R&D

Super-potent human antibodies protect against COVID-19 in animal tests

A team led by Scripps Research has discovered antibodies in the blood of recovered COVID-19 patients that provide powerful protection against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease, when tested in animals and human cell cultures.

The research, published today in Science, offers a paradigm of swift reaction to an emergent and deadly viral pandemic, and sets the stage for clinical trials and additional tests of the antibodies, which are now being produced as potential treatments and preventives for COVID-19.

Up to 45 percent of SARS-CoV-2 infections may be asymptomatic

An extraordinary percentage of people infected by the virus behind the ongoing deadly COVID-19 pandemic never show symptoms of the disease, according to the results of a Scripps Research analysis of public datasets on asymptomatic infections.

The findings, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, suggest that asymptomatic infections may account for as much as 45 percent of all COVID-19 cases,

A protein that helps to fight viruses can also block lung damage repair

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have found that a protein which is initially helpful in the body's immune response to a virus, can later interfere with the repair of lung tissue. The work, published in Science, highlights the need for careful consideration regarding the use of this protein to treat viruses, including coronavirus.

Study finds COVID-19 convalescent plasma therapy safe, with 76% patients improving

The country's first convalescent plasma transfusion trial results have been peer-reviewed and published, showing 19 out of 25 patients improving with the treatment and 11 discharged from the hospital. On March 28, Houston Methodist became the first academic medical center in the nation to transfuse plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients into two critically ill patients.

COVID-19 drug development could benefit from approach used against flu

A new study from researchers at The University of Texas at Austin has found that some antivirals are useful for more than helping sick people get better - they also can prevent thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of virus cases if used in the early stages of infection.

A roadmap for effective treatment of COVID-19

Due to the devastating worldwide impact of COVID-19, the illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, there has been unprecedented efforts by clinicians and researchers from around the world to quickly develop safe and effective treatments and vaccines. Given that COVID-19 is a complex new disease with no existing vaccine or specific treatment, much effort is being made to investigate the repurposing of approved and available drugs, as well as those under development.

Glucocorticoids are harmful in treating viral respiratory infections

Glucocorticoids are widely used in treating acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) despite there being no indisputable scientific evidence of their effectiveness. The main reason seems to be that there is no effective treatment for ARDS patients on ventilators. The death rate of these patients differs between 30-40 percent depending on the data.

Research & Development

Super-potent human antibodies protect against COVID-19 in animal tests

Up to 45 percent of SARS-CoV-2 infections may be asymptomatic

A protein that helps to fight viruses can also block lung damage repair

Study finds COVID-19 convalescent plasma therapy safe, with 76% patients improving

COVID-19 drug development could benefit from approach used against flu

A roadmap for effective treatment of COVID-19

Glucocorticoids are harmful in treating viral respiratory infections

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