Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

New study will help investigate innate immune responses to viral infections

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) report the formation of human cells containing a green fluorescent protein or GFP (one of the most important proteins in biology and fluorescence imaging) genetically fused with two interferon stimulated genes (ISGs), namely Viperin and ISG15.

19 May 2021

Antibody response following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine is greater than natural infection

Researchers in the United States have provided the first evidence that messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccines against severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induce a broader array of antibody subtypes against the viral spike protein than natural infection does.

19 May 2021

Methotrexate impairs immunogenicity of BNT162b2 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

Researchers from Germany and the USA recently investigated the cellular and humoral immune responses of patients with IMIDs on immunomodulatory treatment to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The research is published on the medRxiv* preprint server.

19 May 2021

Despite sufficient information on COVID-19, Central PA residents worry about mixed messages

Residents of central Pennsylvania had the information they needed to slow the spread of COVID-19 early on in the pandemic, but were overwhelmed with worries about mixed messages and distrust of some sources, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

19 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine PTX-COVID19-B safe and highly immunogenic in preclinical study

COVID-19, the coronavirus disease of 2019, is one of the worst pandemics in human history. It emerged in December 2019 and is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Nearly 164 million SARS-CoV-2 infections and 3.4 million deaths have been reported globally since the beginning of the pandemic, which is still raging in many countries.

18 May 2021

Potent antibody with unique genetic signature and spike recognition mechanism neutralizes SARS-CoV-2

In a new study, researchers used an antibody discovery technology to identify a new potently neutralizing antibody with a unique mode of SARS-CoV-2 recognition. They reported their results on the bioRxiv preprint server.

18 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.420 and B.1.617.1 immune escape variants reported in France

Researchers discovered the first N440K variant and the new E484Q and L452R Indian variants isolated in France in a recent study. They presented the genetic mutations in the isolated genomes and the phylogenetic tree, including these strains among different SARS-CoV-2 clades. This work is posted on the bioRxiv preprint server.

18 May 2021

Prior dengue infection considerably increases risk of symptomatic COVID-19

18 May 2021

New coronavirus variants can be effectively eliminated by disinfection, thorough hand washing

The researchers found that the variants have a similar surface stability as the wild type virus under laboratory conditions, but can be effectively eliminated by disinfection and thorough hand washing, heat or alcohol treatment.

18 May 2021

Scientists develop experimental direct-acting antiviral therapy to treat COVID-19

An international team of scientists from the Menzies Health Institute Queensland (MHIQ) at Griffith University and from City of Hope, a research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases in the U.S., have developed an experimental direct-acting antiviral therapy to treat COVID-19.

18 May 2021

New COVID-19 testing technology is a cheaper, faster alternative to tube-based RT-PCR tests

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain shortages of reagents and test kits have limited the rapid expansion of clinical testing needed to contain the virus.

18 May 2021

New coronavirus test can get fast, accurate results from saliva samples

A new coronavirus test can get accurate results from a saliva sample in less than 30 minutes, researchers report in the journal Nature Communications.

18 May 2021

A possible human-to-canine transmission of SARS-CoV-2

Now, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified a case of human to animal transmission when SARS-CoV-2 was detected in a healthy poodle dog living with four family members who had COVID-19.

18 May 2021

COVID-19 public health interventions reduced other respiratory infections

Wearing masks and quarantining while sick has helped mitigate the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). An indirect benefit of these efforts appears to be a decrease in flu cases and other respiratory infections. New research led by Lisa G. Winston of the University of California, San Francisco, confirmed COVID-19 public health interventions helped decrease the number of airborne viruses.

18 May 2021

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine elicits six-month antibody responses to variants

Researchers in the United States have demonstrated the long-term durability of the antibody responses elicited by Moderna’s mRNA-1273 vaccine against variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

18 May 2021

Researchers investigate immune molecule that helps protect transplanted kidneys

Looking to improve organ transplant success, researchers are working to learn more about how an immune molecule, which also protects a fetus, helps protect some transplanted kidneys, and to develop a synthetic version of that molecule that could help more patients.

18 May 2021

Stabilizing mutations in SARS-CoV-2 immunogens improve vaccine design

Researchers in the United States have developed stabilized immunogens presenting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that may improve the scalability of RBD-based coronavirus vaccines.

18 May 2021

Milder COVID-19 in children may be due to higher memory B cells responses to SARS-CoV-2

A new research paper published in the journal Science explores the differences in coronavirus-specific B memory cell repertoires in children versus adults, as well as the functional importance of this discovery.

18 May 2021

New technology tricks tumors to eliminate itself through the production of anti-cancer agents

Scientists at the University of Zurich have modified a common respiratory virus, called adenovirus, to act like a Trojan horse to deliver genes for cancer therapeutics directly into tumor cells. Unlike chemotherapy or radiotherapy, this approach does no harm to normal healthy cells.

18 May 2021

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines safe and effective for pregnant and breastfeeding women

The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought untold devastation in its wake, with its rapid and asymptomatic spread to hundreds of millions of people the world over. Vaccines have been hailed as the way out of this situation, and a dozen or so are being rolled out in many different countries.

18 May 2021

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

New study will help investigate innate immune responses to viral infections

Antibody response following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine is greater than natural infection

Methotrexate impairs immunogenicity of BNT162b2 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

Despite sufficient information on COVID-19, Central PA residents worry about mixed messages

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine PTX-COVID19-B safe and highly immunogenic in preclinical study

Potent antibody with unique genetic signature and spike recognition mechanism neutralizes SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.420 and B.1.617.1 immune escape variants reported in France

Prior dengue infection considerably increases risk of symptomatic COVID-19

New coronavirus variants can be effectively eliminated by disinfection, thorough hand washing

Scientists develop experimental direct-acting antiviral therapy to treat COVID-19

New COVID-19 testing technology is a cheaper, faster alternative to tube-based RT-PCR tests

New coronavirus test can get fast, accurate results from saliva samples

A possible human-to-canine transmission of SARS-CoV-2

COVID-19 public health interventions reduced other respiratory infections

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine elicits six-month antibody responses to variants

Researchers investigate immune molecule that helps protect transplanted kidneys

Stabilizing mutations in SARS-CoV-2 immunogens improve vaccine design

Milder COVID-19 in children may be due to higher memory B cells responses to SARS-CoV-2

New technology tricks tumors to eliminate itself through the production of anti-cancer agents

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines safe and effective for pregnant and breastfeeding women

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

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