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Cytokine storms may prevent the development of long-term immunity to SARS-CoV-2

Shiv Pillai, MD, PhD, investigator in the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard and professor at Harvard Medical School (HMS), recently published a paper in Cell showing that that high levels of some cytokines seen in COVID-19 patients, as part of a cytokine storm, may prevent the development of long-term immunity to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

19 Aug 2020

Microbial diversity can improve treatment for cancer patients

Physicians at City of Hope, working in collaboration with scientists at Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), have found that greater gut microbial diversity in patients with metastatic kidney cancer is associated with better treatment outcomes on Food and Drug Administration-approved immunotherapy regimens.

19 Aug 2020

Centralized medical records repository can perform data analysis and visualization

More than a decade ago, electronic medical records were all the rage, promising to transform health care and help guide clinical decisions and public health response.

19 Aug 2020

Single-dose adenovirus-vectored vaccine protects mice against SARS-CoV-2

The researchers selected the human adenovirus type 5 on which to base their vaccine because this replication-defective vector had already been used in their Ebola vaccine, with an excellent safety and immunogenicity profile in a phase 1 trial. The current study aimed to produce a vaccine that could offer mucosal vaccination and enhanced protection against this respiratory virus.

19 Aug 2020

Routine BCG immunization in infancy and COVID-19 containment in Japan

. A new study explores whether and how the practice of routine BCG vaccination of infants may have curbed the initial spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Japan. The research is published in the Journal of Infection.

19 Aug 2020

Study shows how foodborne pathogen infects a human intestinal cell

As soon as the foodborne pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus infects a human intestinal cell, the bacteria are already planning their escape.

18 Aug 2020

Scientists claim signs of lasting SARS-CoV-2 immunity

Questions have been raised by many health experts on whether being infected with SARS-CoV-2 brings lasting immunity. Now, scientists have uncovered signs of strong and lasting immunity in people who even had a mild illness of COVID-19.

17 Aug 2020

Remains of 17th century Bishop provide insights into the origins of tuberculosis

Bishop Peder Winstrup of Lund, Sweden passed away in the winter of 1679 at the age of 74 and was interred in a crypt at Lund Cathedral.

15 Aug 2020

Research shows how a protein stops cells from attacking their own DNA

Viruses multiply by injecting their DNA into a host cell. Once it enters the intracellular fluid, this foreign material triggers a defense mechanism known as the cGAS-STING pathway.

14 Aug 2020

Critical questions remain about the role of microplastics in carrying pathogens

Key knowledge gaps exist in our understanding of how ocean microplastics transport bacteria and viruses - and whether this affects the health of humans and animals, researchers say.

13 Aug 2020

Europeans could have been infected with syphilis before Columbus set sails to America

Columbus brought syphilis to Europe – or did he? A recent study conducted at the University of Zurich now indicates that Europeans could already have been infected with this sexually transmitted disease before the 15th century.

13 Aug 2020

Pasteurization inactivates SARS‐CoV ‐2 in human milk, study finds

A new study has confirmed what researchers already suspected to be the case: heat inactivates SARS-CoV-2 in human milk.

13 Aug 2020

SMART researchers discover new way to reverse antibiotic resistance in some bacteria

Researchers from Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, have discovered a new way to reverse antibiotic resistance in some bacteria using hydrogen sulfide.

12 Aug 2020

C-type lectin receptors play a role in SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in August 2020 confirms and extends earlier findings showing that a type of sugar-based receptor on innate immune cells promotes the entry of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) into other cells that carry the viral receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).

12 Aug 2020

Scientist explains why COVID-19 targets only some organs while others are spared

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) uses the enzyme angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to enter and infect human cells. It causes COVID-19 and can lead to a multitude of complications, including multi-organ impairment, partially due to the abundant expression of ACE2 in all human tissues.

11 Aug 2020

Focusing on human enzymes and not SARS-CoV-2 could help treat COVID-19

Now, breakthrough research into malaria suggests targeting enzymes from the human host, rather than from the pathogen itself. The new research could pave the way for effective treatments for a wide range of infectious diseases, including the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

11 Aug 2020

Stanford study reveals immunological deviations and lapses in severe COVID-19 cases

Some people get really sick from COVID-19, and others don't. Nobody knows why.

11 Aug 2020

NIH supports research on how pathogens evolve

For several years, physicist John Barton at the University of California, Riverside, has been working on developing models to understand and predict how pathogens, such as HIV, evolve. This research pursuit has just received support from the National Institutes of Health.

10 Aug 2020

Study suggests novel strategy to slow down evolution of antibiotic resistance

The rise of antibiotic resistance in many pathogens has been driven by the spread of a small number of strains, suggesting that some bacteria may be genetically pre-disposed to evolving resistance.

10 Aug 2020

New platform shows potential to generate most effective vaccines with fewest side effects

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is shining a bright spotlight on vaccine development. As numerous vaccines race through clinical trials, physicians and researchers continue to work on developing new vaccine technologies to generate the most effective vaccines with the fewest side effects.

7 Aug 2020

Pathogen News and Research

Cytokine storms may prevent the development of long-term immunity to SARS-CoV-2

Microbial diversity can improve treatment for cancer patients

Centralized medical records repository can perform data analysis and visualization

Single-dose adenovirus-vectored vaccine protects mice against SARS-CoV-2

Routine BCG immunization in infancy and COVID-19 containment in Japan

Study shows how foodborne pathogen infects a human intestinal cell

Scientists claim signs of lasting SARS-CoV-2 immunity

Remains of 17th century Bishop provide insights into the origins of tuberculosis

Research shows how a protein stops cells from attacking their own DNA

Critical questions remain about the role of microplastics in carrying pathogens

Europeans could have been infected with syphilis before Columbus set sails to America

Pasteurization inactivates SARS‐CoV ‐2 in human milk, study finds

SMART researchers discover new way to reverse antibiotic resistance in some bacteria

C-type lectin receptors play a role in SARS-CoV-2 infection

Scientist explains why COVID-19 targets only some organs while others are spared

Focusing on human enzymes and not SARS-CoV-2 could help treat COVID-19

Stanford study reveals immunological deviations and lapses in severe COVID-19 cases

NIH supports research on how pathogens evolve

Study suggests novel strategy to slow down evolution of antibiotic resistance

New platform shows potential to generate most effective vaccines with fewest side effects

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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