Respiratory News and Research

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Inhaled corticosteroids may not increase COVID-19 mortality

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the first line of treatment to counter the inflammatory pathology in several conditions, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Now, a new study published in the journal The Lancet Respiratory Medicine in September 2020 reports on the actual role of ICS in reducing COVID-19 mortality.

28 Sep 2020

Anti-N-protein IgG may predict severity of COVID-19

A recent study by researchers at the University of Miami, Miami VA Healthcare System and Express Gene and published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 reports on the prognostic significance of the anti-N Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

28 Sep 2020

Risk factors for mortality among hospitalized patients with COVID-19

A new study by scientists at biotechnology company Genentech, Inc., and published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 attempts to identify the factors which may shape the risk for death in COVID-19 disease.

27 Sep 2020

CRISPR screening identifies human host pathways that facilitate coronavirus infection

The human coronavirus family consists of 7 known pathogens, for which there are no approved vaccines or specific therapeutic options. Although the seasonal human coronaviruses - OC43, HKU1, 229E, and NL63 – only cause mild respiratory infections, three highly pathogenic coronaviruses that emerged in the last two decades revealed the pandemic potential of this family of viruses.

27 Sep 2020

Young adults now driving force behind the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic says CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a report stating that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is on the rise among young adults and this rise is preventing the pandemic from abating.

27 Sep 2020

Bacteria-free method for making SARS-CoV-2 infectious clones

Using a circular polymerase chain reaction, researchers have developed a method for making severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) recombinant virus, with the ability to introduce mutations. The research by Japanese scientists is published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020.

27 Sep 2020

Human recombinant soluble ACE2 successfully used in a patient with severe COVID-19

A multinational research group recently published a paper in the journal Lancet Respiratory Medicine which describes the first patient with a severe form of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that was successfully treated with human recombinant soluble ACE2.

27 Sep 2020

Complex SARS-CoV-2 serology means universal immunological assay is not feasible

As we improve our understanding of immune responses and correlates of protection against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), two UK researchers emphasize that we will probably utilize different assays to tackle specific questions. Their commentary is published in the prestigious journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.

27 Sep 2020

Shorter time from COVID-19 symptom onset to hospitalization linked to disease severity, death

New research presented at this week's ESCMID Conference on Coronavirus Disease (ECCVID, held online) shows that a shorter time from symptom onset to hospitalization is associated with more serious disease and death in patients with COVID-19.

26 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 emergence linked with decrease in circulation of common respiratory viruses

Analysis of samples taken to test for respiratory viruses over the past five years suggests that the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 was associated with a large drop in circulation of other common respiratory viruses during the first wave.

26 Sep 2020

ECMO appears to be saving the lives of many critically ill COVID-19 patients

It saved lives in past epidemics of lung-damaging viruses. Now, the life-support option known as ECMO appears to be doing the same for many of the critically ill COVID-19 patients who receive it, according to a new international study.

26 Sep 2020

New drug offers hope for young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

A new drug offers hope for young boys with the progressive neuromuscular disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by potentially offering an alternative to high-dose glucocorticoids that have significant side effects.

25 Sep 2020

3D-printed alternative performs as well as the standard nasal swabs for COVID-19 testing

As COVID-19 quickly spread worldwide this spring, shortages of supplies, including the nasopharyngeal (nasal) swabs used to collect viral samples, limited diagnostic testing.

25 Sep 2020

FDA approves first drug for patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome in nearly 14 years

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Nucala (mepolizumab) for adults and children aged 12 years and older with hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) for six months or longer without another identifiable non-blood related cause of the disease.

25 Sep 2020

D614G mutation now the dominant variant in the global COVID-19 pandemic

Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 shows that a significant variant characterized by the D614G mutation has higher infectivity, which may account for its rapid rise to the dominant position in all regions where it has emerged.

25 Sep 2020

Investigators assess the experience of using test-based protocol in infected health care workers

One of the of the most important questions in managing a hospital's response to the COVID-19 pandemic is determining when healthcare workers infected with COVID-19 can return to the job.

25 Sep 2020

Inflammation in the eye after COVID-19

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv shows the occurrence of ocular pathology in the period of recovery following COVID-19. This throws more light on the occurrence of inflammation in people recovering from COVID-19.

25 Sep 2020

New studies report specific mechanisms of impaired type I interferon signaling in COVID-19 patients

Two new studies report specific mechanisms of impaired type I interferon (IFN) signaling in some hospitalized patients suffering from severe cases of COVID-19, suggesting that screens for these defects could help identify patients at the highest risk of life-threatening complications from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

25 Sep 2020

Berlin researchers are pursuing the development of passive vaccination

Researchers at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have identified highly effective antibodies against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and are now pursuing the development of a passive vaccination.

25 Sep 2020

Talc and non-absorptive creams provide long-lasting skin protection for PPE wearers

For frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) like face visors, googles, and respiratory protective equipment is an essential part of working life.

25 Sep 2020

Respiratory News and Research

Inhaled corticosteroids may not increase COVID-19 mortality

Anti-N-protein IgG may predict severity of COVID-19

Risk factors for mortality among hospitalized patients with COVID-19

CRISPR screening identifies human host pathways that facilitate coronavirus infection

Young adults now driving force behind the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic says CDC

Bacteria-free method for making SARS-CoV-2 infectious clones

Human recombinant soluble ACE2 successfully used in a patient with severe COVID-19

Complex SARS-CoV-2 serology means universal immunological assay is not feasible

Shorter time from COVID-19 symptom onset to hospitalization linked to disease severity, death

SARS-CoV-2 emergence linked with decrease in circulation of common respiratory viruses

ECMO appears to be saving the lives of many critically ill COVID-19 patients

New drug offers hope for young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

3D-printed alternative performs as well as the standard nasal swabs for COVID-19 testing

FDA approves first drug for patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome in nearly 14 years

D614G mutation now the dominant variant in the global COVID-19 pandemic

Investigators assess the experience of using test-based protocol in infected health care workers

Inflammation in the eye after COVID-19

New studies report specific mechanisms of impaired type I interferon signaling in COVID-19 patients

Berlin researchers are pursuing the development of passive vaccination

Talc and non-absorptive creams provide long-lasting skin protection for PPE wearers

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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