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Sticky DNA webs may cause tissue damage associated with severe COVID-19 infections

Sticky webs of DNA released from immune cells known as neutrophils may cause much of the tissue damage associated with severe COVID-19 infections, according to two new studies published September 14 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

14 Sep 2020

Supplements of Human Milk Oligosaccharides may help improve gut health in adults

Supplements of Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs), the sugars found in breast milk, may help improve the gut health of adults, according to new research carried out at the Quadram Institute.

14 Sep 2020

India's whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shows promise

Researchers in India have conducted a preclinical study demonstrating the safety and efficacy of a new candidate vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

13 Sep 2020

Study finds cuttlebone’s microstructure to be lightweight, stiff, and damage-tolerant

Ling Li has a lesson in one of his mechanical engineering courses on how brittle materials like calcium carbonate behave under stress.

12 Sep 2020

Heat and gut microbiota promote stronger bones

Osteoporosis, a bone disease linked to ageing, is characterized by a loss of bone density, micro-architectural deterioration of the bones and an increased risk of fractures.

11 Sep 2020

Are micro and nanoplastics accumulating in human organs and tissues?

A team of researchers spoke to News-Medical about their latest research investigating whether micro and nanoplastics are accumulating in human tissues.

10 Sep 2020

Blood clots can be an early indication of COVID-19, shows study

A new paper by vascular surgeons at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, describes how thrombosis (blood clots in the circulatory system) was an early indication of infection in a COVID-19 patient.

10 Sep 2020

Researchers receive $1.9 million federal grant to find Lyme disease vaccine

Pesky, yet dangerous ticks are no longer latching exclusively onto hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. Milder winters and disrupted habitats have driven them out of the woods, with Lyme disease cases in the United States tripling since the late 1990s.

9 Sep 2020

Scientists develop a rapid, reliable and low-cost COVID-19 antibody test

Robust and widespread antibody testing has emerged as a key strategy in the fight against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

8 Sep 2020

COVID-19 lockdown has not reduced the level of toxic fine particles in Scotland

The significant reduction in vehicle journeys during the COVID-19 lockdown did not reduce the level of toxic fine particles in Scotland's air, according to experts at the University of Stirling.

8 Sep 2020

Novel RNA vaccine from Arcturus Therapeutics protects mice against SARS-CoV-2

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 reports a novel RNA vaccine platform that shows robust protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in mice and performs much better than a conventional mRNA vaccine. This could allow single-dose immunization, allowing progress towards global vaccination.

6 Sep 2020

Existing drug masitinib identified as potential inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in the United States have demonstrated that a drug originally developed as a treatment for cancer exhibits antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

2 Sep 2020

Negligible ACE2 expression in human beta-cells

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv reports that even though the fatality rate is significantly higher in diabetics, there is no evidence that this is due to direct viral infection of pancreatic beta cells, which produce the key hormone in glucose homeostasis, namely insulin.

1 Sep 2020

Promising new candidate 'virus-like particle' vaccine for COVID-19

Researchers in the UK and Taiwan have demonstrated the potential of a new candidate vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the virus responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

1 Sep 2020

Rapid COVID-19 test could enable point-of-care diagnosis

As COVID-19 continues to spread, bottlenecks in supplies and laboratory personnel have led to long waiting times for results in some areas.

1 Sep 2020

New microgel drug delivery method could improve effectiveness of pancreatic islet transplants

Pancreatic islet transplants, which revive insulin production to treat type 1 diabetes, only last an average of three years.

31 Aug 2020

Wearable device may more accurately assess the effects of hemorrhage blood loss

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs), military medics, and emergency room physicians could one day be better able to treat victims of vehicular accidents, gunshot wounds, and battlefield injuries thanks to a new device under development that may more accurately assess the effects of blood loss due to hemorrhage.

31 Aug 2020

New lipid derivatives of Remdesivir have higher anti-coronavirus activity

In a fascinating new preprint paper published on bioRxiv* in August 2020, the researchers report “the synthesis and antiviral evaluation of three novel lipophilic prodrugs of RVn-monophosphate that are substantially more active than Remdesivir in cells infected with SARS-CoV-2.” These could be of immense use in treating COVID-19 patients early and helping to end transmission.

30 Aug 2020

Manipulating 3D Printed Organoid Microenvironments

Organoids are 3-dimensional (3D) clusters of stem cells that come together and emulate the microenvironment within individual organs, whether that be liver, kidney, heart, gut or other specific organs.

From Manchester BIOGEL 28 Aug 2020

Scientists combine 3D bioprinting and computer modeling to study cancer metastasis in blood vessels

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists have paired 3D-printed, living human brain vasculature with advanced computational flow simulations to better understand tumor cell attachment to blood vessels, the first step in secondary tumor formation during cancer metastasis.

26 Aug 2020