UMass Amherst scientist focuses around understanding essential parts of the hand’s microbiome Kumar Jeetendra | March 14, 2021 Skin Care microbiome researcher Dr. Kelly Haas, of the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Biology Department, recently started a research partnership with Akron, Ohio-based GOJO Industries to study the structure, stability, and endurance of their hand microbiome. The collaboration focuses on understanding fundamental aspects of the hand’s microbiome: what microbes should be growing on a hand …
Killing antibodies actuated by COVID-19 vaccines less successful against new variants Kumar Jeetendra | March 15, 2021 SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has mutated through the pandemic. New variants of this virus have arisen around the world, including variants that might possess increased capacity to spread or evade the immune system. Such variations have been identified in California, Denmark, the U.K., South Africa and Brazil/Japan. Recognizing how well the COVID-19 vaccines …
Study offers understanding into metabolic pathways hijacked by SARS-CoV-2 for viral replication Kumar Jeetendra | March 16, 2021 When SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, infects a human cell, it quickly begins to replicate by seizing the cell’s existing metabolic machinery. The infected cells churn out thousands of viral genomes and proteins while halting the creation of their own sources. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and the Broad …
Study uncovers immune defense system that shields the lungs from viral diseases Kumar Jeetendra | March 18, 2021 Scientists have discovered a previously unknown arm of the immune defense system that protects the lung from lethal viral infections. Respiratory diseases caused by viruses such as influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 cause harm not only through their own activities, but also from collateral damage as the immune system reacts to combat the infection. A timely …
FDA approves first AI based COVID-19 non-diagnostic screening Kumar Jeetendra | March 21, 2021 Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the first machine learning-based Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) non-diagnostic testing apparatus that identifies certain biomarkers that are indicative of some kinds of conditions, such as hypercoagulation (a condition causing blood to clot more readily than normal). The Tiger Tech COVID Plus …
Researchers discover proof that SARS-CoV-2 infects cells in the mouth Kumar Jeetendra | March 25, 2021 An international group of scientists has discovered evidence that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, infects cells in the mouth. While it’s well known that the upper airways and lungs are primary sites of SARS-CoV-2 disease, there are clues the virus can infect cells in different parts of the body, like the digestive system, blood …
Scientists use genetics to recognize likely drugs for early administration of COVID-19 Kumar Jeetendra | April 12, 2021 A new study using human genetics indicates researchers should prioritize clinical trials of drugs that target two proteins to manage COVID-19 in its early stages. The findings appeared online in the journal Nature Medicine at March 2021. The purpose is to identify present drugs, either FDA-approved or in clinical development for other conditions, that can …
Small SARS-CoV-2 protein may have huge ramifications for future COVID-19 medicines Kumar Jeetendra | April 12, 2021 A very small protein of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that gives rise to COVID-19, may have big implications for future therapies, according to a team of Penn State researchers. Using a novel toolkit of approaches, the scientists uncovered the first full structure of the Nucleocapsid (N) protein and discovered how antibodies from COVID-19 patients interact with …
Study offers a non-obtrusive avenue for monitoring buildings for COVID-19 Kumar Jeetendra | April 14, 2021 A study done in rooms where COVID-19 patients were isolated reveals that the virus’s RNA – part of the genetic material inside a virus – can persist up to a month in dust. The study did not evaluate whether dust may transmit the virus to people. It could, however, offer another option for monitoring COVID-19 …
Three-sided molded spikes help the success of Covid transmission Kumar Jeetendra | April 16, 2021 COVID-19 requires no introduction. This past year, the disease, which is caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, reached every continent across the globe. From the end of March 2021, there had been an estimated 128 million cases listed with nearly three million of these being deadly. As scientists’ race to produce vaccines and politicians coordinate their …
FDA denies EUA for monoclonal antibody treatment bamlanivimab to treat patients with COVID Kumar Jeetendra | April 18, 2021 Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revoked the emergency use authorization (EUA) that allowed for the investigational monoclonal antibody treatment bamlanivimab, when administered alone, to be utilized for treating mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults and certain pediatric patients. Based on its ongoing analysis of emerging scientific data, specifically the sustained increase of SARS-CoV-2 viral variants …
Novel platform has potential to detect many disease-related biomarkers in just one test Kumar Jeetendra | April 28, 2021 Most conventional molecular diagnostics usually detect only one disease-related biomarker. Fantastic examples are the PCR tests now used to diagnose COVID-19 by detecting a particular sequence from SARS-CoV-2. Such so-called singleplex methods give reliable results because they are”calibrated” to a single biomarker. However, determining whether a patient is infected with a new SARS-CoV-2 version or …
