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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Study attempts to standardize humoral immune Correlates of Protection (CoP) in COVID-19

A new study aims to identify antibody-based biomarkers associated with the humoral immune response that could be a standard CoP candidate for COVID-19. Further, standardization of research methods to measure these biomarkers has also been conducted.

25 May 2021

Researchers develop a novel probiotic formulation with high anti-SARS-CoV-2 potency

A team of international scientists recently conducted a randomized clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy profiles of a novel probiotic formulation in symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. The findings indicate that the probiotic formulation is highly effective in reducing symptom severity in COVID-19 patients without causing any adverse events.

25 May 2021

New study may pave way for novel therapeutic strategies for COVID-19

An international and multidisciplinary team led by researchers at the University of Oxford, University of Glasgow, and University of Heidelberg, has uncovered the interactions that SARS-CoV-2 RNA establishes with the host cell, many of which are fundamental for infection.

25 May 2021

Newly identified small molecule can be used to rejuvenate the brain, counteract memory loss

Alzheimer's disease is the main cause of dementia and current therapeutic strategies cannot prevent, slow down or cure the pathology.

25 May 2021

Repurposed gout medication (probenecid) shows potent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication

New research by a team of scientists in the USA describes the potential utility of a drug called probenecid, commonly used to treat gout, to treat this devastating viral illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the causative virus of COVID-19.

25 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 UK variant may induce more inflammation, study suggests

Since COVID-19 was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, many different variants of its causative virus – SARS-CoV-2 – have emerged. Through increased viral fitness, some of these have risen to predominance over earlier variants in a remarkably short period of time. New research, by a team of scientists at major institutions in France, examines the reasons behind this phenomenon in one such variant of concern (VOC), the so-called UK variant.

25 May 2021

New testing protocol for SARS-CoV-2 can process thousands of samples within 48 hours

Researchers at the Vienna BioCenter designed a testing protocol for SARS-CoV-2 that can process tens of thousands of samples in less than 48 hours. The method, called SARSeq, is published in the journal Nature Communications and could be adapted to many more pathogens.

25 May 2021

Could 6′,6′-difluoro-aristeromycin (DFA) have broad-spectrum antiviral potential against coronaviruses?

Researchers at the Leiden University Medical Center demonstrated that low-micromolar concentrations of 6′,6′-difluoro24 aristeromycin (DFA), an adenosine nucleoside analog, strongly inhibits the replication of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in a cell-based infection assay.

25 May 2021

Do vaccinations result in anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in human milk?

The aim of this study investigates the impact of different types of vaccines on the anti-SARS-CoV-2 Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels found in human milk.

25 May 2021

DEFINE: Trial designed to test repurposed treatments in patients with COVID-19

A team of scientists from the United Kingdom has designed an experimental medicine trial to evaluate the safety/tolerability, and efficacy profiles of a panel of candidate repurposed therapies in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. A detailed outline of the trial is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

25 May 2021

Research looks at viral presence around hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Researchers in Canada aimed to determine the burden of SARS-CoV-2 in the air and on surfaces in the rooms of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

25 May 2021

New insights into white matter changes may offer novel targets for prevention, therapies

ince 2008, researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and VA Boston Healthcare System have studied Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive brain disease associated with repetitive head impacts that has been diagnosed after death in the brains of American football players and other contact sport athletes as well as members of the armed services.

25 May 2021

Discovery of novel SARS-related coronaviruses in bats

In a recent study published on the bioRxiv* server, Peng Zhou, Zheng-Li Shi and colleagues at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, with collaboration from scientists at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in China, have identified a new lineage of SARS-related coronaviruses that utilize bat angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors for cell entry, which is the same receptor used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect host cells.

25 May 2021

Researchers take steps to standardize correlates of protection against SARS-CoV-2

Antibodies, Antibody, Assay, Coronavirus, Efficacy, Healthcare, Pandemic, Protein, Receptor, Research, Vaccine, Virus, Coronavirus Disease COVID-19,

24 May 2021

Novel natural compounds may help treat COVID-19, study suggests

A new study in the journal Chemistry Europe reports two natural compounds identified by virtual screening and computational modeling as having great promise for the development of drugs against SARS-CoV-2.

24 May 2021

Researchers investigate link between the liver’s immune system composition and NASH pathology

Our livers work hard to perform an entire range of activities: helping us digest food, maintaining body temperature and serving as an important checkpoint of the immune system for everything that we eat.

24 May 2021

Genetically engineered intestinal organoids reveal potential treatment targets against SARS-CoV-2

Using CRISPR/Cas9 and human intestinal organoids to study genes implicated in the biology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), researchers from the Netherlands identified a specific serine protease (TMPRSS2) as an attractive pan-coronavirus therapeutic target. Their exciting findings are available in a study currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

24 May 2021

STING agonist diABZI shows promise against SARS-CoV-2 variants

COVID-19 vaccines are the most effective way to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. For people who are already infected, new research suggests the small molecule stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist-1, diABZI, may be effective in controlling SARS-CoV-2 infection — including those caused by variants.

23 May 2021

Decreasing activity of ZMPSTE24 protease with age and comorbidities may make elderly COVID-19 patients vulnerable

Studies have shown that circulating levels of PAI-1, the coagulation cascade activator, are considerably higher in COVID-19 patients with severe respiratory illness compared to patients with bacterial-sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Hence the increase in PAI-1 levels is recognized as an early marker of endothelial dysfunction in COVID-19 patients.

23 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 mutations strengthen RBD-ACE2 binding, making the virus more infectious

In January 2020, the first complete severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome sequence was deposited to GenBank. Since then, the amount of new genome sequences has increased rapidly at GenBank and GISAID. This has laid the foundations for analyzing the virulence, antigenicity, pathogenicity, and transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 mutations.

22 May 2021

RNA News and Research

Further Reading

Study attempts to standardize humoral immune Correlates of Protection (CoP) in COVID-19

Researchers develop a novel probiotic formulation with high anti-SARS-CoV-2 potency

New study may pave way for novel therapeutic strategies for COVID-19

Newly identified small molecule can be used to rejuvenate the brain, counteract memory loss

Repurposed gout medication (probenecid) shows potent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication

SARS-CoV-2 UK variant may induce more inflammation, study suggests

New testing protocol for SARS-CoV-2 can process thousands of samples within 48 hours

Could 6′,6′-difluoro-aristeromycin (DFA) have broad-spectrum antiviral potential against coronaviruses?

Do vaccinations result in anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in human milk?

DEFINE: Trial designed to test repurposed treatments in patients with COVID-19

Research looks at viral presence around hospitalized COVID-19 patients

New insights into white matter changes may offer novel targets for prevention, therapies

Discovery of novel SARS-related coronaviruses in bats

Researchers take steps to standardize correlates of protection against SARS-CoV-2

Novel natural compounds may help treat COVID-19, study suggests

Researchers investigate link between the liver’s immune system composition and NASH pathology

Genetically engineered intestinal organoids reveal potential treatment targets against SARS-CoV-2

STING agonist diABZI shows promise against SARS-CoV-2 variants

Decreasing activity of ZMPSTE24 protease with age and comorbidities may make elderly COVID-19 patients vulnerable

SARS-CoV-2 mutations strengthen RBD-ACE2 binding, making the virus more infectious

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