Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Latest Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

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

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

Can a prior rhinovirus infection protect against COVID-19?

Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine found that rhinovirus accelerates interferon-stimulated genes.

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

Study shows that COVID-19 was present in five U.S. states in December 2019, even before the first reported case in China

In a recent study, a group of researchers aimed to identify exactly how early SARS-CoV-2 was circulating throughout the United States.

21 Jun 2021

Can convalescent plasma therapy improve COVID-19 outcomes in patients with hematologic cancers?

A recent study discusses the findings of a study on patients with hematologic cancers who received convalescent plasma therapy following their diagnosis of COVID-19.

21 Jun 2021

Could a fungus-derived compound reduce hyperinflammation in severe COVID-19?

New research from scientists at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, demonstrates that cyclosporine A (CSA), a calcineurin inhibitor that modulates cytokine production, may have potential antiviral properties against coronaviruses.

18 Jun 2021

RIG-1 agonist shows potent antiviral efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 infection

A team of scientists from the United States has recently revealed the antiviral efficacy of stem-loop RNA 14, a RIG-1 agonist, in controlling severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in mice. The compound reduces the risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by inhibiting viral replication in the lower respiratory tract. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

18 Jun 2021

Scientists develop low-cost lab-on-paper device for rapid and accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2

A team of scientists from the University of Connecticut, USA, has developed a low-cost lab-on-paper technology to rapidly and easily detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The work has recently been published in a Royal Society of Chemistry’s Lab on a Chip journal.

18 Jun 2021

Combination of interferon-α and nafamostat inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in vivo

A new study, released as a preprint on bioRxiv* server, shows that a combination of the biological interferon-α and the small molecule nafamostat are effective against SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro, as well as in vivo.

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

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

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