Clinical Trials & Research

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* server, a team of researchers hypothesized various scenarios of travel restrictions to estimate the potential global risk of monkeypox virus (MPXV) importation. Study: Impact of airline travel network on the global importation risk of monkeypox, 2022. Image Credit: Song_about_summer/Shutterstock Background Related Stories The World Health Organization (WHO)

Autophagy is a self-degradation process that cells use to remove unneeded or damaged components. There are several forms of autophagy, including macroautophagy, which is a bulk degradation system used to target materials in the cell’s cytosol to organelles called lysosomes for enzymatic breakdown. However, even lysosomes themselves sometimes need to be degraded. Recently, Osaka University

Sep 19 2022 CDC today announced that polioviruses found in New York, both from the case of paralytic polio in an unvaccinated adult in Rockland County and in several wastewater samples from communities near the patient’s residence, meet the World Health Organization (WHO)’s criteria for circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) – meaning that poliovirus continues to

This study is led by Dr. Ruifu Yang, Dr. Zongmin Du (State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology) and Dr. Fan Bai (Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, School of Life Sciences, Peking University). Yersinia pestis (Y. pestis), the causative agent of plague, has caused millions of deaths in three worldwide

If a secretion in the lungs’ alveoli is not cleared regularly, breathing difficulties can develop. In a study published in Science Immunology, a team led by Alexander Mildner and Achim Leutz has now explained the pivotal role of the transcription factor C/EBPb in this process. The exchange of gases between the air we breathe and

Africa lagged in genome sequencing during the first two years of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, with increased funding, over 100,000 genomes have now been sequenced from this continent. A new study sums up the results of genomic surveillance so far, indicating how the

Today, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendations for use of updated COVID-19 boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech for people ages 12 years and older and from Moderna for people ages 18 years and older. Updated COVID-19 boosters add Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components to

With Vitralit® UD 8050 MV F, Panacol has developed another adhesive system certified for use in the medical industry. What is special about this adhesive is that in addition to its primary curing – UV crosslinking – this adhesive also offers secondary moisture post-curing. Image Credit: Panacol-Elosol Gmb This means that components in medical devices can

In a recent study published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers identified type 3 vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) in an infant. Study: Detection of a Highly Divergent Type 3 Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus in a Child with a Severe Primary Immunodeficiency Disorder — Chongqing, China, 2022. Image Credit: nobeastsofierce/Shutterstock The oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) has been effective

A recent study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology has revealed that people with gout are at higher risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, irrespective of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination status. Study: Gout and Excess Risk of Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Vaccinated Individuals: A General Population Study. Image

Chlamydia, the leading cause of sexually transmitted bacterial infections, evades detection and elimination inside human cells by use of a cloaking device. But Duke University researchers have grasped the hem of that invisibility cloak and now hope they can pull it apart. To enter the cell and peacefully reproduce, many pathogenic bacteria, including Chlamydia, cloak

A team of researchers from the IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology) has designed in silico “molecular probes” able to track the progress of a protein that misbehaves in different neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Fronto-Temporal Dementia (FTD). The probes can be used to study the behavior of the

Many studies have been conducted to determine treatment options to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Significant attention has been given to the role of vitamin D in preventing and treating COVID-19. Several preclinical studies have indicated that vitamin D metabolites play important roles in immune responses to respiratory viruses. Study: Prevention of covid-19

In a recent study published in PLOS Pathogens, researchers screened a library of phages encoding biosynthetic proteins called αReps. They pursued αReps that could block the interaction between receptor-binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) protein with the host’s angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors. Study: Biosynthetic proteins targeting the

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents the passage of foreign substances from the blood to the brain’s extracellular fluid. Several drugs that permeate through the BBB are compromised, and only an insufficient amount reaches the targeted tissues. Nanoparticle-based systems present an excellent opportunity to overcome the challenges associated with drug administration via the intranasal route. Study:

In a recent review article published in Venereology, scientists have described the epidemiology, transmission, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, and preventive strategies of monkeypox infection among humans. Study: A Review of Monkeypox: The New Global Health Emergency. Image Credit: ART-ur/Shutterstock Background Monkeypox, a zoonotic virus belonging to the Poxviridae family and the Orthopoxvirus genus, was first detected in

Most UK primary schools experience levels of pollution which exceed the safe levels set out by the World Health Organization, yet simple measures can cut outdoor and indoor exposure of toxins by almost half, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. Working with a select number of London schools, researchers from Surrey’s

In a recent study, researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and others, have characterised the new omicron variant BA.2.75, comparing its ability to evade antibodies against current and previous variants. The study, published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, suggests that BA.2.75 is not more resistant to antibodies than the currently dominating BA.5, which

This prespecified subgroup analysis of East Asian adults who participated in a phase 3 clinical trial of belimumab added to standard therapy vs. placebo added to standard therapy for lupus nephritis shows earlier and more sustained improvement in kidney outcomes with the addition of belimumab. Related Stories Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe complication of

A recent correspondence published in The New England Journal of Medicine discussed a study in which researchers assessed the infection risk for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron BA.5 subvariant in vaccinated people that have been exposed to previous SARS-CoV-2 variants. Study: Risk of BA.5 Infection among Persons Exposed to Previous SARS-CoV-2

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers determined whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) could be transmitted from a dead body. Study: Can SARS-CoV-2 transmit from a dead body? Image Credit: Giannis Papanikos/Shutterstock In July 2020, the federal government of Japan established procedures related to the transportation and performance

The poxviruses are highly relevant to human beings, among which the orthopoxviruses are the best-known. These include the smallpox virus (variola virus, VARV), the monkeypox virus (MPXV), the cowpox virus, and the vaccinia virus. Study: Monkeypox, a Literature Review: What Is New and Where Does This concerning Virus Come From? Image Credit: Marina Demidiuk/Shutterstock Background

In a recent article posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers analyzed the influence of multiple shots of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Wuhan strain vaccinations on the Omicron variant.  Study: Antigen presentation dynamics shape the response to emergent variants like SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain after multiple vaccinations with wild type strain. Image Credit: Nhemz/Shutterstock

Around ten percent of the population in high income regions like Europe and the United States has been diagnosed with one or multiple autoimmune disorders. Examples are rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, systemic sclerosis, lupus erythematosus and type I diabetes. Although earlier research has suggested associations between some of these disorders and a higher risk of cardiovascular

A study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine has described the transmissibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), population-level immunity, and the impact of the omicron wave in South Africa. Study: SARS-CoV-2 transmission, persistence of immunity, and estimates of Omicron’s impact in South African population cohorts. Image Credit: PHOTOCREO Michal Bednarek/Shutterstock Background

When the Biden administration announced COVID-19 vaccine mandates on Nov. 4 for businesses with 100 or more employees, protests erupted in cities across the U.S. A recent study of the slogans displayed by protestors found three distinct themes. Tim F. Liao, a professor of sociology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, analyzed the content of

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, a global leader in laboratory automation and biotechnology innovation, announces a partnership with Flownamics to create an automated, on-line solution for bioprocess culture monitoring and control. This delivers a critical and practical update to the significant unmet need for automated, real-time cell analysis in the current bioprocessing environment. Image Credit: Beckman Coulter

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has claimed more than 6.4 million lives globally. Research on COVID-19 has shed light on various clinical manifestations from asymptomatic to severe symptoms. Several studies have reported the development and persistence of antibodies following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Study: Factors influencing the