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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

NK and T cell subsets show distinctive lung-homing receptor profiles in COVID-19 patients

A new study reveals in detail the changes that occur in peripheral blood natural killer (NK) and T cells in COVID-19.

18 Jan 2021

Hydrogen therapy may help severely ill COVID-19 patients

Researchers from the Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu in China, have explored the possibility of using hydrogen therapy on severely ill COVID-19 patients. The team published their study's findings, titled "Hydrogen: A Potential New Adjuvant Therapy for COVID-19 Patients," in the latest issue of the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology.

17 Nov 2020

Drugs targeting neutrophils could reduce ARDS in severe COVID-19

Scientists in Taiwan recently published a report on their use of anti-neutrophil strategies to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) – a life-threatening condition that can arise in critical COVID-19 cases – in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics.

15 Nov 2020

Researchers generate a transcriptomic map of the COVID brain

COVID-19 is known to be associated with multiple changes in gene expression, but many of these are also seen in chronic brain conditions as well as in some abnormal mental conditions. A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 uncovers the molecular basis of this association.

26 Oct 2020

Research shows choroid plexus can act as a conduit for prenatal inflammation

Floating in fluid deep in the brain are small, little understood fronds of tissue. Two new studies reveal that these miniature organs are a hotbed of immune system activity.

9 Oct 2020

Study confirms SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein promotes a hyper-inflammatory immune response

A group of researchers from Australia and China recently demonstrated how SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein subunit 1 can induce a pro-inflammatory signaling pathway (leading to cytokines deployment and epithelial damage in human bronchial epithelial cells), but also highlighted the potential of peptide-based antivirals in tackling this novel coronavirus.

5 Oct 2020

Anti-CD73 molecule CPI-006 activates B cell responses to SARS-CoV-2

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause an immense impact across many parts of the world, the role played by immune responses is becoming more evident every day. A recent funded paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* in September 2020 reports the initiation of a Phase I trial of a drug that increases antibody and cell-mediated immune responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

17 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2-RNA viremia is a robust marker of critical illness in COVID-19

A new study by a large team of Spanish researchers and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 reports that the presence of viral RNA in the blood is a useful marker of impending acute disease and can help triage COVID-19 disease patients who will require hospital care.

1 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein recognized by innate immune receptors in a glycan-dependent way

The spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) depends on its ability to infect new host cells following its replication and release from infected cells. This pivots on its ability to bind to cell surface receptors like the ACE2 enzyme.

3 Aug 2020

Mouse model of fatal COVID-19 developed for vaccine and drug testing

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in July 2020 presents an engineered transgenic mouse that reproduces the functional and clinical characteristics of severe human SARS-CoV-2 infection.

21 Jul 2020

Potential new treatment approach to fatal COVID-19

Researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Pathways Bioscience in the United States have found that activating a transcription factor involved in oxidative stress regulation, antiviral activity, and inflammation may serve as a new treatment approach to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

18 May 2020

Newly discovered molecule in the lymphatic system could play a role in autoimmune diseases

A study by investigators at Hospital for Special Surgery has discovered a molecule in the lymphatic system that has the potential to play a role in autoimmune disease.

22 Mar 2020

Study shows how cancer-causing genes promote metastasis

Cancer-promoting genes MYC and TWIST1 co-opt immune system cells to enable cancer cells to spread, but blocking a key step in this process can help prevent the disease from developing.

14 Jan 2020

Researchers elucidate role of inflammation resolution sensor in obesity and heart failure

After heart attack injury, several fatty-acid-derived bioactive molecules -- including one called resolvin D1 -- play an essential signaling role to safely clear inflammation and help repair heart muscle. The mechanism of how this resolution occurs is not well-understood.

20 Nov 2019

Study reveals how aggressive prostate cancer metastasizes by evading the immune system

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered how an aggressive form of prostate cancer called double-negative prostate cancer (DNPC) metastasizes by evading the the immune system.

18 Jul 2019

Study reports role of cancer gene in tumor microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment is a mix of fluids, immune cells and blood vessels which envelops the tumors. Interactions between tumor cells and the TME determine the progression and fate of tumors.

4 Jul 2019

Study uncovers how tumors backfire on neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Some patients with breast cancer receive chemotherapy before the tumor is removed with surgery. This approach, called 'neoadjuvant' therapy, helps to reduce the size of the tumor to facilitate breast-conserving surgery, and can even eradicate the tumor, leaving few or no cancerous cells for the surgeon to remove.

2 Jan 2019

Neurons play active role in triggering a defense mechanism that leads to their own damage

Rasmussen's encephalitis is a rare autoimmune disease that primarily affects children and can lead to seizures.

31 Aug 2018

Modified T lymphocytes prevent nerve cell damage in encephalitis

Scientists have found a way to prevent neuron death in Rasmussen’s encephalitis, by exploiting T lymphocytes in the immune system.

30 Aug 2018