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Could the European hedgehog be a sentinel for infectious agents and a harbinger of environmental pollution?

A recent review paper by Portuguese and Spanish authors, recently published in the journal Biologics, revealed the current state of knowledge regarding hedgehog health – most notably the presence of infectious agents, diseases and other threats that can affect the health of the population.

21 Jun 2021

Study details health risks, growth patterns, and treatment outcomes of people with achondroplasia

In a retrospective study believed to be one of the largest of its kind, researchers say they have successfully charted the health risks, growth patterns, and medical and surgical outcomes of 1,374 people with the most common form of dwarfism, called achondroplasia, seen over a 60-year period at four academic medical centers, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.

21 Jun 2021

Multivalent antibodies show high potency against SARS-CoV-2 in new study

A new study in the journal Nature Communications describes the process of converting a SARS-CoV-2 antibody into a multivalent form, thus enabling it to bind at various different points with its epitope.

21 Jun 2021

Study reviews natural drug candidates for potential treatment of COVID-19

A recent paper in the Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences seeks to open up new approaches by reviewing a list of compounds derived from plants and other natural sources, which have potential inhibitory activity against the coronavirus.

21 Jun 2021

Viral phosphoesterases (including in CoVs) can restrict antiviral innate immunity

An interesting new study describes the activities of a family of viral enzymes called two-histidine-phosphoesterases (2H-PEs), found in coronaviruses (CoVs) and rotaviruses, as well as a mammalian A-kinase anchoring protein enzyme, AKAP7, that shares the same function. Together called 2’,5’-PEs, these enzymes all break down 2’,5’-oligoadenylate compounds that activate the antiviral enzyme ribonuclease L (RNase L).

21 Jun 2021

The importance of social distancing for COVID-19 recovery in the US

News-Medical spoke to researchers from Reykjavík University about their research that looked at the importance of social distancing in COVID-19 recovery.

21 Jun 2021

Depression in youth may be a possible risk factor for future diseases and impairment

Depression in youth, between the ages of 10 and 24 years, is both a leading cause of stress and a possible risk factor for future diseases and impairment.

21 Jun 2021

Understanding the risks and benefits of cannabis use among young patients

In recent years, the use of medical cannabis to treat sick kids is on the rise, although questions remain about the benefits and safety of such treatments.

21 Jun 2021

Western diet increases COVID-19 severity in a hamster model

Researchers have shown that a Western diet may affect viral replication, disease severity, and immune protection following infection with SARS-CoV-2.

21 Jun 2021

COVID-19 studies should provide sex-disaggregated data, researchers warn

Researchers have warned that studies examining sex-specific responses to infection with SARS-CoV-2 must provide sex-disaggregated data.

21 Jun 2021

Research identifies SARS-CoV-2 cavities as potential drug targets

New research found the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein has druggable cavities with the best target being compatible with more than 1 billion compounds.

21 Jun 2021

Study shows activation of CD16+ T-cells contribute to severe COVID-19 illness

Do T-cells play a protective immune role, or are they responsible for severe COVID-19 illness?

21 Jun 2021

Strategies against the development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine escape mutants

In a recent paper the impact of a number of vaccination strategies is assessed with regards to the probability of inducing a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine escape mutants.

21 Jun 2021

Zinc inhibits SARS-CoV-2’s main protease in vitro

Zinc has antiviral properties. However, the detailed kinetics and the mechanism of zinc in the inhibition of viruses, particularly SARS-CoV-2 – the causative virus of COVID-19 – is unclear. To probe the role of zinc as an anti-SARS-CoV-2 agent at the structural and molecular level, researchers in India studied the binding kinetics and the inhibition mechanism of zinc with SARS-CoV-2’s viral proteins.

21 Jun 2021