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Researchers based in Paris, France, have explored the potential use of zebrafish larvae as animal models for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). These larvae are small and cheap, so could prove a suitable medium for rapid mass testing of the disease.

In a recent bioRxiv* preprint, the large team of researchers evaluated a SARS-CoV-2 Spike receptor-binding domain ferritin nanoparticle protein vaccine (RFN) in a nonhuman primate challenge model. This study addresses the need for a next-generation, efficacious vaccine with an increased pan-SARS breadth of coverage.

The role and ancestry of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein glycan shield The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein is a class I fusion glycoprotein responsible for interacting with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor on the surface of human cells, enabling cell entry. It is the primary target of both natural and vaccine-acquired neutralizing antibodies. The spike protein is coated in a thick glycan shield that plays a role in target site recogniti...

Mutations from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have created multiple variants. Some variants, such as those found in South Africa and Brazil, have caused concern for their potential to evade the immune response. While vaccination efforts are underway, the world is racing against the viruses’ ability to evolve under selective pressure.

New polypeptide could provide universal protection against coronaviruses Researchers in the United States have developed an inhibitor of the spike protein found on the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that limits its formation in host human cells that would otherwise be the source of newly generated virions. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the agent responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the spike protein is the main structure the ...

Researchers explore an inhalable SARS-CoV-2 nanobody therapy The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the world’s third major coronavirus outbreak. To date, the SARS-CoV-2 has infected over 135 million lives and caused over 2.9 million deaths. Even as vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are being developed and administered at an unprecedented pace, treating this infection remains a challenge. To address this, resear...

Previously approved drugs starting points for COVID-19 therapeutics Researchers in the United States have identified several clinically approved compounds that could be repurposed for the treatment and prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). By screening a commercial library of drugs that have already been approved by international regulatory agencies, the team identified more than 50 compounds that demonstrated some efficacy in blocking the initial stage of infection with severe acu...

COVID19s cytokine storm ushers in a local complement storm in the lungs A new study published in the journal Science Immunology analyzed lung epithelial cells from patients infected with COVID-19 and found the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces the complement system as a dangerous weapon for viral infection. The complement system is an extension of the innate immune system to recognize pathogens and remove them. Prior research has shown a correlation between s...

Researchers provide ultrastructural details of SARS-CoV-2-infected respiratory epithelial cells A team of scientists from the United Kingdom recently investigated the ultrastructural details of the attachment, entry, and budding processes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the human airway epithelium. They have used a highly differentiated air-liquid interface cultures of airway epithelium to thoroughly investigate the viral infection cycle. The study is currentl...

Why post-vaccine rashes could be a good thing Marlene Cimons, The Washington Post April 11, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail Kaiser Doctor Allison Friedenberg (left) receivies a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shot from Nurse Scott Keech at Kaiser San Francisco hospital on December 7, 2020 in San Francisco, California.Douglas Zimmerman / SFGATE Tina Burke, 40, a nurse who works on the oncology floor at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), received her first coronavirus shot on Jan. 3. Six days later, she de...