Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 News and Research

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Are infants at greater risk of COVID-19 than children?

The widely circulating SARS-CoV-2 has caused the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of this infection varies significantly with age, sparing young children for the most part, though not completely. However, a new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, shows that infants are not as resistant to the virus as children are. The researchers trace this to the expression of ACE2 to varying extents in different groups.

7 May 2021

Indian SARS-CoV-2 variant shows enhanced host cell entry and immune evasion

A study conducted by researchers in Germany has found that the B.1.617 variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has emerged in India entered certain types of lung and intestine cells with slightly increased efficiency compared with the original wild-type strain.

6 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 is activated for fusion by a broad range of proteases, finds study

A team of researchers from the University of Virginia, USA, used single-virus fusion experiments with exogenously controlled proteases to investigate the mechanism of activation directly. They found that the subcellular location of entry depends on the protease activity of the various components, and parallel pathways are possible.

6 May 2021

Could stem cells improve the outcome of ARDS in severe COVID-19?

A recent study, published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, explores the safety and efficacy of stem cells, which have been touted as the panacea for a wide range of illnesses, ranging from chronic degenerative conditions to cancer.

6 May 2021

About 84% of antibodies in plasma target non-RBD epitopes on SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, finds study

In a new study recently published in the journal Science, a team of researchers in the U.S. found that most of the antibodies circulating in the blood target areas of the viral spike protein outside the receptor-binding domain (RBD), the part of the spike that binds directly to human cell receptors.

6 May 2021

Researchers identify potent small molecule TMPRSS2 inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2

A team of scientists from the USA and Canada has recently identified and characterized a novel small-molecule compound inhibitor of cellular serine protease TMPRSS2, which shows significant antiviral potency against emerging variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

5 May 2021

What happens in the first few days of SARS-CoV-2 infection?

New research, published in PLOS Biology, has evaluated SARS-CoV-2 infection in primary cultures of well-differentiated cells to determine how the virus affects the body and how the infection starts. Answers to these questions are essential to forming a general understanding of viral pathogenesis, which helps us develop effective prevention and treatment strategies for COVID-19.

4 May 2021

Can SARS-CoV-2’s impairment of endothelium cause vascular disease?

The study, published in the journal Circulation Research, suggests that COVID-19 is not only a respiratory disease but also a vascular disease. It highlights how the virus attacks the vascular system, causing endothelial impairment.

4 May 2021

Could in vitro glycoengineering help produce better SARS-CoV-2 spike candidates for vaccine research?

A vexing problem in the development of vaccines has been the need to achieve the right glycosylation profile for the viral antigens. A new study, recently released as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, shows how a sequential cell-free approach produced complex N-glycans from simpler types, in a one-pot reaction.

4 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 study in human gut organoids

Most of the major life-threatening symptoms of COVID-19 disease are associated with the host's generation of an exacerbated pro-inflammatory immune response. Many studies have correlated the intensity of the immune response with the severity of disease.

3 May 2021

Monoclonal antibody neutralizes all SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Researchers in Canada and the United States have identified a monoclonal antibody that potently neutralizes variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVIdD-19) pandemic.

3 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 spike mutations during transmission among humans and to animals

A fascinating new study discusses the 40 mutations that are seen on the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein and their potential effects on viral biology.

3 May 2021

Hopeaphenol inhibits entry of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern into cells

A new study, released as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, reports promising results with the natural product hopeaphenol, which successfully prevented the entry of the virus into host cells.

3 May 2021

Competitive multiplex binding assay can monitor SARS-CoV-2 immune responses using nanobodies

Researchers at the Eberhard Karls University and the University of Tübingen in Germany described 11 unique nanobodies (Nbs) specific for the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD), of which 8 Nbs potentially inhibit the connection of RBD with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).

3 May 2021

Researchers develop a nanoparticle-based formulation with anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity

A study recently published in the journal Matter has demonstrated the development and validation of a nanoparticle-based formulation, capable of completely inhibiting the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection blocking the interaction between viral spike protein and host cell angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).

3 May 2021

Previously infected vaccinees broadly neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Researchers in the United States have conducted a study demonstrating the effectiveness of first-generation vaccines at protecting against variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals who have previously been infected with the virus.

2 May 2021

Applications of nanoparticles in combating COVID-19

Researchers review the various properties and use of nanoparticles in targeting SARS-CoV-2 and how they could be used to develop new therapeutics and diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2.

30 Apr 2021

Human to animal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in households is common

Coronaviruses are seen in multiple mammalian species. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, is said to have passed to humans from a mammalian source and to have originated from an animal reservoir as a zoonotic pathogen.

29 Apr 2021

Monoclonal antibody CT-P59 shows preclinical efficacy against South African SARS-CoV-2 variant

Researchers in the Republic of Korea (South Korea), The Netherlands, and South Africa have demonstrated the potential of the monoclonal antibody CT-P59 as an effective therapeutic for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the South African B.1.351 variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

29 Apr 2021

"COVID-19 diarrhea" depends on inflammatory response that is part of the disease

Researchers in the United States have provided important insights into the pathophysiology of diarrhea that occurs in some cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

29 Apr 2021