Severe Acute Respiratory News and Research

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Viral protein delivery system could facilitate COVID-19 research

Researchers in the United States have successfully delivered a critical structural protein found in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to a human cell line and tracked its localization deep within the cells.

22 Feb 2021

An overview of spike protein antigen COVID-19 vaccine candidates

A new paper in the journal Reviews in Medical Virology provides a perspective on current vaccine development strategies and tools, which may allow the production of safe and effective vaccines.

22 Feb 2021

COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows potential against SARS-CoV-2 and potential future zoonotic coronaviruses

A new study sheds light on the threat posed by future zoonotic coronaviruses to make similar leaps across species barriers to infect human beings and cause other pandemics.

22 Feb 2021

Neanderthal gene can confer protection against severe COVID-19, finds study

A new study has detailed how some of the genes in the human genome inherited from Neanderthals appear to confer a protective effect against severe COVID-19.

22 Feb 2021

Researchers explain SARS-CoV-2's replication-transcription complex

The current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still spreading rapidly throughout the world. A new preprint on the bioRxiv* server describes the structure of an important viral non-structural protein NSP12-16 and its role in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

22 Feb 2021

Some nutritional supplements may help prevent or mitigate COVID-19 severity

A new study in the Journal of dietary supplements shows that nutritional supplements, including several vitamins and the mineral zinc, may be useful in preventing the infection or reducing its severity if caught.

22 Feb 2021

Superspreader events trigger emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants in USA

A team of scientists from the USA and Germany has recently studied the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in a representative set of sequences from the USA collected between 2020 and 2021. The findings reveal that the viral genome has accumulated multiple mutations over time with only occasional loss of mutation. The main driving forces behind such genetic variations include widespread infection and superspreader events.

22 Feb 2021

Study profiles the nose to predict immune response during COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 resides in mucous membranes, making it easy to detect viral load in the nasal cavities. An international group of researchers has characterized the immunological and diagnosis characteristics of patients who may have or are confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The team found a distinct nasal cytokine profile that could help identify patients at risk for high inflammatory responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

22 Feb 2021

Why can SARS-CoV-2 infection cause neurological and cardiovascular symptoms?

Researchers from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, USA, present results linking oxidative stress and the activation of a biochemical pathway associated with Alzheimer’s disease to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

22 Feb 2021

Some SARS-CoV-2 variants evade mRNA vaccine-induced humoral immune, says study

Understanding how variants escape vaccine-boosted immune function is necessary to neutralizing SARS-CoV-2. An international team of researchers from MIT and Harvard University in the USA analyzed Pfizer and Moderna vaccines' effectiveness in neutralizing spike proteins from 10 different strains of SARS-CoV-2.

22 Feb 2021

Could an intranasal adjuvant to vaccines boost immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants?

A research team from the University of Michigan Medical School, USA, developed a supplementary intranasal treatment to improve COVID-19 vaccine response and its effects on long-lasting immunity from other variants, such as the B.1.351 variant first found in South Africa.

22 Feb 2021

Study identifies immune profile of people with severe COVID-19

A team of researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center, USA, investigated how SARS-CoV-2 affects the immune system’s response during and after infection and contributes to the severity of COVID-19.

22 Feb 2021

Polyphenols may provide protective effect against COVID-19 disease

In the study published in the journal Integrative Physiology, the researchers found that a high intake of polyphenols may have a protective effect on patients with COVID-19 and prevent disease progression.

22 Feb 2021

Mucosal delivery of IFNs a good strategy for COVID-19 prophylaxis post-exposure

Researchers from the UK and Germany recently reported a comprehensive characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 response of human nasal epithelial cells, revealing a response dominated by IFN-I/IIIs. Also, recombinant IFN-I/III treatment was found to efficiently block the replication of SARS-CoV-2, which suggests that mucosal delivery of IFNs may be a good strategy for prophylaxis post-exposure.

22 Feb 2021

Gold nanoparticles investigated as part of in vitro tool for SARS-CoV-2 drug screening

Scientists have measured the interaction of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) protein with nano-gold colloids. These nanoparticles functionalized with the S protein have different spectroscopic signals allowing for new information about the protein to be extracted.

21 Feb 2021

SARS-CoV-2 DNA vaccine tested in animal model

A team of experts has tested the immune responses elicited by mucosal homologous plasmid and a heterologous immunization strategy using a plasmid vaccine and a Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) antigens.

21 Feb 2021

Novel SARS-CoV-2 vaccine utilizes recombinant spike protein with PIKA adjuvant

The primary aim of any vaccine is to stimulate immune functions and confer long-lasting protection. A paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Tong et al. (17th Feb 2021) describes a novel vaccine utilizing PIKA adjuvant and recombinant spike proteins against COVID-19 disease that promises the generation of potent neutralization antibodies, which potentially support immune responses for years.

21 Feb 2021

Proteases modulate SARS-CoV-2 spike protein activation and deactivation

A research paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Platt et al. (17th Feb 2021) aimed to identify these enzymes by computational screening and molecular docking simulations, with cathepsins B, K, L, S, and V being highlighted as probable leads.

21 Feb 2021

A different strategy for wastewater detection of SARS-CoV-2

Researchers tested a variety of RNA concentration and extraction methods and assays to develop a protocol for testing SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, which may help improve COVID-19 surveillance.

21 Feb 2021

Cissampelos pareira L. extracts demonstrate anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in vitro

A team of scientists from India has recently investigated the antiviral potency of a traditional medicinal plant Cissampelos pareira L. in preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The findings reveal that both whole-plant extracts and bioactive compounds can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication by modulating estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) activity.

21 Feb 2021