Scientists show how SARS-CoV-2 wreaks havoc in lungs
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have published the first detailed atomic-level model of the SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein in a study published June 8 in Nature Communications. The model shows how the virus interacts with lung proteins, helping to explain how SARS-CoV-2 causes extensive lung damage. Read More
Leveraging past flu pandemics helps build universal flu vaccine
Targeting regions of the influenza virus that do not often change may be an effective strategy for developing next-generation universal flu vaccines, according to new research published in Science Translational Medicine on June 2. Researchers interrogated immune responses from the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic to determine which targets to include in new vaccines. Read More
FDA updates requirements for COVID-19 vaccine EUAs
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a new guidance document on May 25 that updates previously issued guidance and sets expectations for future COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorizations (EUAs) during the pandemic. Read More
New research uncovers how SARS-CoV-2 hijacks RNA host proteins
A new study has uncovered the interactions that SARS-CoV-2 RNA establishes with the host cell proteins, many of which are fundamental for infection. The results, published in Molecular Cell on May 24, pave the way for the development of new therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 with broad-range antiviral potential. Read More
CRISPR gene editing adapted for white blood cells
An adapted version of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technique opens up the ability to manipulate human monocytes -- white blood cells that play vital roles in the immune system. The new study, published in Cell Reports on May 11, shows that the cells function normally following gene editing, allowing biologists to better understand how the cells interact with diseases like HIV. Read More
Nobel Prize winner Doudna shares perspectives on future of CRISPR gene editing
Small science can translate into big discoveries, according to Nobel Prize laureate Jennifer Doudna, PhD. She discussed how her curiosity in understanding CRISPR led to the gene editing revolution in a talk at the 2021 American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy virtual meeting. Read More
Tiny mechanical forces can have a massive effect on T-cell activation
A new study reveals how tiny forces between T cells and their targets can help to jumpstart protective immune responses. Research published in Nature Communications on May 4 uses cutting edge microscopy techniques to track the association and dissociation between T cells and antigens. Read More
Hope for next-gen COVID-19 vaccines may rest in an unexpected region of the virus
Researchers further elucidated how antibodies produced in people who effectively fight off SARS-CoV-2 work to neutralize the part of the virus responsible for causing infection. The study, published in Science on May 4, describes how antibodies targeting sections of the virus outside of the receptor-binding domain may be useful in the development of vaccines and therapies. Read More
How the South African SARS-CoV-2 variant evades antibodies
Computer modeling has demonstrated that one of the three mutations of the South African SARS-CoV-2 variant reduces its ability to bind to human cells. The results, published recently in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, also suggest that the mutation may help it escape some therapeutic antibodies. Read More
Naturally occurring molecule helps SARS-CoV-2 evade neutralizing antibodies
Researchers have identified naturally occurring molecules that are created from the breakdown of hemoglobin and block the binding of a subset of human antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. The discovery, published in Science Advances on April 22, may help explain why some COVID-19 patients can become severely ill despite having high levels of antibodies against the virus. Read More
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