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Researchers identify antibodies that prevent SARS-CoV-2 from infecting human cells

The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells depends on interactions between the viral spike protein and the human cell surface protein ACE2.

5 Nov 2020

Green tea and some fruit juices inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

Green tea, chokeberry juice, and pomegranate juice killed flu and SARS-CoV-2 viruses when incubated with the viruses in vitro. Thus, oral rinsing using these might be effective in preventing COVID-19.

5 Nov 2020

Computational study reveals SARS-CoV-2 spike protein structural stability

Using dynamic contact maps and energy differences between different conformations of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein (or S-protein), an international team of researchers have recently published an article on the bioRxiv preprint server showing the different stable conformations of the spike protein.

4 Nov 2020

An analysis of genetic diversity of D614G mutation in SARS-CoV-2

A new study published in the preprint server bioRxiv in November 2020 reports that the effect of the mutation is minimal, in terms of pathogenicity or altered response to neutralizing antibodies elicited against the native virus strain.

4 Nov 2020

D614G mutation enhances stability of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

A new study, published on the preprint server bioRxiv in November 2020 by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science, has explored this issue further. The researchers have found that this mutation is associated with structural and energetic changes that cause this spike variant to become more available during infection, thus rendering the associated strain more infective.

4 Nov 2020

Study shows brilacidin strongly inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in laboratory cell lines

A recent study by US researchers reveals that brilacidin, a small synthetic molecule with peptide-like properties, exerts potent in vitro antiviral activity against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – both as a standalone treatment and in combination with FDA-approved remdesivir. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

4 Nov 2020

Researchers develop novel therapeutic approach against COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common and deadliest diseases worldwide.

4 Nov 2020

Genetic mutation may accelerate heart function decline in DMD patients

A mutation in the gene that causes cystic fibrosis may accelerate heart function decline in those with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a new study by UT Southwestern researchers suggests.

4 Nov 2020

A new methodological approach to ease the synthesis of high structural complex molecules

The synthesis of complex molecules such as drugs requires a process that sometimes involves several phases that increase its cost and harden access to the product.

4 Nov 2020

Synthetic antibody may prevent coronavirus from infecting human cells

By screening hundreds of synthetic antibodies, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and EMBL Hamburg in Germany have identified an antibody that may prevent the new coronavirus from infecting human cells.

4 Nov 2020

Most SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals develop durable B cell-mediated immunity

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University and The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, investigated the durability of B cell immunity following SARS-CoV-2 infection and recovery in their recent work published on the preprint server medRxiv.

3 Nov 2020

Evidence of robust and persistent antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

A team of researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, have worked in collaboration to try and answer one of the most baffling questions surrounding the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic: do antibodies against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) last after a primary infection?

3 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 T-cell immunity is retained for at least six months

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv shows that functional SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses are retained for six months following infection. However, the strength of this response depends on the clinical features of the primary infection.

3 Nov 2020

Adaptive evolution of human coronaviruses may necessitate frequent reformulation of vaccines

Researchers from the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, USA, have revealed that adaptive evolution in the antigenic regions facilitates seasonal coronaviruses to escape the host immune responses and to cause recurrent infections.

3 Nov 2020

Rapid generation of divergent synthetic antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in a cell-free engineering platform

In a groundbreaking bioRxiv paper, a research group from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute in the US engineered antibodies against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein by using a novel approach. In doing so, they also identified more than 800 predicted binder families.

3 Nov 2020

Biomarkers that are predictive of clinical benefit in Trop-2-expressing triple-negative breast cancer

Oncotarget recently published "Predictive biomarkers for sacituzumab govitecan efficacy in Trop-2-expressing triple-negative breast cancer" which reported that the authors investigated whether Trop-2-expression and homologous recombination repair of SN-38-mediated double-strand DNA breaks play a role in the sensitivity of triple-negative breast cancer to SG.

3 Nov 2020

Researchers use new approach to study the mechanisms of cellular uptake of amyloid beta

One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is the formation of amyloid plaques--sticky clumps of a protein called amyloid beta--that collect between neurons in the brain.

3 Nov 2020

Scientists identify neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists have discovered the fastest way to identify potent, neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

3 Nov 2020

New model uses people’s breathing rates to track virus-carrying droplets

How many virus particles you inhale and where they land within the respiratory tract can affect your chances of contracting COVID-19, according to assistant professor Saikat Basu of South Dakota State University's Department of Mechanical Engineering.

3 Nov 2020

Estonian researchers provide clues to control the aggressive nature of SARS-CoV-2

Recent study by Estonian researchers in University of Tartu explains how coronavirus is activated before attacking the cell and what could help to impede that.

2 Nov 2020