Immunodeficiency News and Research

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Immunodeficiency (or immune deficiency) is a state in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious disease is compromised or entirely absent.

Experimental gene therapy successfully treats children born without an immune system

An experimental form of gene therapy developed by a team of researchers from UCLA and Great Ormond Street Hospital in London has successfully treated 48 of 50 children born with a rare and deadly inherited disorder that leaves them without an immune system.

11 May 2021

Natural products a rich source for novel antiviral compounds

In a recent review in the journal Viruses, researchers look at natural products that can be identified as potential alternative antiviral agents. The reviewers discussed the antiviral activities of several natural products towards DNA and RNA viruses with an analytical approach. The researchers detailed the cellular/viral targets of the active molecules and their impact on the infection and viral replication cycle.

10 May 2021

Study: Novavax Covid-19 vaccine is efficacious against the B.1.351 South African variant

The published data provide additional detail of an initial analysis conducted in January, while more robust data from a complete analysis of the study was subsequently shared in March 2021.

6 May 2021

Special issue of JANAC summarizes 40 years of nursing science throughout the HIV epidemic

From the very beginning of the AIDS epidemic in 1981, nurses have been at the forefront of patient care, advocacy, and research.

5 May 2021

Horizontal transmission route is responsible for HTLV-1 uveitis

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus similar to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and has mostly been thought to be transmitted vertically (mother-to-child), or horizontally (sexually or parenterally (e.g. via blood transfusion)).

28 Apr 2021

A detailed look at two cases of symptomatic COVID in vaccinated individuals

In a recent brief report published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from the Rockefeller University in New York described a case of two fully vaccinated individuals in whom they found subsequent breakthrough infections with variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), carrying a number of substitutions of interest.

25 Apr 2021

Strides against HIV/AIDS falter, especially in the South, as nation battles COVID

Facing a yearlong siege from the coronavirus, the defenses in another, older war are faltering.

21 Apr 2021

Curcumin nanosystems could be powerful COVID-19 therapeutics

With new variants of SARS-CoV-2 emerging, the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. While the global vaccine rollout has moved at an impressive speed, the search for new safe, effective, and targeted therapies is still on. Now, a new study reviews the potential for curcumin, a natural alkaloid derived from turmeric, and nanosystems to treat COVID-19.

16 Apr 2021

Novel PF74 molecule effectively targets HIV capsid protein

Of all known small molecules targeting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) capsid protein (CA), PF74 represents by far the best characterized chemotype, due to its ability to confer antiviral phenotypes in both early and late phases of viral replication.

9 Apr 2021

Male fetuses impair the maternal and placental immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy, finds study

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is now established to be more likely to lead to symptomatic and serious illness in males relative to females. This may extend as far back as pregnancy, suggests a recent study.

31 Mar 2021

Scientists launch clinical trial of CRISPR gene correction therapy in patients with sickle cell disease

Scientists at UC San Francisco, UC Berkeley and UCLA have received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to jointly launch an early phase, first-in-human clinical trial of a CRISPR gene correction therapy in patients with sickle cell disease using the patient's own blood-forming stem cells.

30 Mar 2021

New study may shed light on inflammatory bowel disease

Researchers have found an unexpected synergy between a T-cell stimulatory protein -- the ICOS ligand -- and interleukin-10, an immunoregulatory cytokine, to prevent inflammatory bowel disease in mice.

26 Mar 2021

Researchers identify chemicals that keep HIV virus in dormant state

When the human immunodeficiency virus infects cells, it can either exploit the cells to start making more copies of itself or remain dormant--a phenomenon called latency.

24 Mar 2021

ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 offers less protection against South African SARS-CoV-2 variant

The results of a double-blind, randomized, multisite placebo-controlled trial that was conducted in South Africa show that Oxford’s ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine has no efficacy against the B.1.351 variant in preventing mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and shows reduced neutralization properties of developed antibodies. The findings are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

21 Mar 2021

Researchers explore nanotechnology’s potential to deliver synergistic therapeutics for COVID-19

A team of scientists reviewed the nanoencapsulation approaches of synergistic compounds (Lectins, Caffeine, Cocoa, Flavonoids, Quercetin) and the role of nanotechnology in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

19 Mar 2021

Engineering immunogens to focus immune response to SARS-CoV-2

Researchers have designed constructs by adding more glycans and adding the receptor-binding motif from related sarbecoviruses to focus the immune response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor-binding motif. Such immunogens could potentially also neutralize other variants and coronaviruses.

18 Mar 2021

Quantum dot-based affinity biosensors in microfluidic systems offer an alternative SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics platform

In a new study published in Emergent Materials, researchers show how microfluidic systems integrated with quantum dot-based affinity biosensors can serve as a valuable platform to rapidly and accurately diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection.

17 Mar 2021

People with high BMI may now receive their COVID-19 vaccine in California

Now, California state allows individuals with one of ten comorbidities to get their COVID-19 jabs. This comes after obesity being tagged as COVID-19 vaccine eligibility.

16 Mar 2021

Dual-action monoclonal antibodies from an original SARS survivor show promise against COVID-19

A recent study, currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server, indicates that a pair of dual-action monoclonal antibodies derived from an original 2003 SARS survivors could play an important role in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to their broadly neutralizing activity and the engagement of the immune system via effector function capabilities.

14 Mar 2021

Study demonstrates long-term neuropsychological consequences following SARS-CoV-2 infection

The study, published in the pre-print server medRxiv, demonstrates the presence of long-lasting neuropsychological sequelae after COVID-19, regardless of the respiratory disease's severity.

2 Mar 2021