Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Long COVID's biological blueprint: new study offers promising insights

Researchers designed a cross-sectional study to investigate the biological underpinnings of “Long COVID”, the post-acute infection syndrome triggered by SARS-CoV-2.

27 Sep 2023

Could baseline gut microbiota predict the immune responses elicited by COVID-19 vaccines?

Researchers characterized the gut microbiota composition associated with the durability of COVID-19 vaccine-induced immunity.

27 Sep 2023

UKHSA launches centralized source for infectious disease data

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has launched the first iteration of its new dashboard, which will serve as a centralized source for infectious disease and outbreak data this winter, making it publicly available in a timely and transparent way.

26 Sep 2023

Researchers discover how Zika virus persists in the placenta

Before SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic, there was the Zika virus epidemic, lasting from 2015 to 2016. The Zika virus can cause serious birth defects and abnormalities.

26 Sep 2023

Study finds link between deforestation, mosquito biodiversity, and virus prevalence

How are environmental changes, loss of biodiversity, and the spread of pathogens connected? The answer is a puzzle. Scientists from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin in cooperation with the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) have now described one piece of that puzzle in the journal "eLife", showing that the destruction of tropical rainforests harms the diversity of mosquito species.

26 Sep 2023

New material more efficient at capturing coronavirus proteins with minimal impact on breathability

A research team at the University of Liverpool has developed a new material that captures coronavirus particles and could transform the efficiency of face masks and other filter equipment to stop the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses.

26 Sep 2023

Understanding how exercise suppresses appetite could pave the way for new obesity drugs

The complex relationship between physical activity and energy balance – food intake versus energy expenditure – is still a challenge for science, especially in light of the rising worldwide prevalence of overweight and obesity

26 Sep 2023

Monkeypox mimics smallpox vaccine's immune response, new study reveals

The study in Nature Communications reveals that MPOX infection triggers an anti-viral antibody response akin to that from smallpox vaccination. Utilizing a comprehensive array of ELISAs, scientists found a high level of specificity and sensitivity in detecting antibodies against both MPOX and smallpox, offering a new, accurate way to measure immune responses.

26 Sep 2023

Long COVID research plagued by flawed methods, say experts

Overly broad definitions, a lack of appropriate, or any, comparison groups, among other things, in studies looking at the incidence, prevalence, and control of the condition - epidemiology - have distorted the risks, say the researchers.

25 Sep 2023

Intranasal vaccine shows promise against COVID variants in hamsters

Intranasal mRNA-LNP vaccines show promise in Syrian golden hamsters, effectively reducing SARS-CoV-2 viral loads and lung pathology. The study suggests potential efficacy against new variants, setting the stage for future research in human applications.

25 Sep 2023

One gene variant could be a shield against severe COVID-19 lung damage

Researchers identify a specific genetic variant, rs2204985, linked to less severe lung involvement and a stronger immune response in COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia. The study suggests that understanding this genetic marker could help identify high-risk individuals and enhance strategies for prevention and treatment.

25 Sep 2023

Research uncovers a link between antiviral drug for COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 mutations

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, the University of Liverpool, the University of Cape Town and UKHSA have uncovered a link between an antiviral drug for COVID-19 infections called molnupiravir and a pattern of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

25 Sep 2023

Engineered mice reveal how Omicron subvariant BA.5 is more virulent

New research used engineered mice to compare SARS-COV-2 omicron subvariants and found one of them – BA.5 – was more virulent likely due to its ability to rapidly replicate early during infection.

25 Sep 2023

COVID drug molnupiravir appears to be driving SARS-CoV-2 to mutate and evolve

Molnupiravir, an antiviral drug used to treat patients with COVID-19, appears to be driving SARS-CoV-2 to mutate and evolve, with some of these new viruses being transmitted onwards, a new study has shown. It is not clear, however, whether these mutated viruses pose an increased risk to patients or are able to evade the vaccine.

25 Sep 2023

Future-proof vaccine candidate protects against wide range of coronaviruses

Studies of a 'future-proof' vaccine candidate have shown that just one antigen can be modified to provide a broadly protective immune response in animals.

25 Sep 2023

Long COVID patients exhibit different immune and hormonal responses to the virus, study shows

People who have experienced brain fog, confusion, pain, and extreme fatigue for months or longer after being infected with the COVID-19 virus exhibit different immune and hormonal responses to the virus than those not diagnosed with long COVID, according to a new study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

25 Sep 2023

New injectable solution could help manage HIV unlike any current treatment methods

A new injectable solution that self-assembles into a gel under the right conditions could help manage HIV unlike any currently available methods, researchers have found.

25 Sep 2023

Killer T cells in older adults resemble those found in newborns, but fall short in virus detection

A world-first discovery has revealed special immune cells called 'killer T cells' in older adults, directed against influenza viruses, closely resemble those found in newborns and children, but struggle to recognize infected cells – a finding that unlocks the potential for the development of better vaccines and therapies tailored to different age groups.

25 Sep 2023

Study reveals how a tiny strand of RNA controls T-cell memory to recognize tumors

A team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has shown that a single, small strand of microRNA, or miRNA, known as let-7, governs the ability of T-cells to recognize and remember tumor cells.

25 Sep 2023

Study discovers a new endocytic pathway in budding yeast

Endocytosis is an important cellular process through which cells internalize substances such as water and nutrients.

25 Sep 2023

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Long COVID's biological blueprint: new study offers promising insights

Could baseline gut microbiota predict the immune responses elicited by COVID-19 vaccines?

UKHSA launches centralized source for infectious disease data

Researchers discover how Zika virus persists in the placenta

Study finds link between deforestation, mosquito biodiversity, and virus prevalence

New material more efficient at capturing coronavirus proteins with minimal impact on breathability

Understanding how exercise suppresses appetite could pave the way for new obesity drugs

Monkeypox mimics smallpox vaccine's immune response, new study reveals

Long COVID research plagued by flawed methods, say experts

Intranasal vaccine shows promise against COVID variants in hamsters

One gene variant could be a shield against severe COVID-19 lung damage

Research uncovers a link between antiviral drug for COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 mutations

Engineered mice reveal how Omicron subvariant BA.5 is more virulent

COVID drug molnupiravir appears to be driving SARS-CoV-2 to mutate and evolve

Future-proof vaccine candidate protects against wide range of coronaviruses

Long COVID patients exhibit different immune and hormonal responses to the virus, study shows

New injectable solution could help manage HIV unlike any current treatment methods

Killer T cells in older adults resemble those found in newborns, but fall short in virus detection

Study reveals how a tiny strand of RNA controls T-cell memory to recognize tumors

Study discovers a new endocytic pathway in budding yeast

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

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