Respiratory News and Research

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KAUST researchers develop a safe, fast and cheap testing method to detect viruses

A safe, fast and cheap testing method that uses magnetic nanoparticles to detect viruses in both clinical and wastewater samples has been developed by KAUST researchers.

25 Feb 2021

CRISPR screen identifies clinically approved immunosuppressants that could treat coronavirus infections

Researchers in Switzerland and Germany have identified host cell factors required for coronavirus replication that could serve as targets for treatment with clinically-approved drugs.

25 Feb 2021

Study pinpoints potential transmission advantage of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7

Researchers in the UK have shown that the increased transmissibility of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lineage B.1.1.7 that emerged in the UK during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic does not appear to be the result of increased viral replication or immune escape.

25 Feb 2021

FDA approval provides targeted treatment option for patients with rare DMD mutation

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted approval for Amondys 45 (casimersen) injection for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in patients who have a confirmed mutation of the DMD gene that is amenable to exon 45 skipping (Exons are pieces of DNA that provide information for making proteins in a person's genome).

25 Feb 2021

Abnormal sodium levels predict respiratory failure and mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and abnormal sodium levels in the blood have an increased risk of experiencing respiratory failure or dying, according to a study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

25 Feb 2021

SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a mutation limits host immune suppression, finds study

Researchers have identified a high variability in the C-terminal end of ORF7a in SARS-CoV-2 sequences collected from around the globe. They noted that mutations result in a defective suppression of interferon and lowered replication rate.

25 Feb 2021

SNX-5422 could make an effective COVID-19 prophylactic, says study

SNX-5422 is a heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor currently undergoing clinical trials as a cancer therapeutic. A recent study examines the applicability of repurposing the drug towards severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication inhibition.

25 Feb 2021

Study reports lasting immune response in convalescent COVID-19 patients

Researchers report the cellular immune response of convalescent patients in Germany, who recovered from mild or moderate infection compared to that of healthy people with no history of COVID-19.

25 Feb 2021

Study addresses COVID-19 pandemic concerns and guidelines for increasing food safety

A team of researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture examined how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed food practices and safety protocols for workers in food-processing plants.

25 Feb 2021

Anti-phospholipid antibodies in severely ill patients not distinctive to COVID-19, says study

A new study by researchers at the University of Toronto and the University of Calgary in Canada indicates that the presence of these antibodies correlates with more severe COVID-19 symptoms and signs.

25 Feb 2021

Study of children hospitalized with COVID-19 shows 2% mortality

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been observed to be less serious in infants and children. However, this age group is also subject to certain complications following infection. A new study describes the findings of an observational study of children hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection in several different hospitals across three countries.

25 Feb 2021

Neuroinvasiveness of SARS-CoV-2 shown by viral RNA and inflammation in the brain

A new study describes the results of a macaque study that showed the development of neurological features of inflammation, following infection by SARS-CoV-2.

25 Feb 2021

Study explores individual differences of SARS-CoV-2 infection in ACE2-expressing stem cells

The clinical phenotype of COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is remarkable for its wide range of severity among individual patients. Genetic variations are known to mediate part of these differences. To examine these differences, researchers in a new study used human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from different genetically diverse individuals. These cells are used to model genetic disease since they contain the donor’s genetic information. Researchers use a panel of iPSCs from over 500 individuals. The researchers preferred undifferentiated iPSCs to reduce the time required to differentiate them, especially since infection is not always reliable.

25 Feb 2021

Novel single-particle digital assay using plasmonic nanobubbles

An interdisciplinary team from the University of Texas applied DIAMOND to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) diagnostics and demonstrated that DIAMOND is 150 times more sensitive than commercial lateral flow assays. They found that the measurements are completed within 2 minutes. The results of this study are published on the medRxiv* preprint server.

25 Feb 2021

High expression of ACE2 receptors in developing ovaries increases SARS-CoV-2 risk

A team of scientists from China collaborated to find if SARS-CoV-2 could also infect the ovary at different developmental stages.

25 Feb 2021

Study: Battery storage can help protect medically vulnerable households

Extreme weather driven by climate change is making power outages more commonplace even as the need for electricity-dependent home health equipment grows.

25 Feb 2021

New book focuses on rational drug design and discovery

Frontiers in Drug Design and Discovery is a book series devoted to publishing the latest and the most important advances in drug design and discovery.

25 Feb 2021

Is the CDC 10-day COVID-19 quarantine guideline enough?

Researchers at the University of Florida and the Florida Department of Health evaluated test positivity rates for SARS-CoV-2 infection among student contacts. The team found that nine days are not enough to ascertain that the student did not contract the virus.

24 Feb 2021

SARS-CoV-2 transmission bottleneck is of the order of one to three virions

Now, a new study, posted to the bioRxiv preprint server by the same researchers, focussing on the Austrian region, found that SARS-CoV-2 transmission bottlenecks to be much tighter than previously thought.

24 Feb 2021

Lab study of South African SARS-CoV-2 variant and Moderna vaccine: reduced neutralization, but still protective

Researchers from the US recently compared antibody binding and viral neutralization against 2 SARS-CoV-2 variants that emerged in different parts of the world. The researchers used sera from spike mRNA vaccinated and naturally infected individuals against a circulating B.1 variant and the emerging B.1.351 variant. The study is published on the preprint server bioRxiv.

24 Feb 2021

Respiratory News and Research

KAUST researchers develop a safe, fast and cheap testing method to detect viruses

CRISPR screen identifies clinically approved immunosuppressants that could treat coronavirus infections

Study pinpoints potential transmission advantage of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7

FDA approval provides targeted treatment option for patients with rare DMD mutation

Abnormal sodium levels predict respiratory failure and mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients

SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a mutation limits host immune suppression, finds study

SNX-5422 could make an effective COVID-19 prophylactic, says study

Study reports lasting immune response in convalescent COVID-19 patients

Study addresses COVID-19 pandemic concerns and guidelines for increasing food safety

Anti-phospholipid antibodies in severely ill patients not distinctive to COVID-19, says study

Study of children hospitalized with COVID-19 shows 2% mortality

Neuroinvasiveness of SARS-CoV-2 shown by viral RNA and inflammation in the brain

Study explores individual differences of SARS-CoV-2 infection in ACE2-expressing stem cells

Novel single-particle digital assay using plasmonic nanobubbles

High expression of ACE2 receptors in developing ovaries increases SARS-CoV-2 risk

Study: Battery storage can help protect medically vulnerable households

New book focuses on rational drug design and discovery

Is the CDC 10-day COVID-19 quarantine guideline enough?

SARS-CoV-2 transmission bottleneck is of the order of one to three virions

Lab study of South African SARS-CoV-2 variant and Moderna vaccine: reduced neutralization, but still protective

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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