immunity News and Research

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New N501 SARS-CoV-2 mutation may have been circulating in Italy since August 2020

A recent study shows that mutated SARS-CoV-2 strains with a substitution at position 501 might have circulated unnoticed even before the end of September 2020, when the rapid emergence of B.1.1.7 lineage (carrying the N501Y mutation) was initially reported.

13 Jan 2021

SARS-CoV-2 may join the ranks of mild cold-causing coronaviruses

What is the endgame for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that is causing worldwide devastation? If it becomes endemic -- circulating in the general population -- and most people are exposed in childhood, SARS-CoV-2 may join the ranks of mild cold-causing coronaviruses that currently circulate in humans, according to a model developed by Emory and Penn State scientists.

13 Jan 2021

Medical institutions should support health care workers with COVID-19 infection, say experts

By mid-November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported that 218,439 health care workers in the U.S. had been infected with COVID-19 -- a likely underestimate due to incomplete data from states.

13 Jan 2021

Researchers develop novel antibody fragments against SARS coronavirus-2

An international research team led by the University of Bonn (Germany) has identified and further developed novel antibody fragments against the SARS coronavirus-2. These "nanobodies" are much smaller than the classic antibodies used to treat US President Donald Trump, for example.

13 Jan 2021

New publication describes DiosCURE’s multivalent single-chain antibodies to inactivate SARS-CoV-2

DiosCURE SE announced a publication in Science describing its core technology of multivalent single-chain antibodies with a unique molecular mode-of-action to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 virions. An international team led by scientists at the University of Bonn developed and characterized the lead candidates, which are exclusively licensed by DiosCURE.

13 Jan 2021

Scientists identify sensor in human lungs that detects SARS-CoV-2

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have identified the sensor in human lungs that detects SARS-CoV-2 and signals that it's time to mount an antiviral response.

13 Jan 2021

Antibody-Fc-mediated innate immunity shapes COVID-19 severity

A short paper that appeared recently on the preprint bioRxiv server pointed to a link between specific characteristics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies associated with the severity of COVID-19.

12 Jan 2021

Intranasal vaccination effectively reduces viral shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in monkeys

A new preprint that appeared on the bioRxiv server reports that intranasal vaccination with the D614G variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in rhesus monkeys reduces viral shedding. This is an experiment in non-human primates (NHP), and its extrapolation to humans is unclear as yet.

12 Jan 2021

Daily circadian cycles may impact our ability to fight disease

An analysis of an exhaustive dataset on cells essential to the mammalian immune system shows that our ability to fight disease may rely more heavily on daily circadian cycles than previously assumed.

12 Jan 2021

Scientists determine ideal dose of stem cells to control HIV

Scientists have determined the optimal conditions following a stem cell transplant that could control HIV without the need of an everyday pill, according to a study published today in eLife.

12 Jan 2021

UTSW study uncovers a gene linked to growth of breast cancer

A team of UT Southwestern researchers has identified a gene involved in the growth of breast cancer, a finding that could lead to potential new targets for treatment.

12 Jan 2021

Could Vitamin D be an effective adjuvant to help mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic?

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the globe, there is a dire need for effective and safe therapeutics and vaccines. Overall, the pandemic has infected more than 90.87 million people and taken more 1.94 million lives.

12 Jan 2021

SARS-CoV-2 exposure in England could be double reported seroprevalence

A new study that recently appeared on the preprint server medRxiv* makes use of a combined method to estimate population exposure to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), taking into account the fact that patients who recover from the infection often do not have circulating antibodies against the virus.

11 Jan 2021

The mystery of Giglio island’s resistance to COVID-19

An intriguing new study explores the mechanisms by which an Italian island called Giglio remained resistant to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) even after much exposure.

11 Jan 2021

Study supports continuing phase 3 trials of Ad26.COV2.S SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

An international team of researchers has provided further evidence to confirm the immunogenicity and efficacy of a recombinant adenovirus vaccine currently being tested in phase 3 trials for its ability to protect against infection with severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

11 Jan 2021

Sustained immune response memory detected in recovered COVID-19 patients

A team of researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine has found that people who had mild COVID-19 developed a multi-layered immune response against SARS-Cov-2. The researchers detected neutralizing antibodies against the virus for at least three months after recovering from the infection.

11 Jan 2021

Single-dose nanoparticle vaccine for SARS-CoV-2

Before the pandemic, the lab of Stanford University biochemist Peter S. Kim focused on developing vaccines for HIV, Ebola and pandemic influenza.

8 Jan 2021

How do SARS-CoV-2 antibodies change over time in recovered patients?

Researchers studied convalescent plasma from recovered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, with samples collected up to 34 weeks after recovery. They found IgG antibodies gradually declined with a median half-life of about 60 days.

8 Jan 2021

Link between fever, diarrhea, severe COVID-19, and persistent anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

A new preprint research paper appearing on the medRxiv server describes a link between the persistence of neutralizing antibodies against the virus, disease severity, and specific COVID-19 symptoms.

7 Jan 2021

Potential role of chitinase 3-like-1 in severity of COVID-19

Now, an intriguing preprint research paper on the bioRxiv server reports the identification of an enzyme called chitinase 3-like-1 (CHI3L1) that mediates this age-dependent impact of the virus and could serve as a powerful therapeutic approach in mitigating the severity of COVID-19 in this high-risk group.

7 Jan 2021