Dexamethasone News and Research

RSS

Could the marine compound plitidepsin promote recovery from moderate COVID-19?

A new paper by an international team of researchers describes experimental evidence of the antiviral efficacy of a marine compound called plitidepsin against SARS-CoV-2. The findings show that plitidepsin inhibits SARS-CoV at low concentrations, as observed by a thousand-fold reduction in genomic RNA and viral titers in cells exposed to the virus in culture when treated.

27 May 2021

Are COVID-19 medications safe in pregnancy?

Most medications being tested today in clinical trials for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been repurposed from other indications. These are typically not tested in pregnant women. A new study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, summarizes what is known about the safety of these drugs in this group.

24 May 2021

Investigators map how drugs were used on people hospitalized with COVID-19 infection

A record of medicine utilization patterns assembled by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of California, Irvine and the UC San Diego School of Medicine reveals the thought, care and scientific rigor clinicians at UC Health medical centers applied in their treatment of patients with COVID-19 in 2020.

21 May 2021

Researchers use ultrasound to reduce COVID-19-related inflammation

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have begun a pilot clinical trial to test the efficacy of using ultrasound to stimulate the spleen and reduce COVID-19-related inflammation, decreasing the length of hospital stays.

13 May 2021

Repurposing an existing, cheap drug into long-acting injectable therapy to treat Covid-19

Researchers from the University of Liverpool have shown the potential of repurposing an existing and cheap drug into a long-acting injectable therapy that could be used to treat Covid-19.

5 May 2021

Study uncovers protein 'signature' of severe COVID-19

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have identified the protein "signature" of severe COVID-19, which they describe in a new study published in Cell Reports Medicine.

4 May 2021

Repurposing an existing, cheap drug into long-acting injectable therapy to treat Covid-19

Researchers from the University of Liverpool have shown the potential of repurposing an existing and cheap drug into a long-acting injectable therapy that could be used to treat Covid-19.

16 Apr 2021

Phase 3 trial finds corticosteroid inhaler speeds recovery time in COVID-19 patients

The corticosteroid budesonide shows promise in treating patients with mild COVID-19 infection. Interim analysis of the phase 3 PRINCIPLE clinical trial was posted to the medRxiv preprint server. Researchers found a 3-day faster recovery of COVID-19 symptoms in people at high risk for severe side effects administered a budesonide inhaler. There was also a 2.1% reduction in hospitalization and death.

14 Apr 2021

Alpaca nanobodies effective against South African SARS-CoV-2 variant

Researchers in South Africa and the UK have identified alpaca-derived nanoantibodies that potently neutralize variants of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

13 Apr 2021

Researchers identify SARS-CoV-2 antiviral compounds using protein assay

During the process of SARS-CoV-2 infection, once the virus penetrates the host cell, two open reading frames, ORF1a and ORF1ab, are translated. ORF1ab is responsible for the production of 16 nonstructural proteins (nsp). Several viral proteases such as 3CLpro and PLpro (papain-like protease) produce 1-16 nsps. A new study has been published in bioRxiv* preprint server, which deals with identifying drugs that are effective as PLpro inhibitors.

13 Apr 2021

Corticosteroid therapy in pregnant women with COVID-19

A new study describes the outcome of corticosteroid use in pregnancy.

29 Mar 2021

Scientists seek Covid treatment answers in cheap, older drugs

Could a decades-old antidepressant be a secret weapon against covid? A few scientists think so, after two small studies showed that fluvoxamine, typically prescribed for obsessive-compulsive disorder, prevented serious illness in all participants who took the pills soon after developing symptoms.

29 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 infection is circadian

An international team of researchers has found that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) levels in lung cells vary over the day, affecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The virus entry and replication in the lung cells also have a rhythmic cycle, suggesting circadian processes can affect the virus's life cycle.

22 Mar 2021

Could cinnamon modulate the immune response in severe COVID-19?

A new study describes the potential for two common plant products to make a difference in the management of severe COVID-19.

18 Mar 2021

Genome-wide CRISPR screening used to identify factors essential for SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans

In a methodologically trailblazing paper published in the journal Nature Genetics, a team of Belgian scientists uncovered an assembly of coronavirus host factors that may be exploited to develop drugs against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), but also potentially forthcoming zoonotic coronaviruses.

14 Mar 2021

Rheumatoid arthritis drug improves outcomes in severely ill COVID-19 patients, finds new trial

Tocilizumab, an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, improves outcomes in severely ill COVID-19 patients, finds the results of a new trial conducted in hospitals across India -- one of the world's most ethnically diverse countries.

8 Mar 2021

Influenza A virus defective interfering particles against SARS-CoV-2

In the search for a broadly acting pan-specific antiviral, an interdisciplinary team from Germany tested the previously proposed (for antiviral treatment against Influenza A infections) - Influenza A virus (IAV) defective interfering particles (DIPs). The research is published online on the bioRxiv preprint server.

23 Feb 2021

Some nutritional supplements may help prevent or mitigate COVID-19 severity

A new study in the Journal of dietary supplements shows that nutritional supplements, including several vitamins and the mineral zinc, may be useful in preventing the infection or reducing its severity if caught.

22 Feb 2021

Study profiles the nose to predict immune response during COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 resides in mucous membranes, making it easy to detect viral load in the nasal cavities. An international group of researchers has characterized the immunological and diagnosis characteristics of patients who may have or are confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The team found a distinct nasal cytokine profile that could help identify patients at risk for high inflammatory responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

22 Feb 2021

Chicken-derived antibody shows potent neutralizing capacity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

Researchers report on a Chicken-derived antibody against SARS-CoV-2, offering preliminary data on a potential therapeutic for COVID-19 warranting further research.

19 Feb 2021