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Nucleocapsid-based vaccines may prevent SARS-CoV-2 dissemination to distal organs

A team of scientists recently investigated and compared the efficacy of spike-based and nucleocapsid-based COVID-19 vaccines in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2. Their findings reveal that nucleocapsid-based vaccines are effective in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in distal organs, such as the brain.

27 Apr 2021

Triple mutation in SARS-CoV-2 seen in second wave of COVID-19 in India

Researchers sequenced the viral genome from samples in the state of Maharashtra and found a unique combination of three mutations that suggest the SARS-CoV-2 virus is continually evolving to evade the human immune response.

27 Apr 2021

Host cell transmembrane protein MARCH8 targets lysine residues to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses

A new study deals with the inhibitory activity of a membrane protein that has broad-spectrum activity against multiple viruses, showing that this is due to its effect on cytoplasmic lysine residue incorporation into replicating virions.

26 Apr 2021

Potential new COVID vaccine from Australia

Phase 1 trial results published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases found a new subunit vaccine —an MF59-adjuvanted subunit vaccine using recombinant spike glycoprotein stabilized in a prefusion conformation by a novel molecular clamp — targeting the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was safe and effective in producing an antigen-specific response in healthy adults.

26 Apr 2021

A detailed look at two cases of symptomatic COVID in vaccinated individuals

In a recent brief report published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from the Rockefeller University in New York described a case of two fully vaccinated individuals in whom they found subsequent breakthrough infections with variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), carrying a number of substitutions of interest.

25 Apr 2021

Two repurposed drugs and a blue dye show potential as SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors

A new multidisciplinary study from Australia, published in the open-access journal mBio, shows that three compounds used to treat cystic fibrosis, dry eye, and a specific medical dye may lead to future strategies for the treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

25 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

Striking difference identified between mRNA vaccination vs. SARS-CoV-2 infection immune responses

A team of scientists from the United States has recently compared the immune response elicited by natural severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. Their findings reveal that, unlike vaccination, natural SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with a robust interferon response together with an induction of cytotoxic gene expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

22 Apr 2021

SARS-CoV-1 utilizes ORF3a protein to trigger viral release

Scientists in the USA – from the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland – have recently uncovered the mechanism by which SARS-CoV-1 is released from the infected cells.

21 Apr 2021

Researchers probe intriguing interaction between sugars and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

A new study posted to the bioRxiv preprint server focuses on a novel formulation of magnetization or saturation transfer. This method is developed by amalgamating theoretical and computational approaches based on a Bayesian deconvolution algorithm, which helps obtain data more accurately and determine the ligand-protein interaction.

16 Apr 2021

Single dose of Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID vaccine shown to be more immunogenic than natural infection

By investigating antibody and T cell responses to a single dose of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, researchers from Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom have found that more than 90% of vaccinated individuals produced an adequate amount of antibodies after receiving only one dose of the vaccine – irrespective of their age and gender.

16 Apr 2021

Scientists illuminate how some antibodies can effectively disable ebolaviruses

Some survivors of ebolavirus outbreaks make antibodies that can broadly neutralize these viruses--and now, scientists at Scripps Research have illuminated how these antibodies can disable the viruses so effectively.

16 Apr 2021

Could cow's milk provide some passive immunity against COVID-19?

Researchers at the Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, Córdoba, Spain, speculate that bovine milk consumption – specifically from cows with resistance to bovine coronaviruses – may potentially provide at least some degree of protection from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The article is available to read in full on the Frontiers in Immunology website.

13 Apr 2021

Researchers develop broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 RBD-based vaccine

In a recent bioRxiv* preprint, the large team of researchers evaluated a SARS-CoV-2 Spike receptor-binding domain ferritin nanoparticle protein vaccine (RFN) in a nonhuman primate challenge model. This study addresses the need for a next-generation, efficacious vaccine with an increased pan-SARS breadth of coverage.

13 Apr 2021

Researchers provide ultrastructural details of SARS-CoV-2-infected respiratory epithelial cells

A team of scientists from the United Kingdom recently investigated the ultrastructural details of the attachment, entry, and budding processes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the human airway epithelium. They have used a highly differentiated air-liquid interface cultures of airway epithelium to thoroughly investigate the viral infection cycle. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

12 Apr 2021

Researchers explore an inhalable SARS-CoV-2 nanobody therapy

Even as vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are being developed and administered at an unprecedented pace, treating this infection remains a challenge. To address this, researchers from China have used nanobodies (Nb) as a possible therapeutic approach. They reported Nb phage display libraries derived from four camels immunized with the SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD.

12 Apr 2021

Could N protein-based COVID-19 vaccines hinder SARS-CoV-2's NK cell inhibition?

Upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, what are the changes occurring on the surface of the host cell? To address this, and a team of researchers undertook a study exploring the natural killer (NK) cells and their role during a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

12 Apr 2021

The role and ancestry of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein glycan shield

In a research paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Harbison et al. (April 1st 2021) a set of multi-microsecond long molecular dynamics simulations study the effects of altering glycosylation at sites N234, N165, N343, and the newly identified ancestral site N370, uncovering the influence of these sites on infectivity.

12 Apr 2021

More new SARS-CoV-2 variants are highly likely

In a recent report posted to the bioRxiv preprint server, researchers from the United Kingdom and Uganda reveal unique protein features of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) relative to other representatives of Sarbecoviruses.

8 Apr 2021

The interaction between blood clotting and SARS-CoV-2 infection

Coagulopathy - a condition in which the blood's ability to clot is impaired, is recognized as a significant aspect of morbidity in COVID-19 patients. In a recent study, Prof Lewis Cantley and a team of researchers explored the role of coagulation factors in the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Their recent study is posted on the bioRxiv server.

7 Apr 2021