Immunomodulatory News and Research

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SARS-CoV-2 unique deletion variants found in clinical specimens

While participating in the SPHERES Consortium project, US researchers sequenced 2,726 clinical patient specimens gathered in March 2020 and identified eight unique ORF7a deletion variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Their results are currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

15 Dec 2020

Favipiravir does not attenuate the progression of COVID-19

Scientists have conducted an observational study to evaluate the efficacy of an anti-influenza medicine favipiravir in treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

11 Dec 2020

Osteoporosis drug also promotes infiltration of immune cells in breast tumors

The team of Eva González-Suarez, from the CNIO and IDIBELL, and the team of Christos Sotiriou, from the Jules Bordet Institute, demonstrate that a drug already used to treat osteoporosis promotes the infiltration of immune cells in breast tumors.

10 Dec 2020

High-performing multi-immunoassay for early diagnosis and prognosis of COVID-19

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in December 2020 indicates the ability of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers and time of induction to differentiate between severe and mild COVID-19 and could lead to the development of a prognostic biomarker for use early in the course of the illness.

8 Dec 2020

Can melatonin help prevent severe COVID-19?

A team of researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada has found that melatonin can be an adjuvant to augment the efficacy of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. They believe that the drug is a potential “silver bullet” to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

3 Dec 2020

Research suggests plant flavonols could serve as effective antivirals for SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in Algeria have reviewed some of the evidence suggesting that flavonols commonly found in many plants and vegetables could be used as a therapeutic approach to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

1 Dec 2020

Study demonstrates safety of novel immuno-oncology therapy in patients with advanced solid tumors

A novel therapy designed to help stimulate the body's immune system response against cancer appears to be safe to use as alone or in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

1 Dec 2020

Could the keto diet help prevent or mitigate severe COVID-19?

A new study published in the journal of Translational Medicine reports that the ketogenic diet (KD) may be useful in this area, with its track history of effectual reduction of fat mass, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, and consequent improvement of cardiovascular health.

30 Nov 2020

Transgenic mouse model could recapitulate severe COVID-19 in humans

Researchers in the United States and Canada have described the potential for a transgenic mouse model to serve as an effective platform for the study of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and severe disease course in humans.

26 Nov 2020

Dexamethasone use could reduce immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy in glioblastoma patients

Bottom Line: Among patients with glioblastoma receiving an immune checkpoint inhibitor, those who received the corticosteroid dexamethasone at baseline for cerebral edema had significantly worse overall survival.

25 Nov 2020

FairJourney Biologics and IONTAS sign agreement with Pandion Therapeutics to discover antibodies

FairJourney Biologics S.A (FJB) and IONTAS Limited, leaders in the discovery and optimization of VHH and fully human antibodies, today announced they have signed an agreement to discover antibodies with Pandion Therapeutics.

24 Nov 2020

Favorable clinical outcome for ivermectin in COVID-19 animal model

A team of researchers at the Institut Pasteur in France has found that ivermectin prevented clinical deterioration in infected animals. The drug also reduced the inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 and 10 (IL-6 and IL-10) in lung tissue, which leads to more favorable clinical outcomes in treated animals.

23 Nov 2020

Severe COVID-19 complications linked to gut barrier breakdown

A new study claims that severe COVID-19 is caused by a positive feedback loop triggered by systemic inflammation and mediated by abnormal gut permeability. This finding could potentially help open up new avenues of treatment.

18 Nov 2020

Children's DTP vaccine may provide cross-immunity for COVID-19

He found that the viruses subject to pediatric vaccinations do not have cross-reactive epitopes for SARS-CoV-2, showing they cannot provide protection against COVID-19.

17 Nov 2020

Natural products and herbal medicines show promise in fight against COVID-19

Researchers in China and the United States have called for more research into the potential prophylactic effects of natural products and herbal medicines on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and subsequent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

17 Nov 2020

"Cat's claw" extract inhibits replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

Researchers in Columbia and Peru have shown that Uncaria tomentosa – a woody vine native to South America known of as "Cat's claw" – exerts in vitro antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

12 Nov 2020

New biomaterial significantly reduces scar formation following wounds

Researchers at UCLA, Duke University and other collaborating institutions have developed a biomaterial that may significantly reduce scar formation after wounding, leading to more effective skin healing.

10 Nov 2020

Rapid rise in CRP levels predicts COVID-19 outcomes

Predicting the course of a COVID-19 patient's disease after hospital admission is essential to improving treatment.

6 Nov 2020

Genome-wide CRISPR screens reveal resistance and sensitization mechanisms of drugs used in COVID-19

By leveraging nucleotide triphosphate analog-induced cell death, Chinese researchers unveiled genes that affect the import, export, and metabolism of pervasively used antiviral drugs in the treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This exciting study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

28 Oct 2020

Researchers generate a transcriptomic map of the COVID brain

COVID-19 is known to be associated with multiple changes in gene expression, but many of these are also seen in chronic brain conditions as well as in some abnormal mental conditions. A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 uncovers the molecular basis of this association.

26 Oct 2020