Syndrome News and Research

RSS

Routine vaccinations in India disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic

A team of researchers studied the disruptions in the vaccinations across India during the current pandemic.

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

Complication of severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia results in persistent cortical blindness: Case report

A study recently published in the journal Cureus has described a case report of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient who presented with pneumonia, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), and persistent cortical blindness. A detailed clinical presentation of the patient is provided in the report.

31 Jan 2021

E484K mutation is potentially associated with SARS-CoV-2 adaptive fitness

A team of Brazilian scientists has recently conducted genomic and phylogenetic analyses of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome to understand the viral evolution process better. Their analyses reveal that the E484K mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 is present in three different lineages in four Brazilian regions and that the mutation may serve as a common solution for viral evolution.

31 Jan 2021

Lung mechanics and hypoxemia in COVID-19 patients with ARDS

To better understand how low blood oxygen level, or hypoxemia, and lung compliance varies in COVIDARDS and how they relate to disease outcomes, researchers developed a dataset of using more than 11,000 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. A research paper published on the medRxiv* preprint server reports their results.

31 Jan 2021

SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells are key players in decreasing COVID-19 mortality

A recent US study, currently available on medRxiv preprint server, supports a beneficial rather than immunopathologic role for effector T-cells during serious infections with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) –

31 Jan 2021

Synergistic effect between NF-κB inhibitors and zinc in vitro reducing ACE2 expression

Researchers at National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei have conducted a study demonstrating the potential effectiveness of a novel drug combination at reducing morbidity and mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

31 Jan 2021

Crystal structures of nanobodies could aid the design of COVID-19 therapies

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, have shown how certain synthetic nanobodies bind to the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – a development that could help inform the design of therapies.

31 Jan 2021

DSMB recommends continuation of Phase 2/3 study of opaganib for severe COVID-19

RedHill Biopharma Ltd., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) for the global Phase 2/3 study of opaganib in patients with severe COVID-19, unanimously recommended to continue the study following a pre-scheduled futility review of unblinded efficacy data from the first 135 patients treated in the study and safety data from the first 175 patients.

30 Jan 2021

Woman’s right to disclosure of stillbirth could be achieved through a tort claim

As part of standard patient protocol, doctors inform women of the risks of pregnancy. But there is one exception to this standard: stillbirth.

29 Jan 2021

New method identifies important mutations behind hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of cancer. While 90% of cases are in people older than 50, there is an as-yet unexplained rising incidence in younger people.

29 Jan 2021

Researchers explore adaptive immunity against human coronaviruses

A recent study shows that long-term adaptive immunity to endemic coronaviruses is widespread, but low in magnitude, and that it shares phenotypic features of spike-specific antibodies and T cell memory across all tested coronaviruses.

29 Jan 2021

U.S. public divided over COVID-19 “immunity passports” idea

A nationally representative survey conducted in the U.S. suggests that the public is fairly evenly divided in its support of immunity certificates or “passports” to enable the selective lifting of restrictions placed on people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

29 Jan 2021