Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Researchers work to develop dual antigen COVID-19 vaccine candidate

A new study has been published on the medRxiv* preprint server, which focuses on the development of a dual-antigen COVID-19' T cell' vaccine. This vaccine is developed based on the expression of both S protein and nucleocapsid (N) protein of SARS-CoV-2, using a next-generation human adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) platform.

12 Apr 2021

Could N protein-based COVID-19 vaccines hinder SARS-CoV-2's NK cell inhibition?

Upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, what are the changes occurring on the surface of the host cell? To address this, and a team of researchers undertook a study exploring the natural killer (NK) cells and their role during a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

12 Apr 2021

Screening for SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 14 inhibitors

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv* by Diffley et al. (April 8th, 2021), inhibitors of one essential SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein are explored, with four compounds, in particular, identified as potential antiviral leads that exhibit synergistic effects with antiviral drug remdesivir.

12 Apr 2021

More than 100 economies receive life-saving COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX

More than one hundred economies have received life-saving COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX, the global mechanism for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. The milestone comes 42 days after the first COVAX doses were shipped and delivered internationally, to Ghana on 24 February 2021.

12 Apr 2021

The role and ancestry of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein glycan shield

In a research paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Harbison et al. (April 1st 2021) a set of multi-microsecond long molecular dynamics simulations study the effects of altering glycosylation at sites N234, N165, N343, and the newly identified ancestral site N370, uncovering the influence of these sites on infectivity.

12 Apr 2021

Researchers unveil new SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor that targets viral immune evasion

In a recent quest for an effective antiviral compound, UK researchers have purified a specific enzyme of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) known as nsp15 and optimized fluorescent biochemical endoribonuclease assays to screen a custom chemical library with over 5,000 commercial compounds. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

11 Apr 2021

New polypeptide could provide universal protection against coronaviruses

Researchers in the United States have developed an inhibitor of the spike protein found on the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that limits its formation in host human cells that would otherwise be the source of newly generated virions.

11 Apr 2021

Broadly neutralizing antibodies show promise in preventing tick-borne encephalitis in mice

Tick-borne encephalitis is a disease just as nasty as it sounds. Once bitten by an infected tick, some people develop flu-like symptoms that resolve quietly but leave behind rampant neurological disease--brain swelling, memory loss, and cognitive decline.

9 Apr 2021

Analysis highlights the need for a more nuanced approach to COVID-19 vaccine prioritization

It's time for a more nuanced approach to vaccine prioritization, as more contagious COVID-19 variants become prevalent and a third wave of infections threatens to overwhelm hospitals in some provinces, according to an analysis published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

9 Apr 2021

Researchers use genetics to identify potential drugs for early management of COVID-19

A new study using human genetics suggests researchers should prioritize clinical trials of drugs that target two proteins to manage COVID-19 in its early stages.

9 Apr 2021

Children may be less infectious in spreading SARS-CoV-2 to others

Children may not be as infectious in spreading SARS-CoV-2 to others as previously thought, according to new University of Manitoba-led research in CMAJ.

9 Apr 2021

Brain organoid models reveal mechanisms linked to virus-induced microcephaly

Researchers at IMBA - Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences - demonstrate that different viruses can lead to brain malformations through diverse mechanisms by using human brain organoid models.

9 Apr 2021

Tiny SARS-CoV-2 protein may have big implications for future COVID-19 treatments

A tiny protein of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that gives rise to COVID-19, may have big implications for future treatments, according to a team of Penn State researchers.

9 Apr 2021

WHO calls for urgent action to improve health for all people

COVID-19 has unfairly impacted some people more harshly than others, exacerbating existing inequities in health and welfare within and between countries. For World Health Day, 7 April 2021, WHO is therefore issuing five calls for urgent action to improve health for all people.

9 Apr 2021

Study points to the involvement of Interleukin 33 in immunity to Sars-CoV-2

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, scientists and physicians worldwide undertook enormous efforts to understand the disease caused by the virus.

9 Apr 2021

Researchers identify several novel SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors

Researchers in London, UK, have identified several compounds with SARS-CoV-2 inhibiting properties, that potentially may be developed into antiviral solutions in the future.

9 Apr 2021

Researchers discover a new monoclonal antibody that is effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants

A new monoclonal antibody targets a particular region of the RBD on the SARS-CoV-2. This region is usually not accessible to immune cells, which may be why it has broad neutralizing capabilities.

9 Apr 2021

Fauci thanks US health workers for sacrifices but admits PPE shortages drove up death toll

Dr. Anthony Fauci thanked America's health care workers, who "every single day put themselves at risk" during the pandemic, even as he acknowledged that PPE shortages had contributed to the deaths of more than 3,600 of them.

9 Apr 2021

Study finds no evidence of SARS-CoV2 transmission by breast milk

Some studies have reported the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in breast milk from women who were recently infected with the virus. A new study explores the relationship between viral RNA and infectious virus to clarify the occurrence of vertical transmission through breast milk.

9 Apr 2021