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Researchers assess molecular basis of SARS-CoV-2 severity and poor outcomes in lung disease

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 shows that in patients with chronic lung disease, the pattern of gene expression in the different types of cell changes such that the lung epithelium is prepared to tackle SARS-CoV-2 infection. Also, the altered gene programs have an impact on the immune response.

22 Oct 2020

Promising interim results for Sinopharm's inactivated whole-virion SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to intensive scientific efforts to bring about an effective vaccine for global distribution. Many different vaccine design approaches are underway. A recent study published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases in October 2020 reports a potentially successful inactivated virus vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

19 Oct 2020

Higher levels of lymphocytes reduce risk of long-term complications in asymptomatic COVID-19 patients

COVID-19 remains stubbornly inconsistent. More than a million people have died and 35 million have been diagnosed, but a large fraction of people infected with the coronavirus--about 45%, according to recent estimates--show no symptoms at all.

15 Oct 2020

The COVID-19 vaccine pipeline

Researchers from Mayo Clinic, United States of America, have reviewed the immunity developed against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 disease.

14 Oct 2020

Research identifies antigen-specific peripheral T follicular helper cells in COVID-19 infected patients

Researchers have found peripheral T follicular helper cell responses to different structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and have studied how the response occurs over time.

14 Oct 2020

COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows potent immune response

A COVID-19 vaccine candidate that underwent extensive preclinical testing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham this spring and summer shows potent preclinical immune responses -; including several that distinguish it from other COVID-19 vaccine approaches -; according to a preprint deposited in the BioRxiv repository this week.

13 Oct 2020

Dynamic map reveals how cells fight microbes and preserve memory for future infections

Researchers have charted the activity of tens of thousands of genes in mouse immune cells over the course of an infection.

12 Oct 2020

A new therapeutic approach for Epstein-Barr virus-associated tumors

A research team at LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) discovered that exosomes derived from Vδ2-T cells (Vδ2-T-Exos) can effectively control Epstein-Barr virus-associated tumours and induce T-cell anti-tumour immunity.

12 Oct 2020

Temporal predictors of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

Researchers in a recent paper published as a preprint on the preprint medRxiv, study the clinical factors, the laboratory assays to streamline plasma donor selection, and the durability of nAb responses in adults.

11 Oct 2020

FDA awards six clinical trial research grants to enhance development of therapies for rare diseases

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has awarded six new clinical trial research grants to principal investigators from academia and industry totaling over $16 million over the next four years.

8 Oct 2020

Study shows how CD4+ T cells respond to SARS-CoV-2 virus

As scientists around the world develop life-saving COVID-19 vaccines and therapies, many are still wondering exactly why the disease proves deadly in some people and mild in others.

7 Oct 2020

Study determines frequency and patterns of T-cell escape mutations in HIV patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy

Immune cells that can recognize residual HIV-infected cells in people living with HIV (PLWH) who take antiretroviral therapy (ART) remain active for years, says a new study published today in eLife.

7 Oct 2020

IL-21 protein is a major part of immune response to chronic infections in the central nervous system

Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine now better understand the role of a protein, interleukin-21 (IL-21), in the immune system response to infections in the nervous system.

6 Oct 2020

Study fails to establish independent risk factors for SARS-COV-2 infection in HIV patients

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread worldwide, a new study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases in September 2020 reports that people with HIV infection are not at greater risk of COVID-19 compared to the general population.

5 Oct 2020

Another study finds cross-reactivity T cell responses against SARS-CoV-2

Using ELISpot and proliferation assays, researchers show strong responses in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, but not so much in negative samples. However, there may be cross-reactive T cell responses from other human coronaviruses.

5 Oct 2020

Lung tissue in fatal COVID-19 shows broad cell tropism and extensive damage

In a recent preprint paper published on the medRxiv server, researchers demonstrated their investigation of fatal COVID-19 patients to assess infection in various cell types and the extent of damage it caused to the lung tissues.

30 Sep 2020

A detailed map of latent virus reservoir in individuals with HIV

The latent reservoir is the last bastion of HIV's resistance to a cure. But it is difficult to destroy because it is invisible: the cells in the reservoir harbor virus that is dormant, so they don't have any viral proteins on their surface that would give them away.

30 Sep 2020

J&J's COVID-19 vaccine shows potent immune response in phase 2 human trial

A multicenter phase 1/2a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial has been conducted recently to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of a non-replicating adenovirus-based vaccine, namely Ad26.COV2.S against severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

28 Sep 2020

AI used to define the cytokine storm implicated in fatal COVID-19

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 reports the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to identify an invariant or universal host immune response found in all viral pandemics so far. The association of this response with severe COVID-19 phenotypes indicates a new understanding of the human immune response in viral pandemics.

24 Sep 2020

Baseline T cell signatures predict clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV infection

In a recent bioRxiv preprint paper, researchers from the Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, and Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, discuss their study in mice that undergo detailed immunophenotyping before getting infected with SARS-CoV.

22 Sep 2020