immunity News and Research

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The role of natural killer cells in fight against viral infections including SARS-CoV-2

In an effort to further understand the role of NK cells in combatting COVID-19, a group of researchers explored NK cells in acute viral infections, citing flavivirus and influenza virus infections as examples.

17 Jun 2021

Mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 and simian adenovirus vector advance COVID-19 vaccine research

A new preprint recently released on the bioRxiv* server describes the immunogenicity and protective potential of a novel adenovirus SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate against a form of the virus adapted to cause severe disease in mice. The findings show that this provides a useful mouse model for the study of new vaccines, in addition to demonstrating the protective efficacy of the current rhesus adenovirus vaccine candidate RhAd52.

17 Jun 2021

Aberdeen researchers develop antibody tests to detect new Covid-19 variants

Antibody tests that can detect whether people have been exposed to new variants of Covid-19 have been developed by the University of Aberdeen, in collaboration with biotechnology group Vertebrate Antibodies Ltd and NHS Grampian.

17 Jun 2021

Antibody combination REGEN-COV prevents symptomatic disease following SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers in the United States have demonstrated the effectiveness of early treatment with REGEN-COV™ at preventing symptomatic disease among people infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

17 Jun 2021

COVID-19 "immunity passport" reduces people's willingness to follow pandemic guidelines

Researchers from the University of Kent's School of Psychology have found that when people are presented with the idea of a Covid-19 "immunity passport", they show less willingness to follow social distancing and face covering guidelines. However, this willingness seems to return when people read more cautious information about Covid-19 immunity.

17 Jun 2021

New study may lead to more effective and powerful COVID-19 vaccines

A new study looking at the way human cells activate the immune system in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection could open the door to even more effective and powerful vaccines against the coronavirus and its rapidly emerging variants keeping the global pandemic smoldering.

17 Jun 2021

Researchers explore potential exposure to microbial agents in-utero

The human fetal immune system begins to develop early during gestation, however, factors responsible for fetal immune-priming remain elusive.

16 Jun 2021

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

Prior vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus associated with less severe COVID-19

The researchers found that individuals with registered diphtheria or tetanus vaccinations were less likely to develop severe COVID-19 than people who had only received other vaccinations. The results of this study are posted to the medRxiv* preprint server.

16 Jun 2021

How to vaccinate nations against SARS-CoV-2

The researchers examined the effect of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign on 250 different Israeli cities with distinct demographic and ethnic characteristics.

15 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 oral vaccine booster shows promise in animal tests

In a recent study published on the pre-print bioRxiv* server, a group of Israeli researchers discusses their progress towards developing an oral multi-antigen SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

15 Jun 2021

Study finds low rate of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection for patients with severe illness

A review of more than 9,000 U.S. patients with severe COVID-19 infection showed less than 1% contracted the illness again, with an average reinfection time of 3.5 months after an initial positive test.

15 Jun 2021

New antibody testing study finds evidence of early COVID-19 infections in the U.S.

A new antibody testing study examining samples originally collected through the National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program found evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in five states earlier than had initially been reported.

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

Does SARS-CoV-2 show seasonal variation in transmission in temperate countries?

The need to understand how and why such spread occurs is vital to containing it. A new medRxiv* preprint describes a significant reduction in transmission during the summer (by 42%), which is comparable to the impact of the most effective non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI).

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

Potent antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 can be produced without T follicular helper cells, suggests study

It has been uncertain whether antibodies produced via this non-canonical pathway are protective against SARS-CoV-2. In a new study, recently released as a preprint on the bioRxiv*server, the neutralization potency of these antibodies is compared with those traditionally produced in germinal center-based antiviral responses.

15 Jun 2021

Being vaccinated doesn’t mean you must go maskless. Here’s why.

For more than a year, public health officials have repeatedly told us that masks save lives. They've warned us to keep our distance from our neighbors, who've morphed into disease vectors before our eyes.

15 Jun 2021

Immune memory responses differ between SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A

Researchers in Canada have shown that the long-lasting immunity that develops following infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is characterized by different T cell responses than those observed for influenza A virus-specific immune memory.

14 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern could cause further epidemics in UK

The team – from the University of Warwick, the University of Manchester, and the University of Oxford – say that a variant of concern that has either a substantial transmission advantage over resident lineages, or the ability to evade vaccine- or infection-induced immunity, can be expected to drive a wave of infections and hospitalizations similar to that seen in the country during the winter of 2020-21.

14 Jun 2021

immunity News and Research

The role of natural killer cells in fight against viral infections including SARS-CoV-2

Mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 and simian adenovirus vector advance COVID-19 vaccine research

Aberdeen researchers develop antibody tests to detect new Covid-19 variants

Antibody combination REGEN-COV prevents symptomatic disease following SARS-CoV-2 infection

COVID-19 "immunity passport" reduces people's willingness to follow pandemic guidelines

New study may lead to more effective and powerful COVID-19 vaccines

Researchers explore potential exposure to microbial agents in-utero

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

Prior vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus associated with less severe COVID-19

How to vaccinate nations against SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 oral vaccine booster shows promise in animal tests

Study finds low rate of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection for patients with severe illness

New antibody testing study finds evidence of early COVID-19 infections in the U.S.

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

Does SARS-CoV-2 show seasonal variation in transmission in temperate countries?

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

Potent antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 can be produced without T follicular helper cells, suggests study

Being vaccinated doesn’t mean you must go maskless. Here’s why.

Immune memory responses differ between SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A

SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern could cause further epidemics in UK

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