Respiratory News and Research

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E484K mutation may confer immune evasion capability on UK variant of SARS-CoV-2

A new medRxiv* preprint reports the immunomodulatory effect of the E484K mutation newly acquired by the United Kingdom (U.K.) variant.

2 Jun 2021

Large-scale expansion of spike-reactive T cells feasible after COVID-19 vaccination

A new bioRxiv* preprint reports on the successful use of a protocol to expand SARS-CoV-2-reactive T-cells a thousand-fold.

2 Jun 2021

New insight into how platelets help resolve bacterial lung inflammation

Treating patients with acute respiratory failure is a constant challenge in intensive care medicine. In most cases, the underlying cause is lung inflammation triggered by a bacterial infection or - more rarely, despite being frequently observed at present due to the corona pandemic - a viral infection.

2 Jun 2021

Novel SARS-CoV-2 variants partially resistant to infection- and vaccine-induced immunity, study finds

A recent study conducted by a team of scientists in the Netherlands has revealed that while severely affected hospitalized COVID-19 patients and vaccinated individuals are capable of neutralizing the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1 variants of SARS-CoV-2, a significant proportion of non-hospitalized patients with less severe COVID-19 remain susceptible to these viral variants.

2 Jun 2021

Smoking in early puberty in boys may affect the health of future generations, study shows

Smoking in early puberty in boys may have negative consequences for their future generations of offspring, a study from the University of Bergen shows.

2 Jun 2021

Could higher carnitine levels in the blood protect against severe COVID-19?

Researchers at the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU), Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK, found that carnitine and its derivative acetyl-carnitine provide a protective effect against severe COVID-19. Doubling of carnitine or acetyl-carnitine is tied to a 40-percent reduction risk of disease progression.

2 Jun 2021

Could certain genes be associated with a loss of smell in some COVID-19 patients?

Researchers at the 23andMe COVID-19 Team, who help search for genetic links associated with the severity of COVID-19, found that the genes UGT2A1 and UGT2A2 may be associated with the loss of smell in those infected with SARS-CoV-2.

2 Jun 2021

Could semen quality indicate SARS-CoV-2 insult susceptibility in polluted areas?

In a recent review in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Italian researchers focused on “the evidence that correlates the degree and type of pollution with the increased susceptibility of many countries to this pandemic and proposes human semen as an early marker of the environmental health and the general health of individuals.” Their observations are based on a robust body of experimental evidence.

2 Jun 2021

New vaccine candidate with RBD and N protein targets protects against SARS-CoV-2 in preclinical trials

A recent study published in the journal Science Advances, explores the immunization of RBD with the P2 epitope of tetanus toxoid, to enhance its immunogenicity, and also tests the benefit of N protein in the vaccine.

2 Jun 2021

Coronavirus strain associated with dogs found in humans

Coronavirus strain associated with dogs found in swabs taken from pneumonia patients in Malaysia.

2 Jun 2021

Can immunity form and interaction with seasonal coronaviruses influence SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology?

A new study hypothesizes that cross-protection from seasonal epidemics of HCoVs could not only affect SARS-CoV-2 transmission but also protect children from the disease.

2 Jun 2021

Could 3D printed swabs be used to collect COVID-19 test samples?

Researchers have evaluated 3D printed sample collection swabs made in-house and found them to be a reliable alternative to commercial swabs.

2 Jun 2021

How antibody production in the lungs can determine severe respiratory infections

Recent findings describe how the presence of certain antibodies within the lungs can induce an immune response to minimize the effects of these infections.

2 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 can be neutralized by UV-A and UV-B

Since the end of the 1800s, Ultra-violet (UV) light has been widely documented for its germicidal properties. The UV-C light produced by low-pressure mercury tubes is widely used for disinfecting wastewater, closed environments, and biological products and is well-established, safe, and economical. UV light can have a germicidal effect on bacteria and viruses.

2 Jun 2021

Positive COVID-19 screening test helps monitor respiration rate, blood-oxygen saturation at home

Two easily measurable signs of health -; respiration rate and blood-oxygen saturation -; are distinctly predictive of higher mortality among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a study examining the cases of inpatients with COVID-19 at Rush University Medical Center and University of Washington Medicine hospitals.

2 Jun 2021

Novel antibody engineering approach

Scientists from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA, have recently developed an Antibody Display technology by grafting the second extracellular domain of tetraspanin12 (Tspan12EC2) and the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein on the heavy chain complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3).

2 Jun 2021

Global land-use changes are creating "hot spots" for potential emergence of new coronaviruses

Global land-use changes -- including forest fragmentation, agricultural expansion and concentrated livestock production -- are creating "hot spots" favorable for bats that carry coronaviruses and where conditions are ripe for the diseases to jump from bats to humans, finds an analysis published this week by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, the Politecnico di Milano (Polytechnic University of Milan) and Massey University of New Zealand.

2 Jun 2021

Researchers identify kite-shaped molecules that block SARS-CoV-2 cell entry after attachment

They have identified a group of kite-shaped compounds that are highly specific to SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. These compounds demonstrate high potency in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection at early entry steps. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

2 Jun 2021

Researchers find natural metabolites help SARS-CoV-2 escape antibodies

An international team of scientists has identified a human molecule — biliverdin — as a potential severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) target. The binding of the heme metabolite to the N-terminal domain of SARS-CoV-2 is associated with the virus’s ability to dodge the immune system by suppressing antibody binding to the spike protein.

2 Jun 2021

New study on swine influenza virus may be relevant to influenza, coronavirus infection in humans

A new study carried out in pig cells suggests previous infection with swine influenza virus (SIV) can protect against the development of porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCoV) if there is a zero- or three-day interval between infections.

2 Jun 2021

Respiratory News and Research

E484K mutation may confer immune evasion capability on UK variant of SARS-CoV-2

Large-scale expansion of spike-reactive T cells feasible after COVID-19 vaccination

New insight into how platelets help resolve bacterial lung inflammation

Novel SARS-CoV-2 variants partially resistant to infection- and vaccine-induced immunity, study finds

Smoking in early puberty in boys may affect the health of future generations, study shows

Could higher carnitine levels in the blood protect against severe COVID-19?

Could certain genes be associated with a loss of smell in some COVID-19 patients?

Could semen quality indicate SARS-CoV-2 insult susceptibility in polluted areas?

New vaccine candidate with RBD and N protein targets protects against SARS-CoV-2 in preclinical trials

Coronavirus strain associated with dogs found in humans

Can immunity form and interaction with seasonal coronaviruses influence SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology?

Could 3D printed swabs be used to collect COVID-19 test samples?

How antibody production in the lungs can determine severe respiratory infections

SARS-CoV-2 can be neutralized by UV-A and UV-B

Positive COVID-19 screening test helps monitor respiration rate, blood-oxygen saturation at home

Novel antibody engineering approach

Global land-use changes are creating "hot spots" for potential emergence of new coronaviruses

Researchers identify kite-shaped molecules that block SARS-CoV-2 cell entry after attachment

Researchers find natural metabolites help SARS-CoV-2 escape antibodies

New study on swine influenza virus may be relevant to influenza, coronavirus infection in humans

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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