Virus News and Research

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A virus is a microscopic infectious agent that can reproduce only inside a host cell. Viruses infect all types of organisms: from animals and plants, to bacteria and archaea. Since the initial discovery of tobacco mosaic virus by Martinus Beijerinck in 1898, more than 5,000 types of virus have been described in detail, although most types of virus remain undiscovered. Viruses are ubiquitous, as they are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth, and are the most abundant type of biological entity on the planet. The study of viruses is known as virology, and is a branch of microbiology.

Study suggests a way to improve immunotherapy by altering immune cells’ access to sugar

Cancer cells and immune cells share something in common: They both love sugar. Sugar is an important nutrient. All cells use sugar as a vital source of energy and building blocks. For immune cells, gobbling up sugar is a good thing, since it means getting enough nutrients to grow and divide for stronger immune responses. But cancer cells use sugar for more nefarious ends.

17 Feb 2021

Machine learning approach to identify drugs that could be repurposed to fight Covid-19

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, doctors and researchers rushed to find effective treatments.

16 Feb 2021

Innovative system allows complete study of SARS-CoV-2 mutant spectrum by ultrasequencing

Researchers have designed a program that allows the complete study of the SARS-CoV-2 mutant spectrum by ultrasequencing.

15 Feb 2021

Animal model yields important insights into T cell exhaustion

T lymphocytes, or T cells, are an important component of our immune system. They can recognize foreign proteins, so-called antigens, as peptide fragments - for instance, those derived from viruses or cancer cells.

15 Feb 2021

New AI-based method produces new diversity of AAV capsids for optimized gene therapy

Dyno Therapeutics has demonstrated the use of AI to created an unparalleled range of adeno-associated virus capsids that can evade the immune system.

15 Feb 2021

Researchers identify protein sequences that might be used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells

Researchers at EMBL Heidelberg have identified sequences in human proteins that might be used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells. They have discovered that the virus might hijack certain cellular processes, and they discuss potentially relevant drugs for treating COVID-19.

12 Feb 2021

Seasonal human coronavirus antibodies not associated with protection against SARS-CoV-2

Past exposure to seasonal coronaviruses (CoVs), which cause the common cold, does not result in the production of antibodies that protect against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, according to a study led by Scott Hensley, PhD, an associate professor of Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

11 Feb 2021

New therapeutic approach to restore the effectiveness of immune cells

Prompted by the need to improve conventional treatments for people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), a team from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has identified a therapeutic approach to restore the effectiveness of immune cells.

10 Feb 2021

Certain coronaviruses steal hosts’ genes to evade their immune system

Certain coronaviruses can add some genes, that belong to the host they infected, to their genetic pool. In this manner, they can merge and be less noticeable in the immune system.

9 Feb 2021

New study facilitates the use of gene editing technique on plants

A new study performed by the IBMCP of UPV University enables the use of the CRISPR genomic editing technique on plants.

9 Feb 2021

Agricultural activity confuses the mechanisms that regulate occurrence of plant diseases

A study carried out at the University of Helsinki indicates that agricultural activity confuses the mechanisms that regulate the occurrence of plant diseases in nature.

9 Feb 2021

Study reveals molecular details of how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells

The molecular details of how SARS-CoV-2 enters cells and infects them are still not clear. Researchers at Uppsala University have tested the bioinformatic predictions made by another research group and have identified receptors that could be important players in the process.

9 Feb 2021

Hidden genes in bacteriophages may be key to the development of new antibiotics

A study from the Center for Phage Technology, part of Texas A&M's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, shows how the "hidden" genes in bacteriophages -- types of viruses that infect and destroy bacteria -- may be key to the development of a new class of antibiotics for human health.

8 Feb 2021

Climate change may have played a direct role in the emergence of SARS-CoV-2

Global greenhouse gas emissions over the last century have made southern China a hotspot for bat-borne coronaviruses, by driving growth of forest habitat favored by bats.

8 Feb 2021

Study suggests the need to characterize patient-specific responses to respiratory syncytial virus

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that while most individuals responded to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) natural reinfection with a typical sustained antibody response associated with protection, a few individuals surprisingly responded atypically, not being able to sustain the antibody response, which declined to levels that made the individuals susceptible to RSV reinfection.

5 Feb 2021

Virus News and Research

Study suggests a way to improve immunotherapy by altering immune cells’ access to sugar

Machine learning approach to identify drugs that could be repurposed to fight Covid-19

Innovative system allows complete study of SARS-CoV-2 mutant spectrum by ultrasequencing

Animal model yields important insights into T cell exhaustion

New AI-based method produces new diversity of AAV capsids for optimized gene therapy

Researchers identify protein sequences that might be used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells

Seasonal human coronavirus antibodies not associated with protection against SARS-CoV-2

New therapeutic approach to restore the effectiveness of immune cells

Certain coronaviruses steal hosts’ genes to evade their immune system

New study facilitates the use of gene editing technique on plants

Agricultural activity confuses the mechanisms that regulate occurrence of plant diseases

Study reveals molecular details of how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells

Hidden genes in bacteriophages may be key to the development of new antibiotics

Climate change may have played a direct role in the emergence of SARS-CoV-2

Study suggests the need to characterize patient-specific responses to respiratory syncytial virus

Study provides a causal link between the Alzheimer's risk gene and COVID-19

Vaccine based on virus-like particle could generate antibodies to prevent malaria

New technique to improve genome editing technology

Study reveals NLRP1 protein that serves as a sensor for invasive pathogens

Study shows major differences in mild versus severe COVID-19 infection

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