University in Germany have observed that the protease inhibitor aprotinin can inhibit viral replication by preventing SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells.

24 Nov 2020

COVID-19: HLA class I genotypes and mortality

The study, published on the preprint server medRxiv, explores the ability of HLA class I molecules to mediate the outcome in COVID-19 patients.

24 Nov 2020

Pomegranate peel extract shows potential as inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 virus

Researchers led by first author Relja Suručić from the Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, have studied the use of pomegranate peel extracts in preventing infections with SARS-CoV-2.

22 Nov 2020

COVID-19 potentially has negative impacts on male fertility

A review recently published in the Journal of Medical Virology has discussed some of the effects that infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – may have on male fertility.

22 Nov 2020

Around 10 SARS-CoV-2 virions per cell in human body, study finds

A new study has found that there are about ten virus particles in each cell in the body. The research team from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and the University of California in the USA estimate that each infected person carries around 109-1011 virions during peak infection.

18 Nov 2020

Natural products and herbal medicines show promise in fight against COVID-19

Researchers in China and the United States have called for more research into the potential prophylactic effects of natural products and herbal medicines on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and subsequent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

17 Nov 2020

Goblet cells are prime target for SARS-CoV-2, study finds

A recent study reports that in the airway of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a type of airway epithelial cell – called a goblet cell – presents a prime target for the virus and plays a vital role in promoting viral replication in this tissue.

16 Nov 2020

Xylitol and grapefruit seed extract nasal spray could help COVID-19 patients

United States based researchers have published a report exploring the potential role of Xylitol and Grapefruit seed extract (in the form of a nasal spray) in treating COVID-19.

16 Nov 2020

Drugs targeting neutrophils could reduce ARDS in severe COVID-19

Scientists in Taiwan recently published a report on their use of anti-neutrophil strategies to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) – a life-threatening condition that can arise in critical COVID-19 cases – in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics.

15 Nov 2020

Promising new antivirals target arboviruses and SARS-CoV-2: Nodosome inhibitors

A new study describes two promising small molecules that inhibit a host cell factor, called nucleotide binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2), that inhibits the replication and spread of many arboviruses. This could lead to the development of broad-spectrum antivirals. The study's findings have been published on the preprint server bioRxiv*.

10 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein optimized for conditions present in human airways

Researchers from Belgium and Germany demonstrated how the spike glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is fine-tuned towards the temperature and protease conditions of the human airways, which in turn enhances viral transmission and subsequent pathology. Their study is available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

10 Nov 2020

Research shows how remdesivir inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication

In a recent bioRxiv preprint, a research team from Germany, Goran Kokic et al. study the molecular mechanism of remdesivir-induced stalling of RdRp - using synthetic RNA chemistry, biochemistry, and cryo-electron microscopy.

2 Nov 2020

Gut's immune response to SARS-CoV-2 very different from the lung

Megan L. Stanifer et al. study the immune response in the human gut upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study published as a bioRxiv* preprint reveals a robust proinflammatory response: a cell type-specific or a tissue-specific regulation of interferon-mediated signaling during SARS-CoV-2 infection.

27 Oct 2020

Advancements in research on cancer signal transduction and treatment

Cancer is driven by numerous genetic and epigenetic changes occurring at the cellular level. These changes drive normal cells to proliferate and escape processes that usually regulate their survival and migration.

27 Oct 2020