Inflammation News and Research

RSS

Men with low testosterone levels are more susceptible to severe COVID-19

Throughout the pandemic, doctors have seen evidence that men with COVID-19 fare worse, on average, than women with the infection.

25 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 UK variant may induce more inflammation, study suggests

Since COVID-19 was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, many different variants of its causative virus – SARS-CoV-2 – have emerged. Through increased viral fitness, some of these have risen to predominance over earlier variants in a remarkably short period of time. New research, by a team of scientists at major institutions in France, examines the reasons behind this phenomenon in one such variant of concern (VOC), the so-called UK variant.

25 May 2021

DEFINE: Trial designed to test repurposed treatments in patients with COVID-19

A team of scientists from the United Kingdom has designed an experimental medicine trial to evaluate the safety/tolerability, and efficacy profiles of a panel of candidate repurposed therapies in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. A detailed outline of the trial is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

25 May 2021

Superoxide produced in the inner ear cochlea causes major types of acquired hearing loss

Professor UEYAMA Takehiko (Biosignal Research Center, Kobe University) and the inner ear research group (Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine) have identified the cell types in the inner ear cochlea responsible for the production of superoxide (Nox3-expressing cells).

25 May 2021

Why COVID-19 patients have more pathogenic bacteria in their noses

Researchers compared the nasal microbiome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, healthy individuals, and healthcare workers. These studies indicated an increase in the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa present in the nasal microbiome of COVID-19 patients, which may be responsible for other secondary infections.

24 May 2021

Shared genetic architecture between COVID-19 severity and other health conditions

Researchers in the United States have identified a shared genetic architecture between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity and other health conditions.

24 May 2021

The potential therapeutic value of CDK6 inhibitors in critical COVID-19

While drug repurposing has been explored in the context of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the success of this strategy has been limited so far. A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, describes a new method of identifying a promising hit among drugs already in use.

24 May 2021

Little evidence for mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-associated thrombocytopenia, suggests new FDA study

Even as a host of vaccines have been rolled out to counter the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, some serious adverse effects have been reported, in the form of thrombocytopenia. A new study in the journal Vaccine reports the results of an evaluation of reported cases of this condition, using data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

24 May 2021

Mild cases of COVID-19 provide lasting antibody protection, shows study

Months after recovering from mild cases of COVID-19, people still have immune cells in their body pumping out antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Such cells could persist for a lifetime, churning out antibodies all the while.

24 May 2021

Researchers investigate link between the liver’s immune system composition and NASH pathology

Our livers work hard to perform an entire range of activities: helping us digest food, maintaining body temperature and serving as an important checkpoint of the immune system for everything that we eat.

24 May 2021

Could saffron be an effective supplement for helping manage COVID-19?

A new study, published in the journal Cell Press, explores the potential use of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) as a drug supplement for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

24 May 2021

Study indicates that certain anti-cancer therapies may hasten cellular aging

New research indicates that certain anti-cancer therapies may hasten cellular aging, where changes in the DNA of patients may contribute to greater inflammation and fatigue.

24 May 2021

Research suggests Garcinia kola extract might suppress severe COVID-19 cytokine storms

Researchers in the UK and Nigeria have conducted a study showing that Garcinia kola seed extract and garcinoic acid may provide therapeutic benefits in the late stage of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other coronavirus infections.

24 May 2021

STING agonist diABZI shows promise against SARS-CoV-2 variants

COVID-19 vaccines are the most effective way to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. For people who are already infected, new research suggests the small molecule stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist-1, diABZI, may be effective in controlling SARS-CoV-2 infection — including those caused by variants.

23 May 2021

Decreasing activity of ZMPSTE24 protease with age and comorbidities may make elderly COVID-19 patients vulnerable

Studies have shown that circulating levels of PAI-1, the coagulation cascade activator, are considerably higher in COVID-19 patients with severe respiratory illness compared to patients with bacterial-sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Hence the increase in PAI-1 levels is recognized as an early marker of endothelial dysfunction in COVID-19 patients.

23 May 2021

Specific enzymes protect the human skin and body from microbes, viruses

The human body is constantly exposed to various environmental actors, from viruses to bacteria to fungi, but most of these microbial organisms provoke little or no response from our skin, which is charged with monitoring and protecting from external dangers.

22 May 2021

University of Freiburg professor honored for groundbreaking results on the brain’s immune system

The blood-brain barrier is an impenetrable barrier between the circulating blood and the brain established before birth that prevents immune cells from entering the brain from the body's immune system. Thus, the brain has its own immune system with a key actor called microglia.

21 May 2021

Risk factors for rare COVID-19 complications in children (MIS-C)

While the earlier waves of COVID-19 relatively spared children, some of the affected children have developed a systemic inflammatory condition, with occasionally fatal outcomes. Called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), its pathogenesis and risk factors are the subject of a new study on the medRxiv* preprint server.

21 May 2021

Can SARS-CoV-2 trigger amyloidosis?

A new study, released as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, describes the results of an analysis of the role played by the virus in amyloid formation, with its subsequent effects on the health of various organs and of the whole organism.

21 May 2021

Facets of SARS-CoV-2 infection and animal models

A new study in the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology discusses the ribonucleic acid (RNA) genome of the virus, and the mechanisms by which it establishes infection within the host cell. The researchers also summarize the development of animal models of COVID-19, which will both help understand the clinical features of the illness, and indicate new approaches for the treatment of the infection.

21 May 2021