Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Vermont to give minority residents vaccine priority

States have tried with limited success to get covid vaccines to people of color, who have been disproportionately killed and hospitalized by the virus.

5 Apr 2021

Phase 1 clinical study of unique vaccine to protect against COVID-19 begins

A unique vaccine to protect against COVID-19 begins clinical testing Tuesday, 6 April, at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), part of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command.

5 Apr 2021

New software package employs deep-learning algorithms to analyze T-cell receptor sequencing data

Researchers at the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have developed DeepTCR, a software package that employs deep-learning algorithms to analyze T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing data. T-cell receptors are found on the surface of immune T cells.

5 Apr 2021

Can universal vaccines and treatments against future SARS-CoV-2 variants be developed?

A team of researchers from Saudi Arabia and Spain recently quantified the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 by tracking the mutations of the virus globally, focusing on the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the virus’s spike protein, which determines its infectivity.

5 Apr 2021

SARS-CoV-2 cryptic transmission modeling shows emergence of first wave in US and Europe

To analyze this cryptic transmission phase and the first wave of the pandemic that ensued, researchers from Italy, UK, and the US used a data-driven, spatial, stochastic, and age-structured epidemic model. They developed a mechanistic understanding of the evolution of the epidemic and estimated the time required for local transmission in various states and countries. The model developed by the team offers a statistical idea of SARS-CoV-2 introductions across European countries and many states in the US.

5 Apr 2021

Montana sticks to its patchwork Covid vaccine rollout as eligibility expands

Montana's Covid-19 vaccine distribution is among the most efficient in the nation, but closer examination reveals a patchwork of systems among counties and tribal governments that will be put to the test as the state opens vaccine eligibility to all people 16 and older starting this month.

5 Apr 2021

New approach to CAR T gene therapy yields efficient and longer-lasting response against HIV

A UCLA research team has shown that using a truncated form of the CD4 molecule as part of a gene therapy to combat HIV yielded superior and longer-lasting results in mouse models than previous similar therapies using the CD4 molecule.

3 Apr 2021

Type of material used in face masks and fabric layers can affect Covid-19 exposure risk

Wearing a face mask can protect yourself and others from Covid-19, but the type of material and how many fabric layers used can significantly affect exposure risk, finds a study from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

3 Apr 2021

Chemical inhibitor can reduce SARS-CoV-2's ability to infect host cell lines

James McKerrow, MD, PhD, dean of the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of California San Diego, has long studied neglected tropical diseases -- chronic and disabling parasitic infections that primarily affect poor and underserved communities in developing nations.

3 Apr 2021

50-state analysis finds excess deaths from COVID-19 and other causes in the U.S.

Extended surges in the South and West in the summer and early winter of 2020 resulted in regional increases in excess death rates, both from COVID-19 and from other causes, a 50-state analysis of excess death trends has found.

3 Apr 2021

Massive X-ray screening identifies several candidates for drugs against novel coronavirus

A team of researchers has identified several candidates for drugs against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 at DESY´s high-brilliance X-ray lightsource PETRA III.

3 Apr 2021

Prioritization of COVID-19 vaccines saves lives, reduces spread of infection

Waiting for your turn can be frustrating, especially when it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations. But prioritizing who receives the limited supply of vaccines available saves lives and reduces spread of infection, according to a study published today in the journal PNAS from the University of California, Davis.

2 Apr 2021

Scientists identify nine potential new COVID-19 treatments

A team led by scientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has identified nine potential new COVID-19 treatments, including three that are already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating other diseases.

2 Apr 2021

Study finds CD8+ T cell responses detect all major SARS-CoV-2 variants

There have been concerns that several SARS-CoV-2 variants have mutations that allow them to evade the immune system. A new study published in the Open Forum Infectious Diseases suggests otherwise. Led by Aaron AR Tobian of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, results showed that except for one from the B.1.351 variant, CD8+ T cells showed a broad response to all SARS-CoV-2 variants.

2 Apr 2021

First general selection criteria for lung transplantation in Covid-19 patients

In May 2020, a team led by thoracic surgeon Konrad Hoetzenecker of the Department of Surgery of MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital performed a lung transplant on a 44-year-old patient who had been seriously ill with Covid-19, making her the first patient in Europe to receive a lung transplant for this indication.

2 Apr 2021

Long-COVID-19 is a significant risk in recovered patients post-hospitalization

A new study, which appeared in the British Medical Journal, reports on a retrospective study to examine the incidence and risk factors for ‘long COVID-19’, the term used to describe the long-term effects of COVID-19 on affected individuals.

2 Apr 2021

Proper choice of control group nullifies most observed genetic markers for severe COVID-19, study suggests

A new study deals with the genetic contribution to severe disease following infection with this virus, showing that the association of severity with specific human genes described in an earlier study is not obvious.

2 Apr 2021

Researchers offer large-scale screening of potential broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 antivirals

A new study describes the identification of new compounds from a library, with inhibitory activity against several coronaviruses. This study shows the utility of this method, besides identifying compounds that not only inhibit viral shedding in SARS-CoV-2 cultures, but have an immunomodulatory effect that may be useful in mitigating the damaging cytokine storm typical of severe or critical COVID-19.

2 Apr 2021

Beating the pavement to vaccinate the underrepresented — and protect everyone

Leonor Garcia held her clipboard close to her chest and rapped on the car window with her knuckles. The driver was in one of dozens of cars lined up on a quiet stretch of road in Adelanto, California, a small city near the southwestern edge of the Mojave Desert.

2 Apr 2021

Comparative study of SARS, MERS, BAT‐SARS, and SARS-CoV-2

Even though a comparative study on the genomic sequences of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 is available, there is a gap in the research in regards to the comparison between four types of coronaviruses, namely, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, BAT-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. A new study, which deals with the genomic comparison between the sequence of the above-stated four types of coronaviruses, has been published in the Journal of Medical Virology.

2 Apr 2021

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Vermont to give minority residents vaccine priority

Phase 1 clinical study of unique vaccine to protect against COVID-19 begins

New software package employs deep-learning algorithms to analyze T-cell receptor sequencing data

Can universal vaccines and treatments against future SARS-CoV-2 variants be developed?

SARS-CoV-2 cryptic transmission modeling shows emergence of first wave in US and Europe

Montana sticks to its patchwork Covid vaccine rollout as eligibility expands

New approach to CAR T gene therapy yields efficient and longer-lasting response against HIV

Type of material used in face masks and fabric layers can affect Covid-19 exposure risk

Chemical inhibitor can reduce SARS-CoV-2's ability to infect host cell lines

50-state analysis finds excess deaths from COVID-19 and other causes in the U.S.

Massive X-ray screening identifies several candidates for drugs against novel coronavirus

Prioritization of COVID-19 vaccines saves lives, reduces spread of infection

Scientists identify nine potential new COVID-19 treatments

Study finds CD8+ T cell responses detect all major SARS-CoV-2 variants

First general selection criteria for lung transplantation in Covid-19 patients

Long-COVID-19 is a significant risk in recovered patients post-hospitalization

Proper choice of control group nullifies most observed genetic markers for severe COVID-19, study suggests

Researchers offer large-scale screening of potential broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 antivirals

Beating the pavement to vaccinate the underrepresented — and protect everyone

Comparative study of SARS, MERS, BAT‐SARS, and SARS-CoV-2

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

How can super-resolution technology help study neurotransmission?

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

How can super-resolution technology help study neurotransmission?

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

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