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 highlights novel approach for designing anti-viral drugs

Scientists are exploring a novel screening approach that concentrates on the recognition of virus-specific morphological changes in virus-infected cells.

4 Aug 2021

Researchers conduct molecular analysis of the 2021 Bundibugyo virus outbreak

New research offers insight into the origins of the 2012 Bundibugyo viral disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

4 Aug 2021

Researchers devise a new method for safer delivery of RNA drugs

Scientists have developed and tested a library of lipid-based compounds for the safe and effective delivery of RNA drugs to the lungs.

3 Aug 2021

T cell-depleted macaques can mount potent memory responses against SARS-CoV-2

New research conducted in monkeys reveals that T cells are not critical for the recovery of primates from acute COVID-19 infections.

28 Jul 2021

Researchers develop repository showcasing antibody activity on spike protein variants

Scientists have created an “atlas” that charts how 152 different antibodies attack a major piece of the SARS-CoV-2 machinery, the spike protein.

27 Jul 2021

Study employs llama nanobodies to hunt human cytomegalovirus

Researchers created a “nanobody”, a small fragment of a llama antibody, that can evade human cytomegalovirus as it hides away from the immune system.

26 Jul 2021

Already characterized active substances exhibit unexpected effects

Every innovative drug starts with the search for an active substance targeting key players in disease-related processes.

23 Jul 2021

Study reveals SARS-CoV-2 variant is less sensitive to inhibition by antibodies

SARS-CoV-2 is still a major threat to humankind. The constant emergence of variants makes the threat made by the virus difficult to estimate. The SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.617 spread in India and gave rise to the Delta variant, B.1.617.2, which is now dominant in numerous countries.

23 Jul 2021

Natto, a Japanese fermented soybean dish, may hold the key to COVID-19 treatment

Natto is a fermented soybean dish usually served by the Japanese for breakfast. Although it actually originated at the turn of the last millennium, it could be the key to a modern problem—COVID-19—reports a new cell-culture-based study.

23 Jul 2021

SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.617 can infect lung and intestinal cells more efficiently than the original virus

SARS-CoV-2 still poses major challenges to mankind. The frequent emergence of mutant forms makes the threat posed by the virus difficult to predict.

22 Jul 2021

L452R mutation of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is involved in cellular immunity evasion

A research team has demonstrated that the L452R mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein plays a role in cellular immunity evasion.

21 Jul 2021

Study identifies many small molecules that bind to certain areas of the SARS-CoV-2 genome

Scientists at Goethe University have now identified some regions of the SARS-CoV-2 genome that might be an ideal target for future drugs.

21 Jul 2021

Rapid, more accurate test to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Japanese researchers have come up with a highly accurate, rapid test for identifying antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in human serum.

19 Jul 2021

Cells damaged by chronic lung disease favor SARS-CoV-2 entry

Researchers propose that similar to pouring water atop a wellhead prior to pumping, the airway cells of patients suffering from chronic lung diseases are “primed” for infection by the COVID-19 virus.

16 Jul 2021

Novel gene therapy offers hope to children with genetic, neurodegenerative diseases

Newly devised gene therapy can help children born with AADC, a rare genetic disorder that causes developmental and physical disabilities.

13 Jul 2021

Emerging variants of COVID-19 could be treated with a new anticoagulant drug

The capacity of the COVID-19 virus’s spikes to bind to human cells may be hampered by molecules from the same family as the anticoagulant medication heparin.

9 Jul 2021

Study reveals how fine-tuning the immune system can improve vaccines, reduce disease severity

Immunologists have discovered a molecular route that regulates how crucial immune cells evolve into the immune system’s functioning components.

9 Jul 2021

New study maps the evolutionary history and interrelationships of protein domains

Since the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, proteins have been stealthily taking over human lives.

2 Jul 2021

Mutations on SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins create antibody-resistant variants

Researchers have identified how mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein separately create variants that are potentially resistant to antibodies.

1 Jul 2021

Scientists decode humans’ adaptations to historical coronavirus outbreaks

An international research team, jointly headed by the University of Adelaide and the University of Arizona, has examined the genomes of over 2,500 modern humans from 26 global populations to gain a better understanding of people’s adaptations to the historical outbreaks of coronavirus.

25 Jun 2021

Virus News and Research

Study highlights novel approach for designing anti-viral drugs

Researchers conduct molecular analysis of the 2021 Bundibugyo virus outbreak

Researchers devise a new method for safer delivery of RNA drugs

T cell-depleted macaques can mount potent memory responses against SARS-CoV-2

Researchers develop repository showcasing antibody activity on spike protein variants

Study employs llama nanobodies to hunt human cytomegalovirus

Already characterized active substances exhibit unexpected effects

Study reveals SARS-CoV-2 variant is less sensitive to inhibition by antibodies

Natto, a Japanese fermented soybean dish, may hold the key to COVID-19 treatment

SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.617 can infect lung and intestinal cells more efficiently than the original virus

L452R mutation of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is involved in cellular immunity evasion

Study identifies many small molecules that bind to certain areas of the SARS-CoV-2 genome

Rapid, more accurate test to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Cells damaged by chronic lung disease favor SARS-CoV-2 entry

Novel gene therapy offers hope to children with genetic, neurodegenerative diseases

Emerging variants of COVID-19 could be treated with a new anticoagulant drug

Study reveals how fine-tuning the immune system can improve vaccines, reduce disease severity

New study maps the evolutionary history and interrelationships of protein domains

Mutations on SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins create antibody-resistant variants

Scientists decode humans’ adaptations to historical coronavirus outbreaks

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De novo mutations may play a role in male infertility

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