R&D

Vitamin K prevents cell death: a new function for a long-known molecule

Vitamin K is well-known for its blood clotting and bone building properties but today a new study published in Nature reports on a novel function for vitamin K.

The researchers discovered that the fully reduced form of vitamin K acts as an antioxidant efficiently inhibiting ferroptotic cell death. Ferroptosis is a natural form of cell death in which cellular iron plays an important role and which is characterized by the oxidative destruction of cellular membranes.

New needle-free nasal vaccine shows promise for COVID-19

New research shows that a needle-free mucosal bacteriophage (phage) T4-based COVID-19 vaccine is effective against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The findings were published in mBio, an open access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

In recent years, the Food and Drug Administration authorized mRNA- and adenovirus-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

SARS-CoV-2 hijacks nanotubes between neurons to infect them

COVID-19 often leads to neurological symptoms, such as a loss of taste or smell, or cognitive impairments (including memory loss and concentration difficulties), both during the acute phase of the disease and over the long term with "long COVID" syndrome. But the way in which the infection reaches the brain was previously unknown. Scientists from Institut Pasteur and CNRS laboratories have used state-of-the-art electron microscopy approaches to demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 hijacks nanotubes, tiny bridges that link infected cells with neurons.

Vaccine-induced immune response to omicron wanes substantially over time

Although COVID-19 booster vaccinations in adults elicit high levels of neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, antibody levels decrease substantially within 3 months, according to new clinical trial data. The findings, published today in Cell Reports Medicine, are from a study sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. The trial was led by NIAID's Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium.

Vaccine protection against COVID-19 short-lived, booster shots important

Since COVID-19 vaccines first became available to protect against infection and severe illness, there has been much uncertainty about how long the protection lasts, and when it might be necessary for individuals to get an additional booster shot.

Now, a team of scientists led by faculty at the Yale School of Public Health and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte has an answer: strong protection following vaccination is short-lived.

The fourth COVID-19 vaccine reduces the risk of death by 72% amongst the elderly

A new study by Tel Aviv University and Ben Gurion University of the Negev, in collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Health, has found that the fourth COVID-19 vaccine is effective in protecting the elderly population in long-term care facilities from the Omicron variant. The groundbreaking study included approximately 40,000 elderly Israelis living in institutions supervised by the

Boehringer Ingelheim, Evotec and bioMérieux launch Aurobac, a joint venture to fight Antimicrobial Resistance

Boehringer Ingelheim, a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the life science company Evotec SE (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, MDAX/TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809; NASDAQ: EVO) and bioMérieux, a world leader in in vitro diagnostics, have formed a joint venture to create the next generation of antimicrobials along with actionable diagnostics to fight Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

Research & Development

Vitamin K prevents cell death: a new function for a long-known molecule

New needle-free nasal vaccine shows promise for COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 hijacks nanotubes between neurons to infect them

Vaccine-induced immune response to omicron wanes substantially over time

Vaccine protection against COVID-19 short-lived, booster shots important

The fourth COVID-19 vaccine reduces the risk of death by 72% amongst the elderly

Boehringer Ingelheim, Evotec and bioMérieux launch Aurobac, a joint venture to fight Antimicrobial Resistance

More Pharma News ...