Chemokine News and Research

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Chemokines are a family of small cytokines, or proteins secreted by cells. Proteins are classified as chemokines according to shared structural characteristics such as small size (they are all approximately 8-10 kilodaltons in size), and the presence of four cysteine residues in conserved locations that are key to forming their 3-dimensional shape.

Characterization of prognostic markers to predict COVID-19 severity

A team of scientists from the United Kingdom has revealed that markers of endothelial cell injury are associated with severe and fatal outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

14 Oct 2020

Cancer-killing T cells release chemicals to direct swarms towards tumors

When immune system T cells find and recognise a target, they release chemicals to attract more T cells which then swarm to help subdue the threat, shows a new study published today in eLife.

13 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

Maternal immune cells could bring SARS-CoV-2 to the placenta

Researchers from Canada and Brazil collaborated to explore the possibility of perinatal transmission of the virus from pregnant mothers to their babies and the risk of preterm birth.

30 Sep 2020

Biomarker predicts disease severity in COVID-19 patients

Airway cell analyses showing an activated immune axis could pinpoint the COVID-19 patients who will most benefit from targeted therapies.

17 Sep 2020

Shedding light on altered blood cell traits involved in severe COVID-19

Researchers at the University of Georgia in the United States have shed light on the pathological mechanisms underlying the association between the genetic locus 3p21.31 and severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

13 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

Researchers develop new strategies to treat osteoporosis

A research team from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has identified a new avenue to maintain bone health while reducing bone resorption.

12 Aug 2020

Researchers develop a novel strategy to fight osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is the most common age-related bone disease which affects hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide. It is estimated that one in three women and one in five men aged over 50 suffer from osteoporotic bone fractures.

5 Aug 2020

Spinal cord injuries in mice cause acquired bone marrow failure syndrome

Research conducted at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The Ohio State University College of Medicine found that spinal cord injuries in mice cause an acquired bone marrow failure syndrome that may contribute to chronic immune dysfunction.

24 Jul 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

Research sheds light on mysterious COVID-19 related hyperinflammatory shock in children

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has cost hundreds of thousands of human lives, besides more than 11 million cases. Caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the disease was initially thought to be more severe in the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions. However, it started to manifest in children after the peak of the first wave.

7 Jul 2020

Genes associated with SARS-CoV-2 human lung cell infection

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 attempts to make sense of this data to identify viral genes that are explicitly expressed in the cells infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This could help reveal new therapeutic targets.

26 Jun 2020

Pangolin version of SARS-CoV-2 can cause COVID-19-like illness

The results of a recent multinational research endeavor, currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server, display the biological framework of SARS-CoV-2-related coronavirus in pangolins and reveal striking similarities to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in humans, but also show that it can be transmitted vertically to the fetus.

23 Jun 2020

Females mount stronger T-cell response to SARS-CoV-2

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 shows that immune cells, antibody levels, cytokine levels, and viral loads contribute to the sex difference seen in response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

10 Jun 2020

Octapharma extends support for COVID-19 study following promising preliminary data

Following positive preliminary data, Octapharma USA is extending funding for an investigator-initiated study (IIS) focused on treating the most critical patients at the heart of the coronavirus pandemic, those experiencing hypoxia and who are at the highest risk of requiring mechanical ventilation.

3 Jun 2020

Common cytokine profile in ARDS, severe COVID-19 and sepsis

Many lives have been lost to the severe pneumonic disease COVID-19 caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), during the ongoing pandemic. The reason for the critical lung injury that results in a fatal outcome in a significant minority of patients has been supposed to be the dramatic oversecretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines triggered by the virus.

19 May 2020

Tocilizumab improves survival in COVID-19 patients with ARDS

The current COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2), has already nearly 4.8 million confirmed cases and more than 318,000 deaths.

18 May 2020

Research examines molecules derived from ticks as potential COVID-19 treatment option

UK-based biotechnology firm ILC Therapeutics is working alongside the University of Oxford to examine the use of Evasins – molecules derived from ticks – as a potential COVID-19 treatment option for patients whose lungs are badly damaged by the virus and face a critical juncture in recovery.

13 May 2020

Octapharma USA supports new COVID-19 clinical trial

Octapharma USA is supporting a new investigator initiated clinical trial led by George Sakoulas, M.D. of Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, California focused on treating the most critical patients at the heart of the coronavirus pandemic, those experiencing respiratory failure who become ventilator dependent.

16 Apr 2020