Efficacy News and Research

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Immune dysregulation can affect the efficacy of CAR T therapy in some lymphoma patients

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, or CAR T, has been a breakthrough in the treatment of blood cancers such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

2 Feb 2021

Zinc supplementation bolsters repurposed antivirals against SARS-CoV-2

A new preprint reports the efficacy of two repurposed drugs that could be useful against SARS-CoV-2 when supplemented with zinc.

2 Feb 2021

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shows promise against new SARS-CoV-2 variants

A team of researchers in the U.S. studied the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine candidate - currently being rolled out in many parts of the world to high-risk individuals - to see if it still holds up against mutant strains of the virus and yielded encouraging results.

2 Feb 2021

ACE2 agonist C21 relieves respiratory difficulty in COVID-19

A new study describes a pilot study on the efficacy of a molecule called C21, which enhances the activity of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the host cell receptor that facilitates viral entry.

2 Feb 2021

Antiviral compound GC-376 shows efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 in vivo

Over the past months, many potential antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 have been identified as deserving further development to target several viral proteins. A new study deals with one such molecule, the viral main protease (Mpro) inhibitor GC-376, and describes its efficacy in inhibiting virus-host interaction.

2 Feb 2021

New portable device produces high-resolution 3D images of human skin within 10 minutes

A team from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has developed a portable device that produces high-resolution 3D images of human skin within 10 minutes.

2 Feb 2021

Johnson & Johnson SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shows promise in clinical trials

A new study shows that a single immunization with a low dose of the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine – also known as the ‘Johnson & Johnson vaccine’ – effectively protected against SARS-CoV-2 challenge in rhesus macaques.

2 Feb 2021

Albumin: The Natural Choice for Diagnostic Tests

The availability of established diagnostic kits has enabled researchers to plug-and-play in the design of COVID-19 diagnostics. Such technologies took decades to optimize, but they are now playing an important role in identifying and managing the spread of COVID-19. Recombumin® provides an enhanced solution as part of this toolbox for dealing with this disease

From Albumedix Ltd. 2 Feb 2021

ZyCoV-D DNA vaccine immunogenic against SARS-CoV-2 in animal models

In the absence of effective therapeutics or preventives, vaccines have become the focus of attention. Though over 170 vaccines are in preclinical and about 60 in clinical development, very few are based on plasmid DNA technology. However, a new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv* server reports the immunogenicity of a DNA vaccine candidate.

2 Feb 2021

Why SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 is more virulent

A new preprint research paper by scientists from Sweden and India attempts to provide a preliminary answer to these questions using computational modeling. The research, which appears on the bioRxiv* server, predicts increased virulence with the new variant. If validated, this could help public health authorities prepare for new variants' possible impact as they emerge.

2 Feb 2021

Study explores merits and risks of bariatric surgery in younger teens

Obesity and its duration are significant risk factors for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular events, multiple cancers, and decreased quality of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity affects 20.6% of adolescents ages 12-19 in the United States, meaning a potential lifetime of dealing with this condition.

2 Feb 2021

New platform using green algae tests for SARS-CoV-2 virus

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have demonstrated the potential of using green algae to make recombinant viral proteins that could be used in large scale assays to detect antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

1 Feb 2021

When your chance for a covid shot comes, don’t worry about the numbers

When getting vaccinated against covid-19, there's no sense being picky. You should take the first authorized vaccine that's offered, experts say.

1 Feb 2021

Researchers explore rapid outbreak of COVID-19 in U.S. detention facility

To assess the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a detention facility experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted testing for detained individuals in six quarantined dormitories at various time points.

1 Feb 2021

Can metformin reduce mortality in diabetic individuals with severe COVID-19?

A new study by researchers in China and the U.S. describes a round-up of the effects of commonly used hypoglycemic drugs on the outcomes of COVID-19 in diabetic patients.

1 Feb 2021

Ivermectin may not be the ‘silver bullet’ antiviral against COVID-19

A team of researchers based in Peru and the U.S. recently examined the role of the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin in treating COVID-19.

1 Feb 2021

Colchicine may have therapeutic potential against COVID-19

A new study describes the results of colchicine in mitigating the inflammatory storm associated with COVID-19, and thus preventing a percentage of severe and critical cases.

1 Feb 2021

Inhaled single dose vaccine creates antibodies and prevents infection in rhesus macaques

Now, a new preprint research paper describes a chimpanzee adenovirus-vectored vaccine that, when administered intranasally in rhesus macaques, led to a robust immune response and demonstrated protection against infection by the virus that causes COVID-19, namely, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The preprint is published on the bioRxiv server.

1 Feb 2021

India's Covaxin vaccine likely effective against UK SARS-CoV-2 variant: Study

A new preprint research paper, posted to the preprint server bioRxiv, presents data indicating that the Indian-made Covaxin vaccine candidate successfully neutralizes this variant, preventing infection when challenged by it.

1 Feb 2021

Phase III study of (m)RNA expression did not confer significant advantage for stage II-III lung cancer

A phase III study examining whether messenger (m)RNA expression correlated with sensitivity or resistance to chemotherapy did not confer a statistically significant advantage in overall survival for patients with resected stage II-III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to research presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer World Conference on Lung Cancer.

31 Jan 2021