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Novel insights on SARS-CoV-2 cell entry may inform further vaccine and treatment development

A research group from Harvard Medical School reported two cryo-electron microscopy structures derived from a single preparation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) protein in their paper available on the preprint server bioRxiv. Understanding the nuances of prefusion and postfusion conformations shed light on viral cell entry and may, in turn, guide the development of vaccines and drugs.

18 May 2020

Cancer biologists identify important drivers of tumor resistance

Cancer biologists at the Mays Cancer Center, home to UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson, have identified important drivers that enable tumors to change their behavior and evade anticancer therapies.

18 May 2020

Cross-neutralization of SARS and COVID-19 coronaviruses by a monoclonal antibody

An antibody first identified in a blood sample from a patient who recovered from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003 inhibits related coronaviruses, including the cause of COVID-19.

18 May 2020

Study: 3 to 5% of children with an aunt or uncle with ASD may have autism

Roughly 3 to 5% of children with an aunt or uncle with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can also be expected to have ASD, compared to about 1.5% of children in the general population, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Researchers also found that a child whose mother has a sibling with ASD is not significantly more likely to be affected by ASD, compared to a child whose father has a sibling with ASD.

18 May 2020

Aluminum in municipal water systems could affect lead’s solubility

It is not uncommon to find aluminum in municipal water systems. It's part of a treatment chemical used in some water treatment processes. Recently, however, it has been discovered in lead scale, deposits that form on lead water pipes.

18 May 2020

Asthma linked to longer intubation time in younger COVID-19 patients

New data suggest that asthma is associated with longer time on ventilators for hospitalized younger patients with COVID-19.

18 May 2020

Study aims to identify markers that predict how COVID-19 affects patients

COVID-19 is the UK's largest public health crisis since World War II. There is an urgent need to identify why some patients with the virus do very well whereas others need to be admitted to intensive care and may die from the disease.

18 May 2020

Roswell Park team proposes possible new strategy for treating pancreatic cancer

A possible new strategy for treating pancreatic cancer highlights the promise of collaboration between experts in both precision medicine and immunology.

18 May 2020

COVID-19 may lead to thrombosis in the lungs and subsequently multi organ failure

COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, not only may lead to severe pneumonia but also to thrombosis in the lungs and, subsequently, to multi organ failure involving kidneys, liver and pancreas.

18 May 2020

People infected with hepatitis D are more prone to hepatocellular carcinoma

Of all the hepatitis viruses, D is the most poorly known.This small virus, which can only infect people already infected with Hepatitis B, has so far been little studied.

18 May 2020

Neuroscientists discover anti-aging molecule that repairs age-related DNA damage

MIT neuroscientists have discovered that an enzyme called HDAC1 is critical for repairing age-related DNA damage to genes involved in memory and other cognitive functions.

18 May 2020

Climate change threatens prospects for progress in cancer prevention and control

Climate change threatens prospects for further progress in cancer prevention and control, increasing exposure to cancer risk factors and impacting access to cancer care, according to a new commentary by scientists from the American Cancer Society and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.

18 May 2020

Research explores how human enzymes could be used to exacerbate COVID-19

Centenary Institute researchers have examined the critical role of human enzymes and the coronavirus in a newly published scientific review article that explores potential strategies for COVID-19 disease treatment and management.

18 May 2020

Oxford University vaccine prevents SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in rhesus macaques

As the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, many scientists, institutions, and pharmaceutical companies are working hard to develop an effective vaccine.

18 May 2020

Kawasaki disease outbreak in children with COVID-19

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has marched its way to almost all parts of the world, with hundreds of thousands of deaths and over 4.5 million cases as of May 15, 2020. One saving grace has been the apparent sparing of children, though the mortality in older people is quite high.

17 May 2020

Host-virus interaction drives adaptive mutation in bat CoV related to SARS-CoVs

Virus and receptor diversity is shaped by the need to evolve advanced weaponry to facilitate virus entry and infection, on the one hand, and host resistance, on the other. A new paper published on the preprint server bioRxiv* shows how this mechanism operates in a bat coronavirus, which is related to the earlier SARS coronavirus.

17 May 2020

Staggered local re-openings could be the best COVID-19 exit strategy

When a new infectious disease appears, the lack of an effective treatment or vaccine strategy often results in the application of non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) or containment measures, including testing for infection, tracing contacts, and isolating potential sources of infection.

17 May 2020

Inadequate vaccine and epidemic control in the US

A new paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 shows that vaccination must be combined with nonpharmacological interventions (NPIs) to achieve rapid and effective control of the ongoing pandemic.

17 May 2020

Researchers investigate safety of convalescent plasma for COVID-19

The current pandemic of COVID-19 seems to be slowing down in various parts of the world, but is far from controlled, as incidence rates rise in new regions. In the absence of an effective vaccine or therapeutic drug, scientists have relied on supportive medical care to treat the sick.

17 May 2020

New and unexplored angle in the binding of SARS-CoV-2 to host cells

Researchers in the Netherlands, Cuba, and Italy have made important discoveries about the carbohydrate-mediated binding of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein to host cell lectin receptors and host lung microbiota.

17 May 2020