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Compromised immunity can allow SARS-CoV-2 to evade the immune system

The vast majority of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 clear the virus, but those with compromised immunity--such as individuals receiving immune-suppressive drugs for autoimmune diseases--can become chronically infected.

17 Mar 2021

Salivary IgG to SARS-CoV-2 after mild COVID-19

A team of researchers based in Stockholm, Sweden, has demonstrated that individuals exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have antibodies for the disease up to nine months after acquiring the disease, even if they displayed only mild symptoms.

16 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 can spread through cold-chain transport

In light of growing evidence, researchers say that SARS-CoV-2 virus transmission via contaminated surfaces, and in particular, frozen foods and products that are transported while keeping them at low temperatures, should be taken into account when devising prevention strategies.

16 Mar 2021

Amino acids signaling controls whole-body glucose homeostasis, study shows

Amino acids are a major nutrient type for humans and are used as building blocks and a source of energy for cells.

16 Mar 2021

Study could lead to the development of novel treatments for drug-resistant cancers

ETC-159, a made-in-Singapore anti-cancer drug that is currently in early phase clinical trials for use in a subset of colorectal and gynecological cancers, could also prevent some tumors from resisting therapies by blocking a key DNA repair mechanism, researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore reported in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.

16 Mar 2021

Novel protein construct prevents lethal COVID-19 in mice

Researchers in the United States have developed a novel protein that prevented lethal disease among mice infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

16 Mar 2021

Saliva-based testing as a method for monitoring population immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers in the United States have shown that saliva-based sampling could serve as an accurate and non-invasive alternative to blood sampling for monitoring people’s antibody responses following infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or vaccination against the virus.

16 Mar 2021

UTHSC professor awarded $1.79 million grant to develop new amyloidosis treatment

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recently awarded Jonathan Wall, PhD, professor in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center's Graduate School of Medicine in Knoxville, a $1.79 million grant for his study titled "Developing a Theranostic Immunotherapy for Systemic Amyloidosis."

16 Mar 2021

New study aims to develop alternative treatment for posterior eye diseases

Getting poked in the eye with a sharp object is a cringeworthy thought. However, many patients with posterior eye diseases -- back of the eye diseases such as macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy -- undergo eye injections through the wall of the eye as a medical treatment on a regular basis.

16 Mar 2021

Researchers uncover potential new target for anti-COVID-19 therapies

Researchers from Cleveland Clinic's Florida Research and Innovation Center have identified a potential new target for anti-COVID-19 therapies.

16 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 Brazilian variant may potentially escape T cell-mediated host immune responses

A team of scientists from Brazil recently explored the abilities of the UK, South African, and Brazilian variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to evade host CD8+ T cell responses induced by natural infection or vaccination. The findings reveal reduced antigenic coverage for the P.2 Brazilian lineage, indicating its ability to evade SARS-CoV-2-induced T cell responses.

16 Mar 2021

Ferret study shows SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission dynamics

A team of researchers led by Sander Herfst from Erasmus University Medical Center in The Netherlands suggests severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) could spread through the air at a one-meter distance and cause infection in a new ferret model study.

16 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater may pose risks to marine mammals

Endangered marine mammals — seals, dolphins, whales, and otters — are almost as vulnerable as humans in becoming infected from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Researchers from the Dalhousie University in Canada published a study in Science of The Total Environment that found human wastewater as a potential mode of coronavirus transmission to animals.

16 Mar 2021

Study explores how SARS-CoV-2 mutations produce antibody resistance and enhanced transmissibility

An interesting new study deals with the effects of the natural mutations in the spike antigen of the SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that is responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease pandemic.

16 Mar 2021

Backtracking occurs within SARS-CoV-2 replication-transcription complex

Researchers continue to achieve a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. One such effort has been reported in a new preprint on the bioRxiv server, dealing with the phenomenon of backtracking.

16 Mar 2021

The role of RNA capping of SARS-CoV-2 in immunity evasion

The SARS-CoV-2 pathogen successfully uses multiple immune evasion mechanisms to achieve infection within its host. An intriguing new study describes one such process, which may help develop drugs to counteract the virus more effectively.

16 Mar 2021

New study tests how mutations in SARS-CoV-2 affect antibody neutralization

Using pseudoviruses with single amino acid substitutions, researchers found that mutations in SARS-CoV-2 reduce monoclonal antibody neutralization differently. However, convalescent sera samples did not lose neutralization potency many and were also effective against the B.1.1.7 (UK-derived) strain.

16 Mar 2021