Medicine

Chinese Scientists Develop New Test to Detect SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies A team of researchers in China has developed a quick and sensitive test to detect IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus behind the COVID-19 disease. A new lateral flow immunoassay can detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, which appear as a bright …

Study Reveals New Clues about Biology of COVID-19 A new study published in the journal Cell pinpoints the likely cell types SARS-CoV-2, a new coronavirus virus behind the COVID-19 disease, infects; it also shows that one of the human body’s main defenses against viral infections may actually help SARS-CoV-2 infect …

May Halt COVID-19 Cytokine Storm Cytokines are signaling proteins that stimulate inflammation and other immune responses. ‘Cytokine storm,’ or cytokine release syndrome, plays a critical role in viral infections such as COVID-19. This burst of immune overreaction damages the lungs and is potentially life-threatening. Therefore, efficient removal of excessive cytokines …

New Biosensor Rapidly Detects SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus in Nasopharyngeal Swabs A team of researchers in the Republic of Korea has successfully fabricated a promising transistor-based biosensor that detects SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease, in nasopharyngeal swabs in less than one minute. A new test quickly detects SARS-CoV-2 …

Genetic Variability in Immune System May Affect Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 Genetic variability in the human immune system may affect susceptibility to and severity of infection by SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus which causes the COVID-19 disease, according to new research. Colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (green) heavily infected …

Study Links Neutrophil Infiltration in Lungs to COVID-19 Symptoms A little known yet powerful function of overactive white blood cells known as neutrophils — the ability to form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) — may contribute to organ damage and mortality in COVID-19, according to a study from the NETwork Consortium. …

Scientists Restore Mobility and Sensation of Touch in Stroke-Injured Rats In a new experiment on rats, a team of researchers at Lund University has shown that by transplanting human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived neurons into rat brains, it is possible to restore mobility and sensation of touch in the …

Study Sheds New Light on Antimicrobial Activity of Silver As ‘superbug’ bacteria resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics have become a global threat to public health in recent years, noble metals, such as silver, in various forms have been attracting broad attention due to their antimicrobial activities. While it is still …

Experimental Drug Has Broad Spectrum Antiviral Activity against Multiple Coronaviruses An orally bioavailable prodrug called EIDD-2801 (β-D-N4-hydroxycytidine-5’-isopropyl ester) has broad spectrum antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and related zoonotic coronaviruses in primary human airway epithelial cells, according to a new study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The …

COVID-19: Suffering from Skin Damage from Protective Masks? Researchers Offer Remedies to Heal Healthcare professionals on the COVID-19 frontline are spending many hours a day wearing face masks, and many members of the general public are doing the same. But although the devices offer invaluable protection, they can be the …