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SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.420 and B.1.617.1 immune escape variants reported in France

Researchers discovered the first N440K variant and the new E484Q and L452R Indian variants isolated in France in a recent study. They presented the genetic mutations in the isolated genomes and the phylogenetic tree, including these strains among different SARS-CoV-2 clades. This work is posted on the bioRxiv preprint server.

18 May 2021

Western diet impairs the gut immune system, could increase risk of inflammatory bowel disease

Eating a Western diet impairs the immune system in the gut in ways that could increase risk of infection and inflammatory bowel disease, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Cleveland Clinic.

18 May 2021

Breast cancer survivors have higher risk of new cancer diagnosis compared to healthy individuals

A new study finds breast cancer survivors in general have higher risk of new cancer diagnosis compared to healthy individuals.

18 May 2021

SpaceX study profiles evolution of antibody response during COVID-19 infection

New research published on the preprint server bioRxiv* suggests S2-specific antibody responses are critical in recovering from mild to severe COVID-19 infection. Compared to patients who died within 28 days of their COVID-19 diagnosis, patients who produced a wide range of S2-specific responses were more likely to survive.

18 May 2021

ErbB inhibitor lapatinib exhibits potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity

A team of scientists from the USA and Belgium has recently revealed that the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases play a vital role in regulating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lifecycle in host cells and that inhibition of these receptors can protect against SARS-CoV-2-induced acute and chronic lung injuries and inflammation.

18 May 2021

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine elicits six-month antibody responses to variants

Researchers in the United States have demonstrated the long-term durability of the antibody responses elicited by Moderna’s mRNA-1273 vaccine against variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

18 May 2021

Researchers investigate immune molecule that helps protect transplanted kidneys

Looking to improve organ transplant success, researchers are working to learn more about how an immune molecule, which also protects a fetus, helps protect some transplanted kidneys, and to develop a synthetic version of that molecule that could help more patients.

18 May 2021

Stabilizing mutations in SARS-CoV-2 immunogens improve vaccine design

Researchers in the United States have developed stabilized immunogens presenting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that may improve the scalability of RBD-based coronavirus vaccines.

18 May 2021

Milder COVID-19 in children may be due to higher memory B cells responses to SARS-CoV-2

A new research paper published in the journal Science explores the differences in coronavirus-specific B memory cell repertoires in children versus adults, as well as the functional importance of this discovery.

18 May 2021

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines safe and effective for pregnant and breastfeeding women

The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought untold devastation in its wake, with its rapid and asymptomatic spread to hundreds of millions of people the world over. Vaccines have been hailed as the way out of this situation, and a dozen or so are being rolled out in many different countries.

18 May 2021

Breastfeeding safe and beneficial in SARS-CoV-2 infection

\With the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, hundreds of millions of people became infected worldwide, including thousands of pregnant women near term. The question of vertical transmission to the infant via the placenta or breast milk was very real, leading to a near-total ban on breastfeeding in this group.

17 May 2021

Nanotechnology and COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment

The development of nano-biosensors and nanoparticle-based vaccines and medicines has opened a new path toward better management of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In a recently published article in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, scientists have reviewed recent advancements in nanotechnology-based diagnostic and therapeutic interventions against human coronaviruses.

17 May 2021

A SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody with extensive spike binding coverage

In a recently published research paper in the journal Nature Communications, a team of scientists from China has described the antiviral efficacy of a novel anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody isolated from recovered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.

17 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617 variant shows modest resistance to vaccine-induced antibodies

The World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled the double mutant B.1.617 variant — first discovered in India —a variant of concern for its high transmission rate and ability to evade immune responses. New research posted to the preprint server bioRxiv finds B.1.617 can modestly reduce neutralizing antibody responses generated from the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

16 May 2021

Enhanced version of CureVac’s COVID-19 vaccine could help address supply shortages

Researchers in Germany have demonstrated the preclinical effectiveness of a next-generation coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine at enhancing antibody responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

16 May 2021

Scientists identify receptor in cells that could be key to preventing cancer drug-induced hearing loss

University of Alberta scientists have identified a receptor in cells that could be key to preventing permanent hearing loss in childhood cancer survivors who are being treated with the drug cisplatin.

14 May 2021

Farxiga approved in the US for the treatment of chronic kidney disease in patients at risk of progression with and without type-2 diabetes

Approval is the most significant advancement in the treatment of chronic kidney disease in more than 20 years. In DAPA-CKD Phase III trial, Farxiga demonstrated unprecedented reduction in the risk of the composite of worsening of renal function, end-stage kidney disease and cardiovascular or renal death.

From AstraZeneca 14 May 2021

A look at how coronavirus disease (COVID-19) affects Parkinson's

Earlier, herpes simplex virus (HSV), influenza virus A, measles virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and mumps virus have all been associated with after-effects of the virus that includes Parkinson's disease (PD). This list may now include SARS-CoV-2.

14 May 2021

A SARS-CoV-2 ferritin nanoparticle vaccine elicits broad immunity

In a recent bioRxiv* preprint research paper, M. Gordon Joyce et al. designed engineered nanoparticle immunogens that recapitulate the structural and antigenic properties of prefusion Spike (S), S1 and receptor-binding domain (RBD). They demonstrated that these immunogens induced robust S-binding, ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme)-inhibition, and authentic and pseudovirus neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in mice.

13 May 2021

Antibodies generated by malaria cross-react with SARS-CoV-2

An international team of researchers has warned that individuals with acute malaria infection generate high levels of antibodies that cross-react with the viral spike protein of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

13 May 2021