Glycoprotein News and Research

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Experimental COVID-19 vaccine prevents severe disease in mice

Now, a novel experimental vaccine that is made from a mild virus genetically-modified to carry an essential gene from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronary disease (COVID-19), has shown promise in preventing pneumonia in mice infected with the virus.

14 Aug 2020

Membrane nanoparticles acts as a bait to trap SARS-CoV-2

In an exciting new bioRxiv preprint research paper, Chinese researchers describe the development of membrane nanoparticles from ACE2-rich cells with a potent capacity to block the adherence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

13 Aug 2020

SARS-CoV-2 a "swarm" of mutant viruses

In this new study, the virus was serially passaged in independent cell types in a controlled environment. The researchers found that the virus rapidly adapts to the changing conditions in culture by selecting for pre-existing species.

12 Aug 2020

Inhaled delivery of a potent neutralizing nanobody effective against SARS-CoV-2

A recent study by researchers from China, available on the bioRxiv preprint server, shows how stable neutralizing nanobody Nb11-59 might be a promising prophylactic and therapeutic molecule against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – especially if administered via the inhalatory route.

11 Aug 2020

Protein uses two different mechanisms to inhibit viral infections

To protect humans against infection, a protein called MARCH8 tags the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) for destruction while it merely holds HIV hostage, a new study in eLife shows.

11 Aug 2020

Speed of Novavax vaccine development does not compromise quality of the SARS-CoV-2 immunogen

A new study by researchers from the Scripps Research Institute and Novavax Inc. in the US affirms the structural integrity of the full-length SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein immunogen. It enables the interpretation of immune responses to this multivalent nanoparticle immunogen. Their results are currently available on bioRxiv preprint server.

9 Aug 2020

Encouraging results from Phase I NovaVax SARS-CoV-2 nanoparticle vaccine trial

NVX-CoV2373, a recombinant nanoparticle vaccine developed by Novavax and manufactured at Emergent Biosolutions, was found to be well tolerated and immunogenic – inducing T-cell response and neutralization antibodies four-fold higher than the mean observed in hospitalized coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients, shows a recent study available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

9 Aug 2020

Membrane protein regulates epigenetic plasticity by mediating iron endocytosis

CNRS researchers at the Institut Curie have recently shown that cancer cells use a membrane protein that has been known for several decades to internalise iron.

3 Aug 2020

Researchers identify transferrin as potential contributor to COVID-19 severity

SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. It is currently not known why some individuals develop only mild or no symptoms when infected, whilst others experience severe, life-threatening forms of the disease.

3 Aug 2020

Basigin/CD147 discarded as an accessory SARS-CoV-2 binding receptor

By using specialized assays customized to detect specific receptor interactions, researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge UK find no evidence for direct binding of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein to a transmembrane glycoprotein known as basigin.

28 Jul 2020

AI Therapeutics announces start of Phase II clinical trial of potential COVID-19 treatment

AI Therapeutics announced the start of Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of newly diagnosed COVID-19 patients in collaboration with Yale University.

27 Jul 2020

High ACE2 Expression on pancreatic islet cells during inflammation could explain new-onset diabetes in COVID-19

A new study suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 infection may be linked to the onset of diabetes, via the infection of pancreatic islet beta cells, which produce insulin.

27 Jul 2020

Neo-self antibody could be a major cause of recurrent pregnancy loss

A research group centered around Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine's Professor YAMADA Hideto and Associate Professor TANIMURA Kenji (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology), and Professor ARASE Hisashi et al. of Osaka University's Research Institute for Microbial Diseases (RIMD) have revealed for the first time in the world the high frequency of a novel autoantibody in women suffering from recurrent pregnancy loss.

23 Jul 2020

Scientists isolate potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies from COVID-19 patients

Researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center have isolated antibodies from several COVID-19 patients that, to date, are among the most potent in neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

22 Jul 2020

Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine elicits both neutralizing antibodies and T cell response

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv by a research group from the U.S. and Germany indicates that a novel BNT162b1 RNA-based vaccine against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) induces functional and proinflammatory T cell responses in almost all participants – marking another landmark achievement for this promising vaccine candidate.

21 Jul 2020

Analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 proteome via visual tools

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in July 2020 shows how this can be advanced at a greater speed by combining experimental results with homology models obtained by high-throughput pipelines. This will help produce new hypotheses that will show novel druggable targets for effective drug development.

21 Jul 2020

An abundance of biomolecules linked to COVID-19 status and severity

Tapping into the potential of the multi-omic method to uncover functional connections between various classes of biomolecules, researchers from notable institutions in the United States have discovered sets of co-varying molecules that shed light on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pathophysiology and provide treatment opportunities.

20 Jul 2020

Involvement of nicotine receptors in COVID-19

Researchers from the University of Bristol, Oxford Brookes University and the University of California San Diego neatly demonstrated how the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exhibits high affinity for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), with significant implications for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pathology and infectivity. Their findings are published on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

20 Jul 2020

Oxford University and AstraZeneca to publish eagerly-anticipated COVID-19 trial results today

The coronavirus pandemic is still rapidly spreading across the globe, infecting more than 14.44 million people. With more than 188 countries and territories affected, scientists are racing to develop a vaccine against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

19 Jul 2020

New insight into the SARS-CoV-2 infection process

Canadian researchers from the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, have found that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may be using a unique method to gain entry into the cells.

16 Jul 2020