Interferon News and Research

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Increased severity of COVID-19 in pregnancy

A new preprint on the medRxiv* server provides more evidence that COVID-19 likely causes a more serious phenotype to arise in pregnant women.

23 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV N protein elicits production of IFN-β by provoking ubiquitination of RIG-I, finds study

A recent study published in Frontiers in Immunology focuses on the roles of the SADS-CoV N protein in IFN suppression during infection.

23 Jun 2021

Vaccine side effects should be viewed as a sign of efficacy, say immunologists

The rapid development of safe and efficacious vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 has offered hope that the global COVID-19 pandemic may soon be under control. However, vaccinations remain incomplete in many developed nations, and lag further still in the developing world.

23 Jun 2021

Study reviews natural drug candidates for potential treatment of COVID-19

A recent paper in the Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences seeks to open up new approaches by reviewing a list of compounds derived from plants and other natural sources, which have potential inhibitory activity against the coronavirus.

21 Jun 2021

Can a prior rhinovirus infection protect against COVID-19?

Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine found that rhinovirus accelerates interferon-stimulated genes.

21 Jun 2021

RIG-1 agonist shows potent antiviral efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 infection

A team of scientists from the United States has recently revealed the antiviral efficacy of stem-loop RNA 14, a RIG-1 agonist, in controlling severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in mice. The compound reduces the risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by inhibiting viral replication in the lower respiratory tract. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

18 Jun 2021

Combination of interferon-α and nafamostat inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in vivo

A new study, released as a preprint on bioRxiv* server, shows that a combination of the biological interferon-α and the small molecule nafamostat are effective against SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro, as well as in vivo.

18 Jun 2021

Study shows how a specific gut bacterium influences infant immune system

Research published today in the journal Cell is the first to establish how a specific gut bacterium, activated Bifidobacterium infantis EVC001 (B. infantis), influences immune system development in infants, and could thereby reduce the risk of allergic and autoimmune conditions later in life.

18 Jun 2021

Cinnamon compound could be useful supplement to dexamethasone in COVID-19 treatment

Researchers in Germany and the United States have conducted a study showing that supplementing dexamethasone treatment with Ceylon cinnamon in cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may allow dexamethasone to be administered at lower doses, thereby avoiding the side effects that occur with high doses of the steroid.

17 Jun 2021

The role of natural killer cells in fight against viral infections including SARS-CoV-2

In an effort to further understand the role of NK cells in combatting COVID-19, a group of researchers explored NK cells in acute viral infections, citing flavivirus and influenza virus infections as examples.

17 Jun 2021

Could type III interferons be used as a SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic?

Researchers have found that both type I and type III interferons can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in human intestinal cells, but type III interferons can act faster and for a longer period, making them suitable for potential therapeutics.

17 Jun 2021

How the common cold can provide protection against COVID-19

In a recent study, researchers found that prior infection with the rhinovirus can provide a more effective immune response against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

17 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 oral vaccine booster shows promise in animal tests

In a recent study published on the pre-print bioRxiv* server, a group of Israeli researchers discusses their progress towards developing an oral multi-antigen SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

15 Jun 2021

Exposure to common cold virus can protect against COVID-19 infection

Exposure to the rhinovirus, the most frequent cause of the common cold, can protect against infection by the virus which causes COVID-19, Yale researchers have found.

15 Jun 2021

Fusogenicity and resistance of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 compared to D614G

A new study, released as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, describes the biological effects induced by mutations in two circulating VOCs. These are the alpha and beta strains, also called B.1.1.7 and B.1.351, respectively.

15 Jun 2021

Immune memory responses differ between SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A

Researchers in Canada have shown that the long-lasting immunity that develops following infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is characterized by different T cell responses than those observed for influenza A virus-specific immune memory.

14 Jun 2021

Scientists detect delayed and reduced antibody responses after BioNTech/Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination in older adults

Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detected delayed and reduced antibody and T cell responses after immunization with BNT162b2 or the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in older adults compared with healthcare workers in Germany.

11 Jun 2021

New approach could revolutionize treatment, prevention of Parkinson’s disease

Researchers from Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Japan may have unraveled a new approach that could revolutionize the treatment, prevention, and possibly reversal of the damages that could lead to Parkinson's Disease (PD).

11 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 enzyme inhibitors among drugs screened for repurposing

A new bioRxiv* preprint describes the identification of some promising pharmaceutical compounds that could be developed as antiviral drugs against COVID-19.

9 Jun 2021

DNA on-off switches for SARS-CoV-2 host receptor as potential therapeutic targets

Researchers in the United States and Canada have identified DNA on/off “switches” within the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) gene that may control the expression of this host cell receptor before, during and after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

9 Jun 2021