Immune Response News and Research

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Uncovering immune cell reactions in COVID-19

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in April 2020 suggests that an overactive immune response is responsible for the more severe manifestations of the illness.

4 May 2020

Human endemic coronavirus reinfection possible after recovery

The novel coronavirus started spreading in December 2019, and since then, it has rippled across the globe, affecting 187 countries and territories, and infecting more than 3.18 million people. However, the behavior and mechanism of the virus, including whether it provides adaptive immunity, is still unclear. There have been reports of reinfection out of South Korea and Japan

4 May 2020

New information on viral antigens could improve COVID-19 testing

Researchers in France and China have characterized antibody responses to a wide range of antigens present on severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

4 May 2020

Scientists develop a highly sensitive COVID-19 diagnostic platform

Cima Universidad de Navarra researchers have developed a large-scale, highly sensitive COVID-19 diagnostic platform more efficient than the commercial PCR test kits currently available.

4 May 2020

Study defines new starting points for therapy and vaccine research on coronavirus

The SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infects lung cells and is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The viral spike protein mediates entry of the virus into host cells and harbors an unusual activation sequence.

4 May 2020

Study reveals variable sites in novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

Understanding the varying aggressiveness of SARS-CoV-2 may provide valuable data to trace its spread across populations. In the study, published on the preprint server BioRxiv, the researchers traced amino acid variants that possess high frequency in Europe, particularly in Italy, one of the hardest-hit countries.

4 May 2020

Researchers examine role of immune response in COVID-19 patients

A new USC study suggests that temporarily suppressing the body's immune system during the early stages of COVID-19 could help a patient avoid severe symptoms.

4 May 2020

Study sheds new light on the body's initial response to DENV infection

A study led by scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research sheds new light on the body's initial response to dengue virus (DENV) infection, describing the molecular diversity and specificity of the antibody response.

4 May 2020

AHA awards grants to 12 teams for fast-tracked heart and brain health research related to COVID-19

Less than a month after issuing a rapid response call for scientific research proposals for fast-tracked studies of the effects of COVID-19 on the body's cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems, the American Heart Association has awarded $1.2 million in grants to teams at 12 institutions across the U.S. to begin this unprecedented work.

2 May 2020

Lipo-ImmunoTech receives grant to develop novel adoptive cell therapy technology for cancer

Lipo-ImmunoTech, LLC, a startup based in Charleston, South Carolina, recently received a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer grant of just over $224,000 to continue to develop its novel adoptive cell therapy technology for cancer.

2 May 2020

UVA scientists seek answers to questions about spinal cord injuries

Two top scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine are seeking answers to questions about spinal cord injuries that have long frustrated the development of effective treatments.

30 Apr 2020

Changes to gut microbiome could improve cancer outcomes for smokers

Changes to the gut microbiome interacted with the immune system to slow the growth of cancer in mice exposed to cigarette smoke, according to research that was selected for presentation at Digestive Disease Week 2020.

30 Apr 2020

Temple University Hospital is offering COVID-19 clinical trials, investigational treatments options

Temple University Hospital is now participating in a variety of clinical trials that are testing investigational treatment options for patients diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.

30 Apr 2020

A new model for identifying the most effective treatments for respiratory viral infection

When a person contracts a respiratory viral infection like COVID-19 or influenza, the immune system responds in a myriad of ways to eliminate the virus.

29 Apr 2020

New clinical trial launched to study if convalescent plasma can treat COVID-19

Montefiore Health System, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and NYU Langone have launched a new clinical trial to study if convalescent plasma- taken from people who have recovered from COVID-19 - is effective in treating the disease.

29 Apr 2020

Arthritis drug assessed as potential treatment for COVID-19-related pneumonia

UC San Diego Health has launched a Phase III clinical trial, part of a global effort, to assess whether a medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disorders might also have therapeutic value for COVID-19 patients who have developed or at high risk of developing serious lung damage from SARS-CoV-2 infections.

29 Apr 2020

Australian COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows protective response in pre-clinical trials

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, scientists race to develop a vaccine that can help contain the spread of the virus. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has so far infected more than 3.18 million people across the globe. Now, early tests of a potential coronavirus vaccine have shown promise in pre-clinical trials.

29 Apr 2020

Low levels of vitamin D may be linked to severe COVID-19

A new observational study from the United States indicates that vitamin D insufficiency may play a significant role in the progression of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The research titled 'Vitamin D Insufficiency is Prevalent in Severe COVID-19' is available on the preprint server medRxiv.Study shows that low levels of vitamin D may be linked to severe COVID-19

29 Apr 2020

Researchers discover cause for the lack of immune defense against tumors

One of the reasons why cancer develops is because regulatory cells inhibit the body's immune defense. Researchers under the helm of the Technical University of Munich have discovered a mechanism for identifying regulatory cells in tumor tissue that suppress an immune response.

29 Apr 2020

Study with twins shows COVID-19 symptoms have genetic contribution

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv from King's College, London, suggests that an individual's genetic makeup may contribute to how much a person is likely to be affected by COVID-19, or whether they are likely to be infected at all.

29 Apr 2020