Chemokines News and Research

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When COVID-19 is severe, rogue antibodies attack body tissues and organs

The study, published in the journal Nature, sheds light on the disease mechanism of COVID-19 and how the virus causes a faulty immune system.

21 May 2021

Facets of SARS-CoV-2 infection and animal models

A new study in the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology discusses the ribonucleic acid (RNA) genome of the virus, and the mechanisms by which it establishes infection within the host cell. The researchers also summarize the development of animal models of COVID-19, which will both help understand the clinical features of the illness, and indicate new approaches for the treatment of the infection.

21 May 2021

Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) detects the SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein and generates inflammatory cytokines

Researchers at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital found that toll-like receptor 2 detects the SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein-producing inflammatory cytokines.

19 May 2021

CDK inhibitors may boost the effectiveness of immune therapy in metastatic breast cancer

A class of drugs that inhibits breast cancer progression when used with hormonal therapy might also boost the effectiveness of immune therapy in cases of recurrent, metastatic breast cancer, according to a new study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

10 May 2021

Aberrant immune features in healthy elderly and male subjects with severe COVID-19 may predate infection

A new study shows that the immunological features of severe COVID-19 are already present in healthy older adults and in men, before they are infected, indicating a possible explanation for this differential susceptibility towards the virus.

6 May 2021

Stem cell therapy for COVID-19 and ARDS

In a review paper recently uploaded to the journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy by Mahendiratta et al. (May 2021) the applicability of stem cells in treating severe SARS-CoV-2 infection is investigated, with regard to ARDS therapy.

5 May 2021

What happens in the first few days of SARS-CoV-2 infection?

New research, published in PLOS Biology, has evaluated SARS-CoV-2 infection in primary cultures of well-differentiated cells to determine how the virus affects the body and how the infection starts. Answers to these questions are essential to forming a general understanding of viral pathogenesis, which helps us develop effective prevention and treatment strategies for COVID-19.

4 May 2021

New approach could revolutionize the treatment of liver diseases

Researchers from Niigata University , the University of Tokyo, Osaka University and Tokyo Medical University, Japan have developed a new approach that could revolutionize the treatment, prevention, and possibly reversal of the damages caused by liver diseases.

3 May 2021

Host protein mimicry of SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding motif

In a new study, structural bioinformatics approaches are employed to investigate the potential mimicry of the receptor-binding motif (RBM) of these three coronaviruses, finding that several proteins from both human and non-human sources were similar to each, with implications regarding the mechanism of infection and tropism of SARS-CoV-2.

29 Apr 2021

Is Hong Kong’s fourth wave of COVID-19 due to the Q57H SARS-CoV-2 variant?

A recent article in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Emerging Infectious Diseases reveals that the last of these was probably due to the introduction of a new variant from Nepal. This novel variant had been circulating in the community for about a month before the last outbreak was reported.

29 Apr 2021

Celastrol shows potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity

A new study published on the bioRxiv* preprint server focuses on the in-silico predictions to repurpose existing drug compounds, that may have the ability to reverse the SARS-CoV-2 gene expression induced in host cells.

23 Apr 2021

Ponatinib identified as a potent inhibitor of SARS-CoV2-induced cytokine storm

Researchers at the Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Washington, United States, found that the FDA-approved, multi-kinase inhibitor Ponatinib is a potent inhibitor of the N-terminal domain (NTD) -mediated cytokine storm. Ponatinib is an oral drug used for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

14 Apr 2021

Exercise training may slow breast cancer growth by increasing anti-tumor immune response

Exercise training may slow tumor growth and improve outcomes for females with breast cancer - especially those treated with immunotherapy drugs - by stimulating naturally occurring immune mechanisms, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School have found.

12 Apr 2021

Widely available drug reduces morbidity, mortality in COVID-19-infected mice

Mount Sinai researchers have found that a widely available and inexpensive drug targeting inflammatory genes has reduced morbidity and mortality in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

31 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 spike stimulates hyperinflammation via Toll-like receptor 2

A new study, released on the bioRxiv* preprint server, describes the mechanism of inflammation in severe COVID-19, besides revealing a potential new therapeutic target to modulate the severity of COVID-19.

19 Mar 2021

Study characterizes shifting neoantigen burden between primary and metastatic tumors within HNSCC

Oncotarget published "Genomic and neoantigen evolution from primary tumor to first metastases in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma" which reported that prior work has characterized changes in the mutation burden between primary and recurrent tumors; however, little work has characterized the changes in neoantigen evolution.

18 Mar 2021

Study proves that postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome may be an autoimmune disorder

The symptoms of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, can be as varied as they are confounding. There can be fatigue, pain, bleeding disorders and anxiety. Heart palpitations and lightheadedness are common.

16 Mar 2021

Research looks at inflammatory nature of lipid nanoparticle component in mRNA vaccines

In a recent bioRxiv preprint research paper, Botond Z. Igyártó and colleagues from Thomas Jefferson University demonstrated the inflammatory nature of the lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).

15 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 can infect blood monocytes and trigger inflammation, finds study

Researchers found about 10% of blood monocytes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients are infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). These monocytes then die, leading to the release of cytokines – a feature associated with severe and critical COVID-19.

11 Mar 2021

Study clarifies the role of collagen during pancreatic cancer development

Contrary to long-held beliefs, Type I collagen produced by cancer-associated fibroblasts may not promote cancer development but instead plays a protective role in controlling pancreatic cancer progression, reports a new study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

4 Mar 2021