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SARS-CoV-2 infection prolongs viral shedding and lymphocyte loss in patients with cancer

Patients with cancer have a more challenging time with infections while undergoing treatment — placing them as high-risk for severe COVID-19 illness and death. However, how the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) interacts with cancer therapies remains poorly understood.

7 May 2021

Cryptic pocket on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 may be a promising treatment target

In a new study currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, a multinational group of researchers modeled an entire membrane-embedded spike glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and highlighted the potential of a specific mapping approach for unveiling cryptic, potentially druggable pockets on the viral surface.

7 May 2021

Study reports vitamin C inhibits SARS-CoV-2 virus main protease

Based on structural analysis, researchers found that vitamin C binds to 3CLpro, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease essential in viral replication. In vitro cell inhibition studies also showed vitamin C could inhibit 3CLpro, indicating a possible new antiviral treatment method.

6 May 2021

Israeli study shows real-world efficacy of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine

Researchers have conducted an analysis of nationwide surveillance data from Israel demonstrating the real-world effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech’s BNT162b2 vaccine at protecting against infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

6 May 2021

Indian SARS-CoV-2 variant shows enhanced host cell entry and immune evasion

A study conducted by researchers in Germany has found that the B.1.617 variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has emerged in India entered certain types of lung and intestine cells with slightly increased efficiency compared with the original wild-type strain.

6 May 2021

Unemployed Australian citizens experience mental health deterioration during COVID-19 pandemic, finds study

A team of scientists in Australia has recently investigated the health condition of Australian citizens who lost jobs during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study findings reveal that job loss is associated with a deterioration in mental health but an improvement in physical health. Importantly, retaining employment has shown a positive impact on the overall mental health condition.

6 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 is activated for fusion by a broad range of proteases, finds study

A team of researchers from the University of Virginia, USA, used single-virus fusion experiments with exogenously controlled proteases to investigate the mechanism of activation directly. They found that the subcellular location of entry depends on the protease activity of the various components, and parallel pathways are possible.

6 May 2021

Transplant recipients with COVID-19 may show lower cellular and antibody immune responses

Transplant patients are typically on chronic immunosuppression, making them automatically more vulnerable to infection with SARS-CoV-2, the agent responsible for the loss of over three million lives in the current COVID-19 pandemic. A new study discusses evidence for subnormal immune responses following COVID-19 in this population.

6 May 2021

Aberrant immune features in healthy elderly and male subjects with severe COVID-19 may predate infection

A new study shows that the immunological features of severe COVID-19 are already present in healthy older adults and in men, before they are infected, indicating a possible explanation for this differential susceptibility towards the virus.

6 May 2021

Could stem cells improve the outcome of ARDS in severe COVID-19?

A recent study, published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, explores the safety and efficacy of stem cells, which have been touted as the panacea for a wide range of illnesses, ranging from chronic degenerative conditions to cancer.

6 May 2021

About 84% of antibodies in plasma target non-RBD epitopes on SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, finds study

In a new study recently published in the journal Science, a team of researchers in the U.S. found that most of the antibodies circulating in the blood target areas of the viral spike protein outside the receptor-binding domain (RBD), the part of the spike that binds directly to human cell receptors.

6 May 2021

Researchers develop a multivalent vaccine for COVID-19 and influenza

Researchers at Duke University, USA, are looking into the possibility of a combined influenza and COVID-19 vaccine that could be used to simultaneously protect against annual flu strains and the SARS-CoV-2. Preclinical results showed the vaccine protected mice from both SARS-CoV-2 and the flu.

6 May 2021

People with Covid-19 anxiety syndrome may find it harder to return to normal living after pandemic

‘Covid-19 anxiety syndrome’ may cause a significant number of people to struggle with reintegrating back into daily life as UK society returns to normal after the pandemic, says new research by London South Bank University (LSBU), in partnership with Kingston University.

6 May 2021

Study finds no evidence of increased risk for COVID-19 from aspirin/NSAID use

At the beginning of the pandemic, there were concerns over the use of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), increasing the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. NSAIDs are commonly used to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection-related symptoms such as flu and cough and are frequently taken by older adults with multiple health conditions.

6 May 2021

Monocytes promote viral control during SARS-COV-2 infection

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Vanderheiden et al. (May 4th, 2021) the contribution of monocytes in promoting protective immunity from SARS-CoV-2 is investigated in a murine model, suggesting that CCR2 plays the role of an inflammation modulator in early infection.

6 May 2021

New study documents possible adverse events in relation to Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine

The new Danish-Norwegian study is the first study to document possible adverse events in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine Vaxzevria from AstraZeneca, in which all vaccine recipients have been followed systematically, as opposed to previous studies, which have relied primarily on reported adverse reactions.

6 May 2021

Researchers identify potent small molecule TMPRSS2 inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2

A team of scientists from the USA and Canada has recently identified and characterized a novel small-molecule compound inhibitor of cellular serine protease TMPRSS2, which shows significant antiviral potency against emerging variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

5 May 2021

Novel pipeline identifies millions of molecular targets in SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in the United States have developed a novel pipeline for high-throughput, automated annotation of the genes, proteins and functional domains in the genome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

5 May 2021

Prior MMR or Tdap vaccination may reduce risk of severe COVID-19

Researchers in the United States have shown that prior Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) or Tetanus-Diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap) vaccination may reduce the risk of severe outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

5 May 2021

New app enables faster treatment of patients suffering a heart attack

Patients suffering a heart attack received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a procedure to clear blocked arteries in the heart, an average of 10 minutes faster after clinicians and paramedics began using an app to facilitate efficient hospital intakes for these patients, according to a study being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 70th Annual Scientific Session.

5 May 2021