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.

Common genetic variants may influence susceptibility to COVID-19

Researchers in the United States and Japan have conducted a study suggesting that a commonly occurring genetic variant influences susceptibility to infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

23 Sep 2020

Structural and systemic racism in health care system affects HIV care for black women

For Black women in the southern United States, mistrust of the health care system that is grounded in structural and systemic racism is a key factor affecting participation in HIV prevention and treatment services, reports a study in the September/October issue of The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (JANAC). The official journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, JANAC is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

18 Sep 2020

Anti-CD73 molecule CPI-006 activates B cell responses to SARS-CoV-2

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause an immense impact across many parts of the world, the role played by immune responses is becoming more evident every day. A recent funded paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* in September 2020 reports the initiation of a Phase I trial of a drug that increases antibody and cell-mediated immune responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

17 Sep 2020

Seroconversion marks recovery from COVID-19

Nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists are still seeking to understand the protective immunity that develops against the causative agent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Despite the increasing need for serological tests in epidemiology, their clinical value has not been fully established. A new paper published in the Journal of Medical Virology in September 2020 describes the relationship of COVID-19 disease symptoms with the serological status over time.

11 Sep 2020

Phase 3 study to test efficacy of new treatment for pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome

Octapharma has launched a phase 3, multi-center superiority study to compare the effectiveness of PANZYGA (immune globulin intravenous, human - ifas) 10% Liquid Preparation versus placebo in patients with pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS).

3 Sep 2020

Honeybee venom induces cancer cell death in aggressive breast cancer

The new study, published in the journal Nature Precision Oncology, highlights how bees can help combat breast cancer. The research team found that when the venom’s main component, when mixed with existing chemotherapy drugs, reduced tumor growth in laboratory mice.

2 Sep 2020

Newly approved drugs in Canada lack key pediatric drug information

Newly approved drugs in Canada lack important pediatric drug information in their product monograph, according to an analysis led by McMaster University and McMaster Children's Hospital.

1 Sep 2020

Cat antiviral that inhibits SARS-CoV-2 fast-tracked for human clinical trials

Now, a team of researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada has identified viral inhibitors that they claim are potential candidates as a treatment for COVID-19. The team is set to launch clinical trials of the drug that is used as a treatment for a type of coronavirus in cats.

31 Aug 2020

Study shows furin cleavage site is crucial for SARS-CoV-2 replication

In a recent bioRxiv* preprint paper, researchers from the United States demonstrate the pivotal role the furin cleavage site insertion in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein plays in viral replication and pathogenesis – highlighting, in turn, the need for mutation monitoring when developing therapeutics and vaccines.

27 Aug 2020

Whey protein from human breastmilk inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection

Many scientists have reported the effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on pregnancy and the virus has been detected in breastmilk. Now a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020 shows that whey protein in human breastmilk efficiently prevents infection with SARS-CoV-2 as well as post-entry viral replication.

20 Aug 2020

Researchers explore association of malaria, HIV with anemia during pregnancy

Pregnant women from sub-Saharan Africa with malaria and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have a higher prevalence of anemia than pregnant women without infections according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

12 Aug 2020

New articles focus on recent developments in the field of health preference research

Value in Health, the official journal of ISPOR - the professional society for health economics and outcomes research, announced today the publication of a series of articles focused on recent developments in the field of health preference research.

10 Aug 2020

COVID-19 patient with repeatedly undetectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

A recent case study published in the Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine in August 2020 illustrates this with its finding of persistent seronegativity in a patient confirmed to be SARS-CoV-2 positive.

10 Aug 2020

Humans promote diseases from the animal kingdom

The coronavirus pandemic, which has now infected nearly 19 million and killed more than 712,000 people, most likely originated from bats. Just like other coronavirus outbreaks in the past, a spill-over event or zoonosis caused the viruses to jump from animals to humans.

6 Aug 2020

UCI researchers develop novel molecule for COVID-19 treatment

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, almost everyone at the University of California, Irvine – and colleges across the nation – had to abandon campus.

6 Aug 2020

Penis microbiome is reservoir for bacterial vaginosis-associated bacteria

Previous studies have pointed out that the reproductive microbiomes of partners might be exchanged in bacterial vaginosis (BV). Now, a team of researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago compared the microbiota of couples before and after the development of BV.

4 Aug 2020

Study shows high SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence, but low death rate in Malawi's health care workers

A study by researchers from Malawi and United Kingdom reveals a significant discrepancy between predicted coronavirus disease (COVID-19) mortality in the observed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence rates in health care workers and reported deaths in urban Malawi in southeastern Africa, indicating early exposure, but a slow progression of the outbreak. Their findings are currently available on the medRxiv preprint server.

3 Aug 2020

Stabilized prefusion spike vaccine candidate induces powerful immune response

A new research paper by scientists at Janssen Vaccines & Prevention BV, in the Netherlands and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* is based on the assumption that an effective vaccine against these infections will induce neutralizing antibodies and an immune response favoring Th1 immunity.

3 Aug 2020

Researchers identify TLR7 gene that predisposes elderly patients to severe COVID-19

Current observations suggest that the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causes severe symptoms mainly in elderly patients with chronic disease.

25 Jul 2020

Spinal cord injuries in mice cause acquired bone marrow failure syndrome

Research conducted at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The Ohio State University College of Medicine found that spinal cord injuries in mice cause an acquired bone marrow failure syndrome that may contribute to chronic immune dysfunction.

24 Jul 2020