Page 15 - Binding Affinity News Today

Researchers develop computational model to predict changes in SARS-CoV-2’s viral fitness Through advantageous mutations that can occur at the virus’s spike protein, tests have shown that the emergence of several new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can help the virus to infect human host cells more efficiently. Despite various mitigation measures, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues, with more than 138.7 million people infected ...

Study demonstrates that the main creators of SARS-CoV-2 mutations are vaccine-suppressed The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to wreak its havoc the world over, seemingly remaining one step ahead of scientists. With the rollout of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the focus shifted to making vaccines available in the vast quantities required for the global immunization effort. However, the emergence of multiple antibody-resistant mutants has cast doubts on the success o...

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.

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...

The use of mammalian cell surface display for rapid characterization of SARS-CoV-2 variants A research group from the U.S. demonstrated the practicality of a spike display system in order to accelerate vaccine design, but also to swiftly appraise the effects of mutations in emerging strains of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Their results are currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server. SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the ongoing coronavirus disease...

Study estimates impact of amino acid changes on SARS-CoV-2 infection New research led by Costas D. Maranas from The Pennsylvania State University predicts amino acid changes to the receptor-binding domain of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein would negatively impact binding affinity and subsequent infection into human cells. Their results were derived from a novel two-step procedure called neural network molecular mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann surface a...

Novel protein construct prevents lethal COVID-19 in mice Researchers in the United States have developed a novel protein that prevented lethal disease among mice infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The team engineered a soluble, short, and dimeric version of the native host cell receptor that is bound by a surface structure on SARS-CoV-2 called spike during the initial stage of the infection pr...

An interesting new study deals with the effects of the natural mutations in the spike antigen of the SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that is responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease pandemic.

A team of scientists from the USA recently developed a recombinant “Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) Triple Decoy” that can trap SARS-CoV-2 and prevent its propagation inside the host cell.

Researchers at the New York State Department of Health in the United States have said concerning mutations within the B.1.526 lineage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has recently become prevalent in New York State warrant further monitoring.