Antibody News and Research

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An antibody is a blood protein that is produced in response to and counteracts an antigen. Antibodies are produced in response to disease and help the body fight against the particular disease. In this way, antibodies help the body develop an immunity to disease.

Rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen test improved with silver amplification

A new preprint posted to the medRxiv server describes the use of silver amplification technology to develop a sensitive, rapid antigen test for COVID-19.

2 Feb 2021

Single-dose vaccination effective for healthcare workers with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection

The findings reveal that healthcare workers previously infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) develop significantly higher antibody titers in response to a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine, as compared to healthcare workers without prior SARS-CoV-s infection. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

2 Feb 2021

Highly conserved neutralizing epitope identified on SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

A recent study conducted at the University of Texas at Austin, USA, has identified a highly conserved neutralizing antibody binding site on the spike S2 domain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The study findings might help develop novel spike-targeting antibodies for widespread protection. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

2 Feb 2021

Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection may negate need for two vaccine doses

Researchers in the United States have shown that two doses of vaccine may not be necessary to protect against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among people who have already been infected with the causative agent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

2 Feb 2021

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shows promise against new SARS-CoV-2 variants

A team of researchers in the U.S. studied the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine candidate - currently being rolled out in many parts of the world to high-risk individuals - to see if it still holds up against mutant strains of the virus and yielded encouraging results.

2 Feb 2021

ZyCoV-D DNA vaccine immunogenic against SARS-CoV-2 in animal models

In the absence of effective therapeutics or preventives, vaccines have become the focus of attention. Though over 170 vaccines are in preclinical and about 60 in clinical development, very few are based on plasmid DNA technology. However, a new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv* server reports the immunogenicity of a DNA vaccine candidate.

2 Feb 2021

Why SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 is more virulent

A new preprint research paper by scientists from Sweden and India attempts to provide a preliminary answer to these questions using computational modeling. The research, which appears on the bioRxiv* server, predicts increased virulence with the new variant. If validated, this could help public health authorities prepare for new variants' possible impact as they emerge.

2 Feb 2021

Elevated ACE2 and inflammation levels increase risk for pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2

Among the hundred million or so cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that have occurred since the pandemic began, pregnant women have been a conspicuous risk group. However, the exact nature of the risk they and their fetuses face, and the mechanism by which it operates, is far from clear.

2 Feb 2021

SARS-CoV-2 triggers development of new-onset IgG autoantibodies in hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is associated with several clinical features common in autoimmune diseases as myalgias, arthralgias, fatigue, and rashes. COVID-19 patients also exhibit less common autoimmunity manifestations such as myositis, thrombosis, myocarditis, encephalitis, vasculitis, and arthritis.

1 Feb 2021

Urinary shedding of spike protein in COVID-19 patients

A team of scientists from the United States has recently revealed that about 25% of people with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection develop renal complications and that the viral spike protein can be detected in the urine samples of these patients. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

1 Feb 2021

By July of 2020, 16.8 million people in the US infected with SARS-CoV-2 and didn’t know it

A seroprevalence study of nearly 10,000 people in the United States in the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic suggests there were at least five people with undiagnosed disease for every case diagnosed.

1 Feb 2021

New platform using green algae tests for SARS-CoV-2 virus

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have demonstrated the potential of using green algae to make recombinant viral proteins that could be used in large scale assays to detect antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

1 Feb 2021

Researchers in Japan compare two seroprevalence antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2

Researchers have shown that using reliable antibody tests in conjunction is an effective way to estimate seroprevalence in low prevalence settings.

1 Feb 2021

New platform for detecting and monitoring SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses

Researchers in the U.S. have released a new study that describes a powerful but inexpensive tool designed to detect and monitor specific antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 over time.

1 Feb 2021

Inhaled single dose vaccine creates antibodies and prevents infection in rhesus macaques

Now, a new preprint research paper describes a chimpanzee adenovirus-vectored vaccine that, when administered intranasally in rhesus macaques, led to a robust immune response and demonstrated protection against infection by the virus that causes COVID-19, namely, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The preprint is published on the bioRxiv server.

1 Feb 2021

India's Covaxin vaccine likely effective against UK SARS-CoV-2 variant: Study

A new preprint research paper, posted to the preprint server bioRxiv, presents data indicating that the Indian-made Covaxin vaccine candidate successfully neutralizes this variant, preventing infection when challenged by it.

1 Feb 2021

E484K mutation is potentially associated with SARS-CoV-2 adaptive fitness

A team of Brazilian scientists has recently conducted genomic and phylogenetic analyses of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome to understand the viral evolution process better. Their analyses reveal that the E484K mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 is present in three different lineages in four Brazilian regions and that the mutation may serve as a common solution for viral evolution.

31 Jan 2021

LCMC3 trial: Neoadjuvant atezolizumab prior to lung cancer surgery meets primary endpoint

(Primary analysis of the Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium (LCMC) 3 study revealed that neoadjuvant atezolizumab prior to lung cancer surgery was well tolerated by patients and met its primary endpoint of 20% major pathologic response rate, according to research presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's World Conference on Lung Cancer.

31 Jan 2021

Crystal structures of nanobodies could aid the design of COVID-19 therapies

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, have shown how certain synthetic nanobodies bind to the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – a development that could help inform the design of therapies.

31 Jan 2021

Study reveals effective therapeutic strategy to prevent colorectal cancer progression

Nagoya University researchers and colleagues have revealed that colorectal cancer tissues contain at least two types of fibroblasts (a type of cells found in connective tissue), namely, cancer-promoting fibroblasts and cancer-restraining fibroblasts, and that the balance between them is largely involved in the progression of colorectal cancer.

30 Jan 2021