Disease/Infection News

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Basigin does not facilitate SARS-CoV-2 entry, say researchers

Researchers investigated the significance of a transmembrane glycoprotein basigin, or CD147, as a host cell co-receptor required for the entry of SARS-CoV-2. The findings reveal that recombinant human basigin does not interact with full-length spike protein or spike RBD of SARS-CoV-2.

24 Feb 2021

UK and South African SARS-CoV-2 variants show higher binding affinity to host cell receptor

New research by a team of scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine in the U.S. found that both the UK and South African SARS-CoV-2 variants display tighter binding to the ACE2 receptor.

24 Feb 2021

Corticosteroid receptor inhibitor shows anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in vivo

A team of researchers examined PT150, which is an allosteric modulator of androgen and glucocorticoid receptors, to assess whether it had any antiviral activity or immunomodulatory activity to decrease the hyperinflammatory response of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

24 Feb 2021

College students forced to relocate during COVID-19 pandemic are more likely to have depression

Numerous psychiatric studies have documented increased rates of depression and anxiety among those forced to relocate, with sudden moves often affecting individuals' social support and sense of identity and control.

24 Feb 2021

Hyperactive immune system contributes to COVID-19 severity, lung damage

Researchers have pinpointed a helper T cell population in the lungs of patients with severe COVID-19 that may be central to the development of hyperinflammation, lung injury, and subsequent acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during disease.

24 Feb 2021

International travelers are vulnerable to virulent strains of drug-resistant bacteria

International travelers are particularly vulnerable to virulent strains of drug-resistant bacteria - often picking up several different types during a trip through spending time in the company of other tourists, a new study reveals.

24 Feb 2021

Exhaled breath from infected people can spread COVID-19

COVID-19 can spread from asymptomatic but infected people through small aerosol droplets in their exhaled breath. Most studies of the flow of exhaled air have focused on coughing or sneezing, which can send aerosols flying long distances.

24 Feb 2021

Long-lasting B cells do not recognize emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, shows study

A new analysis of B cells and more than 1,000 different monoclonal antibodies from 8 patients with COVID-19 shows that, contrary to previous hypotheses, protective B cell responses to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein remain stable and continue to evolve over a 5-month period, many months after the initial period of active viral replication.

23 Feb 2021

COVID-19 may alter host proteins to cause autoimmunity

To better understand the transient and chronic autoimmune symptoms caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, researchers from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Guizhou Medical University, and biotech company Curandis embarked on an endeavor to establish a comprehensive autoantigenome for COVID19.

23 Feb 2021

COVID risk messages that target younger generations may have the biggest impact

A study of adults in the United States finds that - broadly speaking - the older you are, the more concerned you are about COVID-19, and the more steps you take to reduce your risk from COVID-19.

23 Feb 2021

AMP survey results indicate significant decline in molecular diagnostic testing

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global, molecular diagnostic professional society, today released the preliminary results of its "Molecular Testing for Cancer during COVID-19" survey of clinical laboratories.

23 Feb 2021

Study reports a positive link between social vulnerability and COVID-19 incidence

An LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health study reports a positive association between social vulnerability and COVID-19 incidence at the census tract level and recommends that more resources be allocated to socially vulnerable populations to reduce the incidence of COVID-19.

23 Feb 2021

SARS-CoV-2 variants emerge during humoral immunity phase of acute COVID-19

A new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv server reports the rapid emergence of variants within an infected individual. The evolution of the virus within an infected host is not excluded by the close similarity between the consensus sequences of single-person SARS-CoV-2, since the number of viral copies is at its peak soon after infection occurs and before the host develops adaptive immunity.

23 Feb 2021

Two potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies effective against B.1.351 and B.1.1.7 variants

By analyzing the cryoEM structures of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, researchers report that the neutralizing capabilities of two antibodies are not affected by new strains as these antibodies target regions of the virus away from the ACE2 binding regions.

23 Feb 2021

TBE patients continue to be affected by long-term problems

Impaired memory, reduced motivation, and declining motor skills. These are some of the problems that may persist several years after people contract tick-borne encephalitis, a University of Gothenburg thesis shows.

23 Feb 2021

Largescale antibody testing could lower the scale of COVID-19 pandemic

Research from Queen's University Belfast suggests that largescale antibody testing could lower social activity and thus contagion of COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

23 Feb 2021

Research predicts which mammal species can spread SARS-CoV-2

Scientists worldwide are fighting to contain the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has already claimed more than 2.48 million lives. Preventing spillback infections is essential to containing the pandemic. To do so, it is vital to understand the nature of the virus, i.e., its susceptibility to a range of hosts.

23 Feb 2021

Phase 1 clinical trial shows promising results for monoclonal antibodies against MERS coronavirus

A randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 1 clinical trial of two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed against the coronavirus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) found that they were well tolerated and generally safe when administered simultaneously to healthy adults.

23 Feb 2021

Key mutation sites in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein modulate antibody and ACE2 affinity

A paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by researchers at Chapman University in California (Feb 22nd, 2021) utilized computational methods to screen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mutants for affinity with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and monoclonal antibodies REG10987 and REG10933.

23 Feb 2021

Innate immune system overreacts in patients with severe COVID-19

In patients with severe COVID-19, the innate immune system overreacts. This overreaction may underlie the formation of blood clots (thrombi) and deterioration in oxygen saturation that affect the patients.

23 Feb 2021