Vaccine News and Research

Latest Vaccine News and Research

Soluble ACE2 microbody blocks SARS-CoV-2 entry into lung cells

A new study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medical College and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 reports the potential of an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-antibody Fc complex in a new format that seems to offer more significant inhibition of SARS-CoV-2.

21 Sep 2020

COVAM assay may help select convalescent plasma units for treatment of acute COVID-19

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* seeks to establish the pattern of antibody reactivity in COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP), which is widely being used as a therapy for seriously ill COVID-19 patients.

21 Sep 2020

In vitro testing suggests effective novel drug combinations for SARS-CoV-2

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 shows the value of drug combinations to enhance the therapeutic and preventive efficacy of such repositioned drugs in standard antiviral therapy.

20 Sep 2020

UM receives $33.4 million for development and clinical trials of opioid vaccines

The National Institutes of Health has awarded the University of Montana a five-year, $33.4 million award for the development and clinical trials of opioid vaccines. It is the largest such award in University history.

19 Sep 2020

S-pseudotyped VLPs offer promising COVID-19 vaccine platform

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 reports on a Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV) platform that produces VLPs expressing the important spike antigen of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

18 Sep 2020

T cells on the front line of COVID-19 response

In the new study, published in the journal Cell, the team has found that the uncoordinated responses produced by the immune system, especially in people who are more than 65 years old, maybe the reason why older adults are more at risk.

17 Sep 2020

Michigan sees increasing EEE cases

In the United States, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) urge people to stay indoors, especially after dusk. Health officials have confirmed 22 horse cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), and one suspected human case.

17 Sep 2020

New drug candidate suppresses SARS-CoV-2 replication

Researchers at Stanford University and Utah State University have developed a novel inhibitor of the coronavirus main protease (Mpro) that effectively suppresses the viral replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

17 Sep 2020

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: It’s scandal week

President Donald Trump finally released his promised executive order aimed at bringing down drug costs.

17 Sep 2020

Study: T cells play a vital role in controlling SARS-CoV-2 during acute phase of infection

Ever since SARS-CoV-2 first appeared, researchers have been trying to understand whether sometimes the immune system does more harm than good during the acute phase of COVID-19. The latest study by researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology clearly argues in favor of the immune system.

17 Sep 2020

Optimal antibody combinations and Fc binding inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in vivo

A recent study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The Rockefeller University and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 shows that a combination of neutralizing antibodies with intact Fc effector function can effectively reduce the viral load and prevent infection.

17 Sep 2020

Self-assembling nanoparticles as a way towards next-generation COVID-19 vaccines

In a promising study by US researchers, the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and stabilized spike glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were displayed on nanoparticles as vaccine antigens and elicited potent immune responses.

16 Sep 2020

Candidate monoclonal antibody shows hope as COVID-19 treatment

Researchers in the United States have described the effectiveness of a candidate monoclonal antibody currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 trial as a therapy for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

16 Sep 2020

Sub-Saharan Africa needs greater access to live-saving antibodies

Sub-Saharan Africa must increase access to live-saving, laboratory-produced antibodies, writes Yolanda Moyo.

16 Sep 2020

COVID vaccine trials move at warp speed, but recruiting Black volunteers takes time

Participation in clinical trials among Black people is low, according to Food and Drug Administration statistics.

16 Sep 2020

AI and machine learning tools can help separate COVID-related claims

As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world, researchers have published hundreds of papers each week reporting their findings - many of which have not undergone a thorough peer review process to gauge their reliability.

16 Sep 2020

Study highlights role of specific protein in the mass production of antibodies

Antibodies play a fundamental role in medicine, and antibody-mediated immune response is the ultimate target in the quest for a vaccine to defeat the current pandemic.

16 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infection severity linked to superior humoral immunity against the S-protein

In a recent bioRxiv* preprint paper, Jenna J. Guthmiller et al., focus on the acute infection of SARS-CoV-2 and observe that the humoral immunity is distinctive with the infection stage and viral antigens.

16 Sep 2020

New antibody assay for COVID-19 promises sensitive mass-scale detection

A new paper by researchers at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020, reports on the development of a serologic assay that is suitable for sensitive high-throughput antibody testing for COVID-19.

15 Sep 2020