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COVID-19 outbreak in Mauritius dominated by new SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.318

Underlining the key role of genomic surveillance in keeping tabs on the spread of SARS-CoV-2, a new medRxiv* preprint shows how a new variant called B.1.1.318 rose to dominance in the small island country of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean.

18 Jun 2021

Could horse-derived antibody therapy be effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern?

A new study, released as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, reveals the high neutralizing efficacy of hyperimmune horse serum against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This could prove, if validated, to be a more affordable yet potent therapeutic in reducing the morbidity and mortality caused by this virus.

18 Jun 2021

First insights into human prion disease could help tackle neurodegenerative diseases

Surface features of human prions have been identified for the first time, which may provide key information into treatments of neurodegenerative diseases.

18 Jun 2021

Fighting the good fight –a new protein found in red blood cells linked to limiting cognitive decline

A new study shows that depleting mouse blood of the protein ADORA2B led to faster declines in memory, and increased brain inflammation.

18 Jun 2021

Convalescent plasma associated with better survival in blood cancer patients with COVID-19

Convalescent plasma therapy was associated with better survival in blood cancer patients hospitalized with COVID-19, especially in sicker patients. The findings by the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) are newly published in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Oncology.

18 Jun 2021

Texas Biomed scientists receive $1 million NIH funding for Ebola research

Scientists have a general idea of how viruses invade and spread in the body, but the precise mechanisms are actually not well understood, especially when it comes to Ebola virus.

18 Jun 2021

COVID-19 virus can infect the testes, hamster study shows

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch have observed that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can infect the testes of infected hamsters.

18 Jun 2021

Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccines provide protection against gamma variant, study finds

In early January 2021, travelers returning to Tokyo, Japan, from Amazonas, Brazil, were screened for COVID-19 at the airport. A few days later, the National Institute of Infectious Disease of Japan announced that the travelers had returned with a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

18 Jun 2021

Researchers design a smart device that delivers medications to prevent HIV transmission

Researchers have designed a device that delivers two medications that help stop HIV transmission.

18 Jun 2021

Study examines SARS-CoV-2 replication in cells using super-resolution microscopy

Despite tremendous efforts by the global scientific community to curb the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), by developing more efficient testing protocols, therapies, and vaccines at a rapid pace, relatively little is known about the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 replication within cells.

18 Jun 2021

Nanodecoys made from human lung spheroid cells can neutralize SARS-CoV-2

Nanodecoys made from human lung spheroid cells (LSCs) can bind to and neutralize SARS-CoV-2, promoting viral clearance and reducing lung injury in a macaque model of COVID-19.

18 Jun 2021

Convalescent plasma can improve chances of survival among blood cancer patients with COVID-19

A large, retrospective, multicenter study involving Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients can dramatically improve likelihood of survival among blood cancer patients hospitalized with the virus.

18 Jun 2021

New computational model simulates the spread and impact of COVID-19 virus

The emergence and rapid spread of novel Covid-19 coronavirus in early 2020 spurred numerous accelerated efforts to develop a vaccine. At the time it was not clear how effective these vaccines needed to be to slow or stop the pandemic.

18 Jun 2021

Which vitamins and minerals help with COVID?

A study published in the journal Inflammopharmacology reviewed recent data related to the role of vitamins and minerals in treating COVID-19 patients. The primary goal of the review is to highlight the possible therapeutic role of vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, and micronutrients as immunity boosters in COVID-19 patients.

18 Jun 2021

The SARS-CoV-2 virus and its vaccines pose unique challenges

Iranian researchers recently provided a review of the attempts made to develop safe SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The researchers outlined potential challenges and concerns, including disease enhancement, virus mutation, and public acceptability. Their work is published in the journal Immunological Investigations.

18 Jun 2021

Medieval plague victims were buried with considerable care and attention, shows study

In the mid-14th century Europe was devastated by a major pandemic - the Black Death - which killed between 40 and 60 per cent of the population. Later waves of plague then continued to strike regularly over several centuries.

18 Jun 2021

Alarming COVID study indicates long-term loss of gray matter and other brain tissue

In a research paper recently uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv* by Prof. Gwenaëlle Douaud et al. (June 15th, 2021), participants that had taken part in a brain study prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic were invited back for a series of follow-up tests, revealing significant losses of grey matter surrounding the olfactory and gustatory system in those that had been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

18 Jun 2021

Indian WHO study examines COVID-19 susceptibility in children versus adults

Now, a group of researchers from India have explored this concept due to the lack of solid evidence and have undertaken a community and population-based serosurveillance study for the coronavirus infection under the World Health Organisation (WHO) Unity umbrella. In this study, participants older than two years old were compared to older adults in terms of seropositivity.

17 Jun 2021

Cinnamon compound could be useful supplement to dexamethasone in COVID-19 treatment

Researchers in Germany and the United States have conducted a study showing that supplementing dexamethasone treatment with Ceylon cinnamon in cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may allow dexamethasone to be administered at lower doses, thereby avoiding the side effects that occur with high doses of the steroid.

17 Jun 2021

Regeneron mAb cocktail benefits hospitalized patients with no natural SARS-CoV-2 antibody response

Researchers reporting on findings from the Randomized Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy (RECOVERY) trial in the UK are recommending that any therapeutic use of REGEN-COV may be best restricted to individuals without detectable antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

17 Jun 2021

Disease/Infection News

COVID-19 outbreak in Mauritius dominated by new SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.318

Could horse-derived antibody therapy be effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern?

First insights into human prion disease could help tackle neurodegenerative diseases

Fighting the good fight –a new protein found in red blood cells linked to limiting cognitive decline

Convalescent plasma associated with better survival in blood cancer patients with COVID-19

Texas Biomed scientists receive $1 million NIH funding for Ebola research

COVID-19 virus can infect the testes, hamster study shows

Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccines provide protection against gamma variant, study finds

Researchers design a smart device that delivers medications to prevent HIV transmission

Study examines SARS-CoV-2 replication in cells using super-resolution microscopy

Nanodecoys made from human lung spheroid cells can neutralize SARS-CoV-2

Convalescent plasma can improve chances of survival among blood cancer patients with COVID-19

New computational model simulates the spread and impact of COVID-19 virus

Which vitamins and minerals help with COVID?

The SARS-CoV-2 virus and its vaccines pose unique challenges

Medieval plague victims were buried with considerable care and attention, shows study

Alarming COVID study indicates long-term loss of gray matter and other brain tissue

Indian WHO study examines COVID-19 susceptibility in children versus adults

Cinnamon compound could be useful supplement to dexamethasone in COVID-19 treatment

Regeneron mAb cocktail benefits hospitalized patients with no natural SARS-CoV-2 antibody response

Advancing Motor Neuron Disease Diagnosis with Non-Invasive Ultrasound and AI

How agentic AI is reshaping laboratory workflows

Fourier 80: bringing benchtop NMR systems to the laboratory

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