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Oxford University and AstraZeneca resume COVID-19 vaccine trial

More than a hundred candidate vaccine trials against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), are underway. About 35 are now undergoing clinical evaluation, and of these, nine are in the final phase of human trials, including the vaccine developed by Oxford University and the biopharmaceutical firm, AstraZeneca.

14 Sep 2020

Circadian rhythm affects SARS-CoV-2 infection and host immune response

In an interesting bioRxiv preprint paper, French researchers show that the time day can affect infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as well as guide subsequent host immune response – implying that circadian rhythm may well be a novel target for managing viral progression.

14 Sep 2020

Drug for liver cirrhosis shows potential to treat dementia and motor neuron disease

A drug used to treat cirrhosis of the liver may be an effective treatment for a form of Dementia and motorneuron disease, scientists have discovered.

14 Sep 2020

UofL receives $11.5 million to accelerate the development of new immunotherapies

Cancer remains one of the most difficult and deadly challenges in human health, affecting Kentuckians at a higher rate than residents of any other state and killing more than 600,000 people each year in the U.S. alone.

14 Sep 2020

Efforts to control COVID-19 could create a health time bomb in slum communities

Efforts to stem the impact of COVID-19 in low to middle income countries could be creating a health time bomb in their slum communities by deepening existing inequalities, according to an international team of health researchers led by the University of Warwick.

14 Sep 2020

Single-molecule imaging of SARS-CoV-2 spikes on virus particles

Using single-molecule FRET analysis, a team of researchers has revealed how the different conformations of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein are interconnected. Figuring out the different conformations in real-time and which conformations antibodies prefer may help design effective vaccines and drugs. The research is published on the preprint server bioRxiv*.

14 Sep 2020

International trial of blood thinners for COVID-19 treatment begins

These trials, known as ACTIV-4 Antithrombotics, are part of the three planned adaptive trials in this area of clinical research, included in the Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) initiative. They are expected to yield new data on the safety and efficacy of these drugs in the treatment of active and convalescent COVID-19 treatment.

13 Sep 2020

Electroconvulsive therapy can reduce suicide risk by 84% in bipolar patients

One of the largest ever studies of patients with untreatable bipolar disorder has shown that ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) was able to reduce suicide risk by 84% in high-risk patients, as well as giving effective treatment to around 72% of sufferers.

12 Sep 2020

Mozart's piano music can reduce the frequency of epilepsy attacks

A new comprehensive analysis on the effect of Mozart's music on epilepsy has confirmed that listening to his piano music can reduce the frequency of epilepsy attacks.

12 Sep 2020

Study uncovers the locus of male sexual desire in the brain

The locus of male sexual desire has been uncovered in specific regions of brain tissue where a key gene named aromatase is present, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study in mice.

12 Sep 2020

Veterinary college scientists pinpoint genes that drive ovarian cancer

High-grade serious ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the fifth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in the United States, yet little is known about the origins of this disease.

12 Sep 2020

Scientists elucidate cause for Parkinson's disease and identify potential treatments

In a seven-year research effort, an international team of scientists has clarified the cause for certain genetic forms of Parkinson's disease, and has identified potential pharmacological treatments.

12 Sep 2020

Even mild concussions cause severe and long-lasting impairments in the brain

Even mild concussions cause severe and long-lasting impairments in the brain's ability to clean itself of toxins, and this may seed it for Alzheimer's disease, dementia and other neurodegenerative problems, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine reveals.

11 Sep 2020

Simple blood tests can benefit women with breast cancer

A blood test that can identify a variety of mutations in advanced breast cancer can reliably match women to effective targeted treatments, early results of a major clinical trial reveal.

11 Sep 2020

Comprehensive analysis of antibody responses in COVID-19 patients can help develop effective vaccine

A comprehensive analysis of antibody responses in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients could inform the development of an effective vaccine, according to a study published September 10 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Chao Wu and Rui Huang of Nanjing University Medical School, and colleagues.

11 Sep 2020

Antibiotic molecule helps the body's own immune system to kill HIV infected cells

Ever since the first cases of a mysterious disease in the early 1980s exploded into the HIV/AIDS pandemic, researchers have been searching for ways to outsmart the deadly virus.

11 Sep 2020

New book gives overview of viruses and how they emerge to cause pandemics

Since the novel coronavirus SARS-Cov-2 emerged late last year, it has been virtually impossible to consume any news without encountering stories about the virus and how it spreads, potential treatments, and the development of new vaccines.

11 Sep 2020

Researchers explore IgA response to SARS-CoV-2

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* and conducted by researchers from The Rockefeller University in New York examined the role of IgA antibodies in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, the team analyzed the IgA response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in 149 individuals.

10 Sep 2020

High blood pressure awareness and control worsening in the U.S.

Published in the journal JAMA, the study finds that a growing percentage of adults in the United States have uncontrolled high blood pressure, which is known as the “silent killer” and a significant risk factor for severe illness from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

10 Sep 2020

Study sheds light on how interferon-gamma drives response to immunotherapy in melanoma

A new study by researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center sheds light on how interferon-gamma (IFN-y), an immune response-stimulating signaling molecule that helps activate immune cells, guides the treatment response in people with advanced melanoma who are treated with one of the leading immunotherapies - immune checkpoint blockade.

10 Sep 2020