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Advances in Virus Epigenetics

Growing evidence shows viruses exploit epigenetic processes to control their life cycles but epigentic regulation of viral infections is not fully understood.

From Chromatrap® - Porvair Sciences Ltd 25 Aug 2020

Single dose nasal vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 shows promise in animal studies

Now researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have worked on developing a candidate vaccine against the infection that could be administered in a single dose via a nasal spray rather than an injection. In their preliminary studies using lab mice, this single dose of the nasal vaccine successfully prevented the infection with the novel coronavirus.

24 Aug 2020

Women with T1a breast cancers could benefit from hormone treatment

Many people diagnosed with breast cancers that are small but invasive could benefit from hormone treatment, a new study led by physicians at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center confirms. Their findings were published today in the journal JAMA Network Open.

24 Aug 2020

UH to participate as study site for Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine

University Hospitals announced today plans to participate as a study site for the Phase 2/3 global study sponsored by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE of an investigational vaccine, BNT162b2, against SARS-CoV-2.

24 Aug 2020

Evaluating the use of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir for treatment of COVID-19

Several new papers in Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, published by Oxford University Press, suggest successful treatments for COVID-19.

24 Aug 2020

Research suggests seaweed extract and xylitol may help protect against COVID-19

Researchers in the United States have demonstrated the antiviral effect of three candidate nasal spray formulations against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

24 Aug 2020

Equine antibody preparation shows greater capacity to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 isolate than human convalescent plasma

A recent Brazilian study demonstrates that hyperimmune globulin formulations generated against the recombinant spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) provide significantly high antibody titer with highly neutralizing capacity. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

23 Aug 2020

Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine candidate BNT162b2 profiled for large scale clinical trials

Although two RNA-based severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine candidates elicited similar, dose-dependent neutralizing antibody titers in both younger and older adults, a recent study by researchers from the U.S. and Germany has shown that BNT162b2 is associated with less systemic reactogenicity in elderly individuals – supporting its selection for further phase 2/3 clinical trials. The study is currently available on medRxiv* preprint server.

23 Aug 2020

Nasal vaccine effective in preventing COVID-19 infection in mice

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a vaccine that targets the SARS-CoV-2 virus, can be given in one dose via the nose and is effective in preventing infection in mice susceptible to the novel coronavirus.

21 Aug 2020

New York Blood Center receives $15.6 million NIH grant for sickle cell transfusion research

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health has awarded a five-year grant of $15.6 million to Karina Yazdanbakhsh, PhD, of New York Blood Center’s Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, to lead a collaborative research program studying the consequences of transfusions in patients with sickle cell disease and developing strategies to optimize transfusion management for this patient group.

21 Aug 2020

Macaques show low neutralizing antibody and cellular immune response to SARS-CoV-2

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020 presents a cynomolgus macaque model that develops symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in a mild form, with low or no antibody responses, making it suitable to study human responses to vaccines and drugs targeting the virus.

21 Aug 2020

Genetically engineered mosquitoes to be released in Florida Keys

Mosquitoes are known to be vectors or bearers of several viral and protozoal infections such as dengue, Zika, yellow fever, Chikungunya, and malaria. These infections are known to infect and even kill millions around the world each year. In order to tackle this vector-borne menace, researchers have genetically engineered mosquitoes that could replace the infection carrying species of the mosquitoes.

20 Aug 2020

New SARS-CoV-2 vaccine effective in macaques

Researchers from the biotechnology company Novavax in Gaithersburg, Maryland, have developed a vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that successfully induces immunogenicity and protection against the virus in macaques.

20 Aug 2020

Study identifies a novel regulatory pathway in bladder cancer

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University in collaboration with Insilico Medicine announce the publication of a new research paper titled "GULP1 regulates the NRF2-KEAP1 signaling axis in urothelial carcinoma" in Science Signaling.

20 Aug 2020

Defiance and low trust in doctors associated with anti-vaccination attitudes

The results of a study conducted by scientists at the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, and University of Bristol, show that people who tend to react negatively to rules and recommendations have lower trust in medical doctors and a more negative attitude towards vaccines, or reject vaccines for themselves or their children.

20 Aug 2020

Sortilin may hold the key to developing more effective treatment for pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer has an extremely poor prognosis; it is the third most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

20 Aug 2020

Genomics study shows multiple and diverse SARS-CoV-2 introductions in the US capital region

A recent study led by the researchers from Johns Hopkins University reveals multiple and diverse introductions of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the United States National Capital Region during the initial phase of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

19 Aug 2020

Single-dose adenovirus-vectored vaccine protects mice against SARS-CoV-2

The researchers selected the human adenovirus type 5 on which to base their vaccine because this replication-defective vector had already been used in their Ebola vaccine, with an excellent safety and immunogenicity profile in a phase 1 trial. The current study aimed to produce a vaccine that could offer mucosal vaccination and enhanced protection against this respiratory virus.

19 Aug 2020

Study fills crucial knowledge gaps on myasthenia gravis

A study of 181 patients at 16 sites across the country who test negative for two antibodies long known to cause muscle-weakening myasthenia gravis, found that about 15% test positive for one of two newly discovered antibodies that also attack the point of communication between nerves and muscle.

19 Aug 2020

Routine BCG immunization in infancy and COVID-19 containment in Japan

. A new study explores whether and how the practice of routine BCG vaccination of infants may have curbed the initial spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Japan. The research is published in the Journal of Infection.

19 Aug 2020