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Tetherin downregulation by SARS-CoV-2 enhances viral spread

A new preprint research paper published on the bioRxiv server describes the role of a host protein called tetherin in the spread of the novel coronavirus.

10 Jan 2021

Researchers discover how shattered chromosomes make cancer cells more aggressive

Cancer is one of the world's greatest health afflictions because, unlike some diseases, it is a moving target, constantly evolving to evade and resist treatment.

23 Dec 2020

Reston virus causes severe respiratory disease in piglets

Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) should be considered a livestock pathogen with potential to affect other mammals, including people, according to National Institutes of Health scientists.

21 Dec 2020

Novel SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody enters Phase 1/2a clinical study

Cologne University Hospital (UKK), University of Marburg (UMR), the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) and Boehringer Ingelheim today announced the initiation of Phase 1/2a clinical investigation of BI 767551, a new SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody.

18 Dec 2020

Continued vigilance is required in England following exit from second lockdown

Researchers in the UK have presented data from the latest in a series of community surveys assessing the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in England.

17 Dec 2020

New study to evaluate health outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children

An observational study has launched to evaluate the short- and long-term health outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), and to characterize the immunologic pathways associated with different disease presentations and outcomes. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.

16 Dec 2020

Combination of baricitinib and remdesivir could benefit some COVID-19 patients

The combination of baricitinib, an anti-inflammatory drug, and remdesivir, an antiviral, reduced time to recovery for people hospitalized with COVID-19, according to clinical trial results published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

11 Dec 2020

SARS-CoV-2 launches multipronged attack against host cell protein synthesis, study finds

An interesting new study throws a flood of light on how SARS-CoV-2 accomplishes its mission to infect and replicate within host cells while evading the host immune response.

27 Nov 2020

Digital warm-start CRISPR assay enables sensitive quantitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical samples

In a recent medRxiv* preprint paper, researchers from the University of Connecticut Health Center in the United States unveil their digital warm-start CRISPR (WS-CRISPR) method for stringent and sensitive quantitative detection of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in clinical samples of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

24 Nov 2020

Repeat infection following COVID-19 recovery may not pose risk to close contacts

Researchers in China have conducted a study suggesting that people who have recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may not pose a risk to close contacts if they become reinfected with the causative agent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

23 Nov 2020

Hydrogen therapy may help severely ill COVID-19 patients

Researchers from the Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu in China, have explored the possibility of using hydrogen therapy on severely ill COVID-19 patients. The team published their study's findings, titled "Hydrogen: A Potential New Adjuvant Therapy for COVID-19 Patients," in the latest issue of the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology.

17 Nov 2020

New rapid algorithm could help trace hospital-derived SARS-CoV-2 infections

A new study reports a rapid method that uses two different routes to swiftly trace the onset of infection to a putative hospital source. This could be immensely helpful for preventing and controlling infection, once validated.

17 Nov 2020

Ultrasound reveals a possible role of SARS‐CoV‐2 in acute testicular infection

A single-center study from Wuhan in China presents ultrasound imaging evidence supporting the notion that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can cause infection of the testis or epididymis – and put patients at risk for further complications. The paper can be found in the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine.

15 Nov 2020

COVID-19 treatments for people with early infection should be prioritized

COVID-19 treatments for people with early infection are needed urgently, according to a JAMA Viewpoint article by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., and colleagues.

11 Nov 2020

How SARS-CoV-2 blocks immune response

An international research team has confirmed the mechanism by which the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Their article titled, “SARS-CoV-2 Orf6 hijacks Nup98 to block STAT nuclear import and antagonize interferon signaling,” is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

11 Nov 2020

An analysis of genetic diversity of D614G mutation in SARS-CoV-2

A new study published in the preprint server bioRxiv in November 2020 reports that the effect of the mutation is minimal, in terms of pathogenicity or altered response to neutralizing antibodies elicited against the native virus strain.

4 Nov 2020

Study reveals molecular mechanism that increases the invasiveness of radioresistant cancer cells

Scientists have revealed the molecular mechanism regulating the trafficking of lysosomes that increases the invasiveness of radioresistant cancer cells following radiotherapy.

30 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 is mainly spread in households and household-like settings

Ten months into the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, health experts have a good understanding of how the virus spreads. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads through respiratory droplets and aerosols and enters the body through the mouth, nose, and eyes.

27 Oct 2020

Nasal spray formulation of ivermectin for COVID-19 shows promise in pigs

Researchers in Argentina have conducted a pre-clinical study demonstrating the safety and pharmacokinetic performance of a new nasal spray formulation designed to suppress the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

26 Oct 2020

Antigenic imprinting of sarbecovirus

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in October 2020 shows that the design of a vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) must consider the prior history of exposure to coronaviruses since these affect the antibody response to the virus.

19 Oct 2020