ACE2 News and Research

RSS

SARS-CoV-2 spike S1 subunit induces hypercoagulability

The vascular complications of the condition include a range of various coagulopathies that cause bleeding and thrombocytopenia or a hypercoagulable state. A new preprint research paper posted to the medRxiv server describes the role of a fibrinogen-related protein in inducing these clinical features of COVID-19.

10 Mar 2021

South African SARS-CoV-2 variant most problematic for BNT-162b2 vaccine

Researchers from Germany and the US investigated the efficacy of neutralizing antibodies against newer variants using serum and saliva samples obtained from groups of infected, vaccinated (with Pfizer BNT-162b2), and uninfected individuals. The researchers started this study to uncover vaccine-induced immune response and show the efficiency of antibody binding and neutralization in SARS-CoV-2 variants.

10 Mar 2021

Researcher find an emergent SARS-CoV-2 variant in California

Researchers have found a new SARS-CoV-2 variant in California, USA. This variant is more transmissible than circulating strains but slightly less transmissible than the new N501Y variant and moderately resistant to antibodies in convalescent sera and mRNA vaccines.

10 Mar 2021

Researchers characterize antibody responses to COVID-19 mRNA-based vaccine

A team of scientists from the USA and Canada has recently characterized the antibodies developed against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in response to an mRNA-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine.

10 Mar 2021

Neutralizing antibodies may be evolving to keep up with SARS-CoV-2 mutations

Viruses evolve under increased pressure, and new research from The Rockefeller University and University of Massachusetts Medical School in the U.S. suggests our antibodies can as well.

10 Mar 2021

Research demonstrates multivalent nanobodies overcome SARS-CoV-2 variant mutations

In a recent bioRxiv* preprint paper, researchers isolated anti-RBD nanobodies from llamas and “nanomice” (they engineered to produce VHHs cloned from alpacas, dromedaries and camels).

10 Mar 2021

2% of individuals carry 90% of SARS-CoV-2 virions: Study of 72,500 tests

In a new study published on the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers analyzed viral loads from pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals in an extensive university surveillance program.

9 Mar 2021

A genetic variant of TMPRSS2 may confer protection against severe COVID-19

Among a large sample of COVID-19 patients, researchers found that a genetic variant – caused by an amino acid substitution from valine to methionine – is associated with a reduced chance of severe disease.

9 Mar 2021

Rapid increase of UK SARS-CoV-2 variant found in sewage in England between October 2020 to January 2021

A new study confirms the utility of wastewater surveillance as an important new tool in this regard by showing the presence of the UK SARS-CoV-2 variant in wastewater samples from London early in November, with increasing frequency thereafter.

9 Mar 2021

Worse problems with SARS-CoV-2 variants may be on the way

Researchers at the Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa, found evidence of a significant change in the selective forces acting on immunologically important SARS-CoV-2 genes, such as N and S. These likely coincided with the emergence of the 501Y lineages.

8 Mar 2021

Self-assembling nanoparticles an effective vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2

The currently developed vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 include the RBD in their immunogen. With a similar objective, a new study developed an RBD protein-based vaccine candidate against the SARS-CoV-2, using self-assembling Helicobacter pylori-bullfrog ferritin nanoparticles as an antigen delivery system. The study is published recently in the journal mBio (by the American Society of Microbiology).

8 Mar 2021

Study rethinks the role of ACE2 in SARS-CoV-2 viral entry

Researchers in the US recently infected a series of human lung and head/neck cancer cell lines with SARS-CoV-2 that expressed varying levels of ACE2 and the TMPRSS2 protease to reassess their role in viral entrance.

8 Mar 2021

Researchers present fragment-based computational design of antibodies that target structured epitopes

A new study describes a novel fragment-based method to design antibody complementarity determining region (CDR) loops.

8 Mar 2021

One dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate boosts neutralizing antibody response in COVID-19 convalescents

A new study details the results from a single dose of the FINLAY FR 1A recombinant dimeric receptor-binding domain (RBD) base vaccine during a phase I clinical trial with 30 COVID-19 convalescents to test its capacity for boosting natural immunity.

5 Mar 2021

A SARS-CoV-2 spike protein adjuvant vaccine candidate produces durable rapid protection in vivo

A recent study reports the safety and high efficacy of an adjuvanted vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 and the complications of COVID-19.

5 Mar 2021

Study explains how the B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant is more transmissible

New research led by Thushan I. de Silva from the University of Sheffield proposes that increases in subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) expression cause increased viral transmissibility and subsequent infection. They suggest the ORF9 protein, found in high amounts of sgRNA, could be regulating interferon responses.

4 Mar 2021

Study reveals a small molecule inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection in cells

Researchers found a small molecule that inhibits different virus proteins and significantly reduces infection in cells. Combined with the antiviral remdesivir, its potency increases significantly, suggesting it may be a potential antiviral candidate for the treatment of COVID-19.

4 Mar 2021

Novel host-viral-microbiome interactions during COVID-19 may determine outcome

A new preprint on the medRxiv* server discusses how the underlying disease mechanisms are regulated such that the local or mucosal immune response is distinct from the systemic response.

4 Mar 2021

Study reports persistent SARS-CoV-2 with increasing viral variants in pediatric patients

New research, published on medRxiv preprint server, has reported the effect of prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection in immunocompromised children and young adults.

4 Mar 2021

Researchers develop ultrapotent miniproteins that target SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain

Researchers have investigated the effectiveness of a bioengineered miniprotein in protecting against SARS-CoV-2 infection in vivo. The researchers evaluated the miniprotein, LCB1, against SARS-CoV-2-mediated lung disease in human ACE2-expressing transgenic mice.

3 Mar 2021