Decoy Receptor Neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 Coronavirus in Cell Cultures
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, scientists and health care providers are seeking ways to keep the coronavirus from infecting tissues once they’re exposed….
Virology
Invasion of the Body Snatchers: Viruses Can Steal Our Genetic Code to Create New Human-Virus Genes
Study unveils novel mechanism that allows viruses to produce unexpected proteins. Like a scene out of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” a virus infects a…
New Vaccine Platform – With No Needles – Has Potential to Be More Effective With Fewer Side Effects
Study shows that peptide nanofibers induce immune response in lungs and lymph nodes without requiring adjuvants for efficacy, indicating promise for new vaccine development. The…
COVID-19 Vaccine Innovation Could Massively Speed Up Worldwide Production
Responding to a need to quickly develop billions of doses of lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines, a scientific team at The University of Texas at Austin has…
Ancient Part of Immune System May Underpin Severe COVID-19 – Key May Be in Your Eyes
One of the immune system’s oldest branches, called complement, may be influencing the severity of COVID-19 disease, according to a new study from researchers at…
COVID-19 Breakthrough: Scientists Identify Possible “Achilles’ Heel” of SARS-CoV-2 Virus
COVID-19 Research: Anti-viral Strategy With Double Effect In the case of an infection, the SARS-CoV-2 virus must overcome various defense mechanisms of the human body,…
Advanced Cryo-EM Reveals Viral RNA Replication Complex Structure in “Game-Changing” Detail
For the first time, scientists at the Morgridge Institute for Research have generated near atomic resolution images of a major viral protein complex responsible for…
Shrinking (Ultra)Violet: Using Narrow Wavebands of UV Light to Kill Germs in Drinking Water
NIST researchers describe unique system for testing how well narrow wavebands of UV light kill germs. While awaiting full access to their labs due to…
Single-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine Robustly Protects Non-human Primates Against SARS-CoV-2
Findings lay groundwork for clinical development program. The development of a safe and effective vaccine will likely be required to end the COVID-19 pandemic. A…
Yale to Lead Trial of Drug for Treating COVID-19 – Found Most Effective in Combatting SARS-CoV-2 Out of 13,000 Existing Drugs
Yale School of Medicine and the biopharmaceutical firm AI Therapeutics have launched a multi-institutional clinical trial of a drug for treating COVID-19. Known as LAM-002A…
Return of the Zombie Cicadas: Manipulative Qualities of Fungal-Infected Flyers Unearthed
Mind games aren’t exclusive to humans. Cicadas infected with the parasitic fungus Massospora unknowingly engage in trickery with their fellow insects, resulting in effective disease…
Seaweed Extract Outperforms Remdesivir in Blocking COVID-19 Virus in Cell Studies
Heparin, a common anitcoagulent, could also form basis of a viral trap for SARS-CoV-2. In a test of antiviral effectiveness against the virus that causes…
Researchers Identify 21 Existing Drugs That Could Treat COVID-19
Multiple drugs improve the activity of remdesivir, a current standard-of-care treatment for COVID-19. A Nature study authored by a global team of scientists and led…
Genetic Comparison of 24 Coronaviruses – Including SARS-CoV-2 Viruses From the U.S. and China – Yields Clues to COVID-19 Treatments
Understanding any similarities between SARS and COVID-19 inflammation could help in a clinical setting. A protein in the viruses causing COVID-19 and SARS is almost…
DNA From Skeletons in Mass Grave Provides Evidence of Smallpox in the Viking Age
The fatal disease smallpox is older and more widespread than scientists so far have proved. A new study by an international team of researchers from…
MIT Scientists Work With 3M to Develop Rapid COVID-19 Test – Highly Accurate Results Within 10 Minutes
Company working with Sikes Lab to test feasibility of low-cost diagnostic that could be manufactured by the millions each day. Hadley Sikes, an associate professor…
Alien Microorganism Research Shows Humans and Other Mammals Could Struggle to Fight Space Germs
The immune systems of mammals – including humans – might struggle to detect and respond to germs from other planets, new research suggests. Microorganisms (such…
Scientists Uncover Evidence That a Level of Pre-Existing COVID-19 / SARS-CoV-2 Immunity Is Present in the General Population
Singapore scientists uncover SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell immunity in recovered COVID-19 and SARS patients, and in uninfected individuals. Singapore study shows that SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells are…
