Vaccine News and Research

Latest Vaccine News and Research

Protective COVID-19 antibodies can transfer from mothers to babies in the womb

Antibodies that guard against COVID-19 can transfer from mothers to babies while in the womb, according to a new study from Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian researchers published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

23 Feb 2021

Influenza A virus defective interfering particles against SARS-CoV-2

In the search for a broadly acting pan-specific antiviral, an interdisciplinary team from Germany tested the previously proposed (for antiviral treatment against Influenza A infections) - Influenza A virus (IAV) defective interfering particles (DIPs). The research is published online on the bioRxiv preprint server.

23 Feb 2021

CovMT could help researchers to track evolution of SARS-CoV-2 mutations

A SARS-CoV-2 tracker uses publicly available sequencing data to show how the virus is changing and spreading over time. The tracker, called CovMT, was developed at KAUST and is expected to help researchers and policymakers understand the evolution of the virus's mutations.

22 Feb 2021

Virus-specific cellular immunity may be essential for long-term protection against SARS-CoV-2

Researchers from China and the US recently synthesized select peptide pools of the structural and functional proteins of SARS-CoV-2, including spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M), nucleocapsid (N), and protease (P) proteins as target antigens to assess COVID-19-specific immunity.

22 Feb 2021

WVU researchers set to identify SARS-CoV-2 variants, mitigate strain outbreaks

West Virginia University scientists knew it was coming. When health officials confirmed the first three cases of a COVID-19 variant in West Virginia late Friday (Feb. 19), they were not surprised.

22 Feb 2021

Seropositive individuals show similar antibody levels to a second mRNA vaccine dose

Seropositive individuals —people who received antibodies after COVID-19 infection — may be able to safely delay their second mRNA vaccine dose after all, according to the results of a new study.

22 Feb 2021

Researchers develop a mathematical means of assessing COVID-19 tests' false-negative rate

Even with more than 1.5 million Americans receiving a COVID vaccine each day, officials estimate it will take many more months before enough people are protected from the deadly virus.

22 Feb 2021

FDA issues guidance for medical product developers to address the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued guidances for medical product developers, specifically covering vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics products, to address the emergence and potential future emergence of variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

22 Feb 2021

An overview of spike protein antigen COVID-19 vaccine candidates

A new paper in the journal Reviews in Medical Virology provides a perspective on current vaccine development strategies and tools, which may allow the production of safe and effective vaccines.

22 Feb 2021

COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows potential against SARS-CoV-2 and potential future zoonotic coronaviruses

A new study sheds light on the threat posed by future zoonotic coronaviruses to make similar leaps across species barriers to infect human beings and cause other pandemics.

22 Feb 2021

Human monoclonal antibodies can act as a substitute for traditional antibiotics

In the course of a new and groundbreaking study, led by Dr, Natalia Freund and the doctoral candidate Avia Waston at the Sackler Medical Faculty, the research group succeeded in isolating monoclonal antibodies, which hindered the growth of tuberculosis germs in laboratory mice. The

22 Feb 2021

Superspreader events trigger emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants in USA

A team of scientists from the USA and Germany has recently studied the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in a representative set of sequences from the USA collected between 2020 and 2021. The findings reveal that the viral genome has accumulated multiple mutations over time with only occasional loss of mutation. The main driving forces behind such genetic variations include widespread infection and superspreader events.

22 Feb 2021

The do’s and don’ts on social media for vaccine haves and have-nots

Posting about their day is a regular practice for Generations Y and Z, especially when they have something novel or exclusive to share.

22 Feb 2021

Some SARS-CoV-2 variants evade mRNA vaccine-induced humoral immune, says study

Understanding how variants escape vaccine-boosted immune function is necessary to neutralizing SARS-CoV-2. An international team of researchers from MIT and Harvard University in the USA analyzed Pfizer and Moderna vaccines' effectiveness in neutralizing spike proteins from 10 different strains of SARS-CoV-2.

22 Feb 2021

Could an intranasal adjuvant to vaccines boost immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants?

A research team from the University of Michigan Medical School, USA, developed a supplementary intranasal treatment to improve COVID-19 vaccine response and its effects on long-lasting immunity from other variants, such as the B.1.351 variant first found in South Africa.

22 Feb 2021

Disinfectants could be helping bacteria to become resistant

News-Medical speaks to Professor Robert Bragg about disinfectants and how they could be helping bacteria to become resistant.

22 Feb 2021

Mucosal delivery of IFNs a good strategy for COVID-19 prophylaxis post-exposure

Researchers from the UK and Germany recently reported a comprehensive characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 response of human nasal epithelial cells, revealing a response dominated by IFN-I/IIIs. Also, recombinant IFN-I/III treatment was found to efficiently block the replication of SARS-CoV-2, which suggests that mucosal delivery of IFNs may be a good strategy for prophylaxis post-exposure.

22 Feb 2021

SARS-CoV-2 DNA vaccine tested in animal model

A team of experts has tested the immune responses elicited by mucosal homologous plasmid and a heterologous immunization strategy using a plasmid vaccine and a Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) antigens.

21 Feb 2021

Novel SARS-CoV-2 vaccine utilizes recombinant spike protein with PIKA adjuvant

The primary aim of any vaccine is to stimulate immune functions and confer long-lasting protection. A paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Tong et al. (17th Feb 2021) describes a novel vaccine utilizing PIKA adjuvant and recombinant spike proteins against COVID-19 disease that promises the generation of potent neutralization antibodies, which potentially support immune responses for years.

21 Feb 2021

Study shows real-world effectiveness of Moderna and Pfizer/BioNtech vaccines

Researchers in the United States have conducted a study demonstrating the real-world effectiveness of the recently approved Moderna and Pfizer/BioNtech vaccines at protecting against infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

21 Feb 2021