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Low testosterone can increase risk of severe COVID-19 in males

Researchers from the USA and Saudi Arabia describe the direct correlation between testosterone levels, inflammatory cytokines, disease progression, and worse outcomes in male COVID-19 patients.

4 Dec 2020

Study provides mechanistic insights about the role of neutrophils in psoriasis pathogenesis

Psoriasis has always been a common disease. Historically, its causes were obscure and surrounded by stigma; it wasn't until recently that scientists categorized it as an autoimmune condition.

4 Dec 2020

Can melatonin help prevent severe COVID-19?

A team of researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada has found that melatonin can be an adjuvant to augment the efficacy of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. They believe that the drug is a potential “silver bullet” to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

3 Dec 2020

TTUHSC professor receives 2020 Lupus Mechanisms and Targets Award

The Lupus Research Alliance recently named R. Bryan Sutton, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, as a recipient of a 2020 Lupus Mechanisms and Targets Award.

3 Dec 2020

Researchers identify potential drug target that may improve cognition in people with mental illnesses

More than a dozen drugs are known to treat symptoms such as hallucinations, erratic behaviors, disordered thinking and emotional extremes associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other severe mental illnesses.

3 Dec 2020

New tool to predict breast cancer recurrences

A new tool combining traditional pathology with machine learning could predict which breast cancer patients actually need surgery.

3 Dec 2020

Nanoparticles with neutralizing antibodies can inactivate SARS-CoV-2

Using nanoparticles conjugated with SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies, researchers demonstrated that intense local heating could inactivate the virus.

3 Dec 2020

Long-range allosteric influences on SARS-COV-2-ACE2 stability and detachment

The COVID-19 pandemic is caused by SARS-CoV-2, a novel beta-coronavirus which has numerous spike proteins on its membrane.

3 Dec 2020

COVID-19 mutation mapping identifies escape mutations against therapeutic antibodies

A new study maps all known mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, showing how each contributes to escape from individual antibodies.

3 Dec 2020

Pomegranate extract could inhibit the virus that causes COVID-19

Researchers have conducted a study demonstrating the potential antiviral effects of pomegranate extract against SAR-CoV-2.

3 Dec 2020

Novel “multitope” vaccine shows promise in the fight against COVID-19

Researchers have demonstrated the potential of a protein-peptide vaccine to protect against infection with SARS-CoV-2, the agent that causes COVID-19.

3 Dec 2020

SARS-CoV-2 D614G mutation does not affect performance of serological assays

In a new study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, US researchers considered the emergence of a new SARS-CoV-2 spike protein variant. They compared spike G614-based assay to the original D614-based assay – pointing towards the development of recognizable, cross-responsive humoral immunity.

2 Dec 2020

New and sudden headaches may be a symptom of COVID-19

Researchers report a case of a young male patient who came in with a headache to an emergency room. He had increased intracranial pressure and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, suggesting new headaches during the pandemic should not be ignored.

2 Dec 2020

Scientists detect a sarbecovirus phylogenetically related to SARS-CoV-2 from bats in Japan

A team of researchers at the University of Tokyo in Japan have detected a sarbecovirus, called Rc-o319, which is phylogenetically positioned in the same clade as SARS-CoV-2 in Rhinolophus cornutus bats in Japan.

2 Dec 2020

Particulate matter levels can play a significant role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission

A new study has found that particulate matter (PM) plays a role in providing surfaces for SARS-CoV-2 transmission and interaction, enabling fomite transmission through deposition.

2 Dec 2020

SARS-CoV-2 deletion mutations may have attenuated infectivity in some strains

A team of researchers at the University of Hong Kong has identified a panel of SARS-CoV-2 variants, called Del-mut, which contains a deletion in the S1/S2 junction. Upon investigating one of the deleted variants in animal models, they found that Del-mut-1 is attenuated in its ability to cause disease or pathological changes.

2 Dec 2020

Novel method for creating chemical reactions could unlock many new applications

Scientists have broken the rules of enzyme engineering to unlock a new method for creating chemical reactions that could unlock a wide range of new applications - from creating new drugs to food production.

2 Dec 2020

Researchers study SerpinB9 protein that could pave way to new immunotherapy approach

Immunotherapies have transformed the landscape of cancer treatment by allowing physicians to alter or augment patients' immune response to better attack malignant tumors.

2 Dec 2020

Immune mechanism in COVID-19 patients triggers cytokine storm

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have demonstrated for the first time that in COVID-19 patients an immune mechanism known as the inflammasome participates in activation of the inflammatory process that can damage several organs and even lead to death.

2 Dec 2020

PTC299 inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and suppresses production of inflammatory cytokines

In an article published in the journal Virus Research, a team of researchers from various US institutions discussed their study that evaluated the antiviral activity of PTC299 against a group of RNA viruses in vitro.

1 Dec 2020